Aiko Murakami spent seven years as a buyer for a department store in Ginza before she opened Mind Flow Zone Grid in the spring of 2019. She had spent those years sourcing ready-to-wear from European brands and noticed, consistently, that the swimwear and lingerie categories were either mass-produced at a price point that required cutting corners on fabric, or so expensive that the markup was mostly brand name. She wanted something in between: genuinely good materials, a quiet aesthetic, and a price that reflected the actual cost of making the thing rather than the cost of advertising it.
Mon-Fri 10:00-18:00 (studio), Sat 11:00-17:00 by appointment
Our base fabrics come from Maison Tarare in Lyon and a small lace mill in Calais. We visit both suppliers once a year to select colorways in person. Nothing is ordered from a catalogue.
Each run is limited to 30 to 60 pieces per style. Our atelier in Shimokitazawa cuts and finishes by hand. When a style sells out, it is retired. We do not restock the same cut twice.
Before any style reaches the shop, it is worn and washed at least twelve times by our fit team. We adjust until the elastic sits flat, the cups hold, and the fabric does not pull.
Silk is sold by weight, measured in momme (written as mm or simply momme). The number tells you how much 100 yards of the fabric weighs in pounds. For swimwear and lingerie, the choice of momme matters more than most buyers realize. It affects drape, opacity, durability, and how the fabric behaves when wet.
Read more →Calais lace. Sometimes called Calais-Caudry lace. Is made in a small region of northern France using Leavers looms, a type of machine that has not changed significantly since the early nineteenth century. The lace it produces has a particular quality: the threads interlock rather than simply crossing, which gives the fabric a dimensional quality and a durability that cheaper lace does not have.
Read more →Most swimwear is sized by bust and hip. Torso length. The distance from your shoulder to your crotch. Is rarely mentioned on a product page, and yet it is the measurement that most often determines whether a one-piece or a high-waist bikini fits correctly. A piece that is too short in the torso pulls down at the front and gaps at the back. A piece that is too long bunches at the crotch. Neither is comfortable.
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Aiko Murakami trained as a textile buyer at Isetan Mitsukoshi before spending seven years in the Ginza buying office of a mid-size department group, where she sourced European ready-to-wear and developed relationships with mills in Lyon and northern Italy. She opened Mind Flow Zone Grid in Shimokitazawa in spring 2019 after growing frustrated with the gap between fabric quality and retail price in the swimwear category. She visits her Lyon supplier, Maison Tarare, every October. On quiet mornings she plays Chet Baker records while she reviews new fabric samples. Her regular, Mrs. Tanaka from Setagaya, has been ordering since the first Instagram post.
Every product page includes a flat measurement table. Bust, waist, hip, and any relevant length. We also include a fit note that tells you which way to go if you are between sizes. If you are still unsure, email us at us with your measurements and we will advise. We answer within one business day.
Yes. Unworn pieces in original condition may be returned within 21 days of delivery for a full refund to your original payment method. We cover return shipping within Japan. For international orders, return shipping is at the buyer's cost. Exchanges are subject to availability. Because each style is limited, we cannot always guarantee the same piece in a different size.
Within Japan, orders placed before 14:00 JST on weekdays ship the same day and typically arrive the next business day via Yamato Transport. International orders ship via Japan Post EMS and usually arrive within 5 to 10 business days depending on destination and customs. We send a tracking number with every order.
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