Medium
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Paul Conrad has become a medium of sorts. The Orthodox brand manager cum showroom owner recently launched Medium—a showroom geared for lines that fit both the American and Japanese markets. Conrad, who grew up in Japan, is utilizing his background to help answer the growing demand for American brands in Japan. Conrad has a broad understanding of the Japanese fashion market and is fluent in Japanese. There will be no more “Lost in Translation” if he has anything to say about it. “My whole focus is to have a showroom that focuses on the communication barrier that I feel a lot of people can’t get through,” he explained. Hence the name Medium.
Since representing Orthodox, Conrad has seen an increase in demand for American lines by Japanese buyers. “That’s when I realized that doing a showroom would be a good investment,” he said. And when the economy took a turn, he decided it was the perfect time to launch his business. Medium officially opened its doors in January. In addition to Orthodox, the Medium brand lineup includes high-energy surf label Warriors of Radness (formerly known as Gonz); 3:33, a line of unisex shoes; Esquivel’s artisanal shoes; and Native Son, a new line by former Band of Outsiders assistant Kyle Fitzgibbons. Conrad represents the two latter brands exclusively in Japan.
According to Conrad, being innovative and having a hand in multiple baskets are the keys to being successful in today’s economy. “I felt that rather than focusing on domestic sales when the economy is so up and down [I would] take some of that energy and put it into Japan,” Conrad said. And so far, business has been good. Conrad estimates 80 percent of his sales are in the United States and 20 percent in Japan, but the Japanese portion is growing. Right now, the market is more stable in Japan because people still have more disposable income, he added. In turn, stores are increasing their buys in the contemporary market, whereas sales have been down-sized in the United States. Conrad said he also noticed an additional interest in American brands over European brands because of pricing. “They’re noticing that with the U.S. brands they can still take the place of the European [brands] and not have to pay that much money for them,” he explained. He cites Beams, United Arrows and Loveless as a few key stores that are focusing on the contemporary American market. Conrad’s office is located at the Orthodox headquarters in Los Angeles and he plans to travel to Japan twice a year for sales. “I don’t want it to be a big showroom but keep it as controlled as possible,” Conrad said.He plans to launch an East Coast office by December and eventually an office in Tokyo. With his comprehensive knowledge as an inroad into Japanese fashion, he also plans to bring Japanese lines to the United States. “Japan has always been very fashionable but hasn’t really had the medium to really channel it. That’s my goal,” he said. —N. Jayne Seward
