ALWAYS EVOLVING, NATORI MARKS 45TH YEAR BY JOINING METAVERSE
with them,” she said as she shared her screen with this
writer.
“It’s hard work to stay in this business and survive through the years. You can never assume or be complacent. We’re grateful in particular to have survived the pandemic,” Natori told Lifestyle.
She and her team have continued to work. Her new collection available at Rustan’s now includes casual dresses and separates, including a faux leather top worn with a matching pair of faux leather drawstring pants. They also now carry Natori-branded footwear consisting of booties and slip-ons.
“Different generations have different approaches to life. For me, the biggest challenge is to make sure that Natori will be relevant to the next generation. You really have to keep moving.”
Serendipity
It may seem like she was born for a life in fashion, but it was never in her plans. As a child, Josefina Almeda Cruz displayed a natural affinity for the piano, performing a solo concert with the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra at age 9. Born with an ear for music and an eye for art, Natori did not pursue a career in what came so naturally. Instead, she de
cided to challenge herself with a career in business.
At 17, she left Manila for New York where she studied
economics at Manhattanville College. Following graduation, she ascended the corporate ladder, landing at Merrill Lynch as the first female vice president of investment banking.
By 1976, the rising Wall Street star had married Ken Natori, then executive managing director of Smith Barney and had given birth to her son Kenneth Jr. By 1977, looking for new challenges and bored with her position, Natori was eager to start something new.
On a whim she brought an embroidered blouse to a buyer at Bloomingdale’s. The buyer encouraged her to turn it into a sleep shirt. Natori took the advice and she was in business. “At the time, lingerie was either lewd or frumpy,” she has said. Instead, she worked to fill the niche in between. More than four decades later the company has grown into a lifestyle brand that encompassed lingerie, loungewear, ready-towear, home, shoes, accessories, fine jewelry, men’s loungewear and healthwear.
“You know, my vision of what the brand is has not changed in the 45 years since we started the company. It’s still about creating products that enhance a woman’s life and make her feel good. It’s about bringing art to life, whether its the craftsmanship, the print or detail—there’s always a sense of luxury, a melding of East and West,” Natori said.