interview + photos Jorge Perezchica
Over the past 3 years, I had the pleasure of meeting Julie Pinzur, founder and creative director of Mokuyobi at trade shows in Long Beach, CA. Even in the midst of hundreds of other booths, Mokuyobi stood out and has remained lodged in my memory. Julie’s knack for otherworldly designs and bright color schemes grabbed my attention — and instantly I became a fan. Mokuyobi’s products range from backpacks to hats, apparel to patches and pins. Who knows what Mokuyobi will come up with next, but it’s safe to say it will be fun, silly and inspired. Recently, my excitement grew as I read announcement details between Mokuyobi x Saguaro retail collab. This time I had the opportunity to preview Mokuyobi’s summer 2018 collection right here in my hometown at The Saguaro Palm Springs. To learn more about the brand’s identity and collab, I reached out to Julie Pinzur for the Coachella Magazine interview.
“Fun for the sake of fun paired with Made in the USA high quality construction! For me it’s all about creating something new and different that hasn’t been done before.” — Julie Pinzur
Coachella Magazine: Tell us about yourself and your background as an artist/designer?
Julie Pinzur: I grew up in the North suburbs of Chicago, I always loved to make things and became very interested in construction of apparel and bags from a young age. While developing my sewing skills I felt that the products I made weren’t truly my own unless I was designing textiles to incorporate into my products. I went to Parsons the New School for Design for Illustration and learned to make textile designs and patterns so I could incorporate my custom prints into my sewing.
CM: What is the origin story behind Mokuyobi?
Julie: Mokuyobi was a fusion of my extensive self-taught sewing background, newly developed illustration skills, and a lifetime of finding the fun in everything around me. Toss in the semester I spent studying abroad in Tokyo in 2008 and my creative fuel tank is forever full. I continue to push both my print design and construction into new realms and see where these skills and my imagination will continue to take me.
The name Mokuyobi or 木曜日 (もくようび) means Thursday in Japanese. To us, Thursday is the best day of the week. We believe that there is always something to look forward to. Whether it’s Thursday, your rad friend‘s party, vacation time, or a hot date there are always good things coming that spark excitement. We strive to create that same spark in you when your Mokuyobi package arrives.
CM: How would you describe the Mokuyobi style/aesthetic?
Julie: Fun for the sake of fun paired with Made in the USA high quality construction! For me it’s all about creating something new and different that hasn’t been done before. My specialty is designing weird and often blobby abstract prints in different styles and color palettes. Every season I always throw in a hand drawn conversational print with a fun theme. The topic is usually a nonsense thought or phrase that pops into my head and then I imagine what it would look like if I drew it. I end up with prints like “Floaty Dreamer”, “Jungle Style”, or “Egyptian Skateboard”; you never know what will be next.
Once the prints are finished I hand pick all of the colors and fabrics to dye and print. This fabric is then cut and sewn into many different and varied silhouettes. We pair the printed products with fun color block bags, small accessory elements pulled from the print designs or gems from my sketch book, and that’s what makes up our collection!
CM: Mokuyobi features bold, bright colors, shapes and illustrations. Where does your inspiration come from?
Julie: Mokuyobi is seeded in a world of nonsensical fantasy exploration that emerges from the center of my mind with ideas that grew from the nostalgia of 90s cartoons I grew up watching and an unprecedented love of color. Japanese culture, puns, science fiction, and overall silliness all mixed together play the ultimate part in the brand’s identity as well as my own.
CM: You recently redesigned The Saguaro Palm Springs uniform. Can you tell us how this came about?
Julie: I met Erin at a tradeshow in New York a few years ago when she came by the booth and raved about being a fan of the brand. Last year she reached out to me as the Brand Director of Saguaro and asked if we would be interested in redesigning their uniforms. I was thrilled and felt that it was truly a match made in heaven.
CM: What do you love most about designing bags, hats and accessories?
Julie: I have always been very interested in sewing, construction, 3D design, and how things are put together. I love thinking of new ways a bag can be used and the functionality and use of a product. What someone’s specific needs are for different types of bags, what belongings you put where, how you access the compartments, and more! The options are endless. It is my absolute favorite thing to build an idea in my mind and then bring it to life!
CM: Whats next for Mokuyobi?
Julie: Right now we are producing our Fall line which revolves a bit around a fun basketball theme I call “Slam Dunk Paradise” that includes some old school apparel favorites like snap-off pants, matching print on print hoody/sweatpant combo, and a color block neon basketball backpack. It’s our largest apparel launch to date and it’s going to be super rad!
For more awesome stuff visit: mokuyobi.com