Atomi: Making Japanese Design Products Available In Singapore

Written by: Daniel Hilarion Created: 22 July 2016

Atomi champions Japanese-made products through partnerships.

The Japanese way of living has always had an air of unfussiness and minimalism about it. Led by the concept of shibui, Japanese design is known for being exactly what it was created to be and not trying to be more than what it is. Home-grown label Atomi champions just that — it focuses on bringing out the best in Japanese-made products.

What sets Atomi apart from other lifestyle brands in Singapore is its strong partnerships with brands in Japan. From tie-ups with furniture companies to independent Japanese whiskey makers, Atomi takes the best of Japanese living and shares it with like-minded individuals. Its store in Mandarin Gallery is a lesson in understatement and, looking at it, you’d hardly expect what goes on behind the scenes or the strong ties it has to the Japanese movement.

But Japanese brands aren’t the only collaborations Atomi does. Andrew Tan, owner, explained: “We are pretty big on supporting local companies who, like us, are into ‘made in Japan’ products. From Kitchen Label to Biro, these are the new generations of entrepreneurs who are following their passion to set up companies specialising in Japan’s music scene and fashion respectively. We work with brand owners directly and like-minded individuals who share our passions. Of course, all these must make business sense and we balance the passion with commercial benefits to all partners, given we are all self-funded.”

Atomi’s reputation for great design and the ability to combine various elements into a cohesive look and feel has opened other doors for the company as well. In Kobe, Japan, Atomi has been chosen by Frasers to work on a new shopping concept. Atomi will revamp the entire branding, tenant mix, then manage the day-to-day operations once it is complete. Part of his goal is a sort of culture exchange between Singapore and Japan. Tan explains: “Atomi has been specialising in bringing Japanese brands, made in Japan to the rest of the world. Now the time has arrived for Atomi to do the reverse and bring brands to Japan. We are confident the project will showcase Atomi’s strengths, with our extensive network in Japan, and Asia, to create a mall, that will shine brightly in the highly competitive landscape of Japan.”

atomi-jp.com

Written by: Daniel Hilarion

Daniel covers a broad range of lifestyle beats at Billionaire, having honed his craft at publications like August Man and Harper’s Bazaar. Before joining the publishing world, Daniel was a consultant representing technology companies such as eBay, Google AdMob and Inmarsat — a move that has been dubbed ‘moving to the light side of the force’.