Japan-based online fashion retailer Fabric Tokyo has opened the application period for the first cohort of its three-month direct-to-consumer (D2C) support scheme.
Original Lab by Fabric Tokyo will accept submissions until August 14, and 15 participants will take part in the initiative, which is scheduled to begin on September 23. D2C startups less than a year old in any sector are eligible to apply, as are entrepreneurs who intend to launch a D2C brand.
Founded in 2012, Fabric Tokyo produces custom-tailored men’s apparel including suits and shirts, using customers’ measurements stored on the cloud.
Partner entities for Original Lab include Pola Orbis Capital, the corporate venturing arm of cosmetics producer Pola Orbis Holdings, as well as D2C marketing agency Fracta, design studio Takram and retailers Sogo & Seibu and Marui Group, the latter through its D2C&Co subsidiary.
Marui had invested a 10-digit yen (¥10bn = $91m at contemporary rates) amount in Fabric Tokyo in May 2019, the two having entered into an agreement to work on offline D2C strategies together.
Enterprise billing service MF Kessai and accounting software developer Money Forward’s enterprise software-as-a-service technology subsidiary, Money Forward Cloud, are the sponsors for Original Lab.
