The quintessential Natori

She quickly answers the last question.

JOSIE NATORI: Yes, I can never do without my six-inch heels. You know, worldwide, high heels are no longer selling. During the pandemic, people were wearing mostly rubber shoes, and it looks like these shoes are here to stay. 

PHILIPPINE STAR: The pandemic really changed our lifestyle and our fashion choices.

People were just staying home, wearing comfortable clothes. Thus, 2021 was the best year ever for Natori! Our loungewear was doing so well.

Do you see people going back to their pre-COVID lifestyle?

The pandemic has made people realize that less is more. They are much more conscientious now. There is less of frivolous shopping. I myself was able to do without shopping. But in 2022, women were going back to dresses. Now there’s a balance.

Will the fashion industry still talk about trends? Are fashion forecasts still relevant? What exactly is the trend now?

Anything goes now. Consumers now have a mind of their own. People don’t want to give up comfort anymore. I’m one of the few women left wearing six-inch heels.

And how is brick-and-mortar retail doing in the face of online shopping?

There is definitely a big shift, given the convenience of online shopping. But consumers are slowly going back to stores. The traditional way of shopping is here to stay. And I think boutiques are back, people now want more curated, more focused stores. This is the new mindset. And they still look for personalized service. 

What’s a typical working day like for you?

I am in the office by 9 a.m. and I work straight, no lunch, until 7 p.m. I’m a full-day person.

No lunch? Is that a secret to your staying fit and slim?

I take coffee and a little bite for breakfast. I take only one full meal a day, and that is dinner.

What do you love eating?

I love noodles, all kinds—Japanese, Chinese, Italian. I love nachos, French fries, and potato chips, preferably freshly made, like what I had recently at Antonio’s PGA. I love the food at Lusso, M and Manila House. I love the bibingka at Via Mare. 

What are your luxuries?

A glass of champagne with dinner every night, please! Massage. And eight to 10 hours of sleep! And, of course, my piano. I started playing the piano when I was four.

Now I take voice lessons every Sunday.

Which piano pieces do you enjoy playing most?

I love Rachmaninoff. (Starting to hum…)

I love his Concerto No. 2, from which were derived two modern songs: Full Moon and Empty Arms and All By Myself.

(Still humming from Rachmaninoff…)

How did music become such an essential part of a businesswoman’s life?

From my father, I learned business lessons: “Never regret anything. Everything happens for a reason. If you experience a crisis, look at the opportunity it may offer. Always look forward. Never get stuck.”

I learned from seeing my father in action. He was a good man. He never forgot where he came from.

How about your mom?

From my mother (Angelita Almeda Cruz), who was my father’s business partner, I learned to appreciate the arts, beautiful things, music. She will turn 99, and she eats a lot of fish and eggs. Yes, she still does the treadmill and exercises. For her 98th birthday, I brought her to New York to celebrate. She is a pianist and an art collector. I always see her dressed well—always in white, from morning till night.

White is the fave wardrobe color of the Cruz family, especially your late dad, your mom and your brother Philip Cruz, who is still always in white. 

Yes. And I had the best mentors and role models. My grandmother, Josefa Almeda, was an unbelievable entrepreneur; she was into all kinds of businesses, including ice plants. She loved traveling, and we counted, she had been to 140 countries! She taught us to not to be wasteful, to always finish the food on our plate. I saw how she always had fresh flowers at home. She always told us to never be dependent on anyone.

Not even on your husband? 

Yes, don’t be dependent on any man, not even on your husband. That’s what she would whisper to us.

So what would be your advice to women on how to keep a happy marriage?

One of the best things in my life is being married to a third-generation Japanese. My husband (Kenneth Natori) and I have been married for 51 years, and he still says, “I love you” to me every day! I feel so lucky. It is important to have the same values, be supportive of each other, have a vision in life and respect for each other.

What advice do you give your son, Ken?

I am not a preachy type of mom, I don’t even tell him how to raise his kids. He is a good son, he’s so thrifty and simple—like my cousin Sid Consunji, who only wears simple clothes and shoes—my son won’t even accept a dollar from me.

What was your childhood like?

My parents were very strict, I was the eldest of six children, and I was not even allowed to go to movies. So once when my parents were on a trip to the US, I sneaked out of the house, took a bus with our help, went to a Quiapo cinema to watch Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. I was eight years old, and of course, they found out, and I was grounded.

So what were you into, growing up?

I don’t remember playing with dolls, because we were always studying, there was never an idle moment for us.

You were a successful Wall Street investment banker then you went into fashion. How did that happen?

After college (at Manhattanville College), without an MBA, I went straight to work at Wall Street, where I enjoyed competing with men. I was successful but I got bored. I got into fashion by accident. A Philippine friend showed me a peasant blouse, and I, in turn, showed it to a retailer, who said I should turn it into a nightshirt. I did, and got an order for 1,000 nightshirts, and soon got $150,000. It then became a dream to bring something of the Philippines to a global brand. In 1977, Natori Fashion began. (Eventually, Josie persuaded her husband, Kenneth, who was also a successful Wall Street investment banking executive, to head Natori Company as chairman.)

How did your parents react to this career shift?

My family was supportive. My father took pity on me when, at first, I was having quality control problems, since I farmed out production to several factories here. So he built a factory for me, which we still operate.

How do you see the Philippine fashion industry at present?

I’m impressed to see younger people, very fresh, pushing the envelope. The support of the local community is valuable, too. 

And the direction of our economy and government?

I’m an eternal optimist, and I like what I see so far. I hope we get the government we finally deserve.

How has being married to a Japanese affected your insights and your business?

I admire the Japanese sensibility and aesthetic, and the kimono is a very big part of Natori fashion, it has helped define Natori’s statement dressing—one with confidence, ease and versatility.

I learned that you have been elected chairman of the Asian Cultural Council, which, among other projects, has been granting scholarships to young, talented people in art and culture. You are so into art. Aside from art, music and fashion, what is it that really makes you happy?

I am a happy person, and waking up each day with visions of a purposeful life makes me happy. Fashion is not the end-all. It is being able to give back that gives life purpose.