Wanderlust is the inspiration for H.P.F, Christopher, a jewel box in New York’s West Village. The shop is one of Japanese company, Harajuku Project France, which opened their first shop in Tokyo in 1984 and now operate 90 shops throughout Japan. Purveyors of French products, each shop is unique with a different name, product focus and mix. There are fashion shops, and lifestyle shops, and H.P.F, have also expanded into Art galleries and PR. The brand also represents makers from other European countries as well as North and South America, and Japan. CEO Takanao Muramatsu has met and befriended many designers and makers on his travels, and these are the artists he loves to support. Ionut Gitan, the shopkeeper at H.P.F, Christopher, discovered the brand while studying at The University of Tokyo. He became fascinated with the Harajuku street style and interned as a street photographer at a Japanese fashion magazine. After graduating from college he joined the H.P.F, New York team sourcing and buying antique furniture, followed by a move to Tokyo to work in the PR branch of the firm for a year. Returning to New York he helped set up H.P.F, Christopher overseeing the design of the shop and product assortment. The result is a very comfortable, relaxing space for people to enjoy. There is a delicious aroma of Bellocq tea, which is always brewed, waiting to be sampled. Included in the mix are fine jewelry from Japanese designers, Hirondelle, Mayu and Koji Takuma, china from Tse & Tse, hand blown glass by La Soufflerie, journals, Patch NYC candles and Bellocq tea. There is a small room to the rear, which Ionut is using for various artists residencies, the first of which is Patch NYC, April 23rd to May 24th . Ionut visited fifteen different countries last year, always accompanied by Ashram Afternoon, his favorite Bellocq tea. He always carries journals wherever he goes and sends four postcards every day, even when not on his travels. A fan of letter writing he always has stamps in the shop, at the ready for any customer who may want to mail one of H.P.F,’s beautiful postcards.
98 Christopher Street, West Village NY
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