PORTER CLASSIC’s President on Creating a Store People Want to Visit

“We put a great deal of care into creating physical stores. For customers who make the effort to come all the way to PORTER CLASSIC, we want to give in return properly.” These are the words of Leo Yoshida, who founded PORTER CLASSIC in 2007 together with his father, Katsuyuki Yoshida, and currently serves as company president. PORTER CLASSIC’s new store, PORTER CLASSIC CINEMA, opened in September 2025 at NEWoMan Takanawa, just a one-minute walk from Takanawa Gateway Station on the JR Yamanote Line.

Yoshida created the store around the theme of a classic American movie theater. “Precisely because Takanawa is such a new district, timeless classics stand out all the more. I believe each place calls for its own form of expression. ‘Classic’ doesn’t mean old—it refers to universal values that transcend time. No matter how times change, something that was cool in the past will still be cool today, 20 years from now, even 30 years from now. That’s what I think defines ‘classic.’ What’s cool is always cool. What feels good always feels good, in any era.”

Standing at the entrance, you are struck by the overwhelming quality achieved through meticulous attention to detail. The theatrical spatial design was created by Yohei Taneda, one of Japan’s leading production designers active both domestically and internationally, and this store is the third that Taneda has worked on for PORTER CLASSIC.

“As we discussed with Taneda, our goal was to create a genuine movie theater from the early days of Hollywood. The essence of film set design lies in making fiction look real,” Yoshida explains. From the marquee lights that immediately catch the eye at the entrance to the ticket booth complete with realistically recreated tickets, every detail has been carefully executed. There is even a corner inspired by an actor’s makeup table, with realism pursued down to the smallest elements.

Upon stepping inside, the first thing that draws the eye is a large film projector. This is an actual projector that was once used at Honokaa People’s Theatre, a small-town cinema on the island of Hawaii, which served as the setting for Honokaa Boy, a novel written by Yoshida himself and later adapted into a film. For Yoshida, it is a projector filled with deep personal significance.

Speaking about the customer experience unique to physical stores, Yoshida explains, “There’s scent, music playing… A store gives you that sense of excitement, like when you enter a movie theater. Unlike the web, it’s something you can experience with your whole body. A movie theater is a place where strangers share the same work, and I think stores have something in common with that.”

Yoshida has carefully crafted the store so that it becomes not merely a place to shop, but a space where time and feelings are shared and memorable experiences are created.

“In a way, the experience of COVID-19 made us reexamine just how important physical stores are. In this store, we’ve prepared surprises that make the shopping experience even more special.” For example, the fitting rooms, which also function as mini theater rooms, feature doors whose design and material texture evoke classic cinemas. With two seats inside, customers can even enjoy a film while trying on clothes.

PORTER CLASSIC is known for focusing on traditional Japanese techniques, materials, and garments such as sashiko stitching, kasuri textiles, and judo uniforms, and fusing them with styles from America, Europe, and Asia to create clothing that grows richer with use. At the company’s core are values passed down from founder and company chairman Katsuyuki Yoshida: the idea of creating “clothing that can be enjoyed across three generations,” and a commitment to “Made in Japan” craftsmanship that respects and supports Japanese artisans.

Yarn, fabric, dyeing, sewing, metal fittings—each garment contains an immense story shaped by artisans. Yoshida believes that enabling customers to see, touch, and feel these stories firsthand is precisely the role of a physical store. Even in an age where online shopping allows nearly everything to be completed on the internet, this is why physical stores remain essential.

“In fact, customers sometimes tell us, ‘I’ve never touched fabric like this before.’ That sense of amazement is something only a physical store can offer. Whether its bags, clothing, or jewelry, each artisan has their own story, methods, and philosophy. In the store, our staff can directly share the vast stories living within the products on display with our customers.”

Yoshida continues, “To truly understand the most important philosophy behind PORTER CLASSIC’s story, the presence of our chairman and co-founder, Katsuyuki Yoshida, is indispensable. I believe it’s incredibly important for staff to interact with someone who possesses such experience, talent, and sensibility, and cherish their time with him.” With this in mind, Yoshida actively creates opportunities both in and outside work, such as shared meals and other occasions, for staff and the co-founder to spend time together.

A commitment to authenticity, respect for artisans, and a universality that is passed on to the future—precisely because this is a new location, these “unchanging values” stand out all the more clearly. The philosophy of PORTER CLASSIC lives on in this new store. Just like a movie theater, it offers experiences that make you want to return again and again, along with surprises that linger in memory. Going forward, PORTER CLASSIC CINEMA will no doubt continue to build upon such moments of inspiration.