Reef has tapped Tokyo-based designer Masafumi Watanabe, the founder of apparel label Bedwin and the Heartbreakers, to co-create its latest capsule collection, M.W x Reef.
In the men’s and women’s footwear collections, Watanabe puts a new twist on Reef’s Rover shoe, available as a simple low or deconstructed high top, with classic seaside colors like navy and tan popped with touches of red.
Sandals include a premium leather thong accented with a new stitching detail designed by Watanabe and a rubber flip-flop featuring his vintage Japanese woodblock ocean wave print.
Reef Vice President of Footwear Tom Cooke stated, “The drive behind choosing Masafumi is his talent for timeless, high-quality design work. We’ve been friends for almost ten years and have always respected one another’s work.” He added, “The collaboration led us to theme our Fall 15 collection around Japan, a destination country for global style with a well-established surf culture. It was a natural fit for our brand, and Masafumi really helped elevate the designs.”
The capsule collection extends to men’s apparel including oxfords, two-tone pocket tees, shorts and drawstring chinos in a cool palette of blue, gray and white. The line retails for $30-$155 at American Rag, Blends, Conveyer, Wittmore and Kinfolk.
“The interesting aspect of this project, in my opinion, is the cultural exchange between all of us involved—mixing my urban lifestyle with my own utopia of the surf lifestyle and sharing it with people all around the world,” Watanabe said. “Our goal is to create timeless product that would complement both lifestyles, from the streets of Tokyo to the Southern California shore.”