“MUJI is enough,” declares Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa, one of the brand’s notable collaborators. It’s a sentiment that MUJI is well known for, and is the subject of a new book on the ‘no-brand’ label, simply titled MUJI, published by Rizzoli.
Running the whole product gamut from tea bags to furniture, the stark minimalism of MUJI isn’t something that’s supposed to stand out. But in its ‘super normalcy’—a term coined by Fukasawa—is an iconicity that seems almost paradoxical; its offerings are, in a way, emblematic and instantly recognizable.
So what is behind MUJI’s inspiration and process? What does the preservation of principles in MUJI entail? With essays from frequent MUJI designers Jasper Morrison, Bruce Mau and Fukasawa himself, the book answers these questions.
“MUJI is a design ideology that occurred naturally as a form of resistance against an era that was seen as chaotic and overflowing with stimulation,” writes Fukasawa. “It’s as if, after searching everywhere for what you want and having no luck, you arrive at MUJI in the end, exhausted. And you think, ‘I guess this will do.’”
In a way, the guiding principles behind MUJI echoes some of Dieter Rams’ famous design philosophies: “Good design is as little design as possible”, the acclaimed Braun designer wrote in 1985.
Like many of Rams’ designs, MUJI focuses on what we need. The brand embodies a devotion to modest living, an emphasis on functionality rather than pizzazz, and a quest for its products to remain quietly in the background until called for. For MUJI, the meek shall truly inherit the (design) world.
In addition to essays, the title features hundreds of color photographs of MUJI’s catalog. It will be available come 26 October at MUJI stores and other fine bookstores. All photos are copyright MUJI, Rizzoli New York, 2010.
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