Auralee

What Auralee does

Auralee is a Tokyo-based private fashion label founded in 2015 by designer Ryota Iwai, producing premium contemporary ready-to-wear apparel for men and women under a unified, gender-neutral aesthetic. The brand's differentiation is grounded in fabric development and color intelligence, with the company working closely with Japanese mills and heritage textile producers in Mongolia, Peru, and Japan to source premium natural fibers including cashmere, mohair, silk, and organic cotton, and to develop proprietary fabric treatments such as cashmere suits, hand-sewn coats, and silk organdy pieces.

The product portfolio comprises seasonal core collections of outerwear, knitwear, shirts, pants, dresses, and accessories, extended by collaborative capsules with New Balance (sneakers including T500, 475, 990v4, and WRPD Runner models), EYEVAN (Spring/Summer 2026 sunglasses), and TEKLA (loungewear). The company operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform at auralee.jp with worldwide shipping, a flagship retail store in Tokyo, and a global network of independent stockists. The e-commerce platform is operated by BBF Inc. as authorized distributor, while the brand builds awareness through Paris Fashion Week runway presentations (SS26, FW25, FW26) and editorial press coverage in outlets such as GQ, Monocle, The Impression, 10magazine, and TrendHunter.

Auralee is structured under AURALEE Inc. and AURALEE Co., Ltd., both headquartered in Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo, with CEO Kobayashi Hirofumi and founder-designer Ryota Iwai leading the business and creative direction. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, external funding rounds, or parent company, and operates with a headcount of 51–100 employees. Ancillary revenue streams include paid gift wrapping and limited-edition collaborations that extend the brand into adjacent categories such as footwear, eyewear, and loungewear.

Name

Auralee

Legal name

AURALEE Inc. and AURALEE Co., Ltd.

Website

https://auralee.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Auralee is a Tokyo-based private fashion label founded in 2015 by designer Ryota Iwai, producing premium contemporary men's and women's ready-to-wear apparel with an emphasis on Japanese craftsmanship, proprietary fabric development, and masterful color work.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Contemporary Apparel

NAICS

Apparel Manufacturing (315), Apparel Knitting Mills (3151), Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (3159)

SIC

Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300), Knit Outerwear Mills (2253), Women's, Misses', And Juniors Outerwear (2330)

akta.pro primary industry

Knitwear & Sweaters Manufacturers (CRAAAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scarves/Shawls/Winter Neckwear Manufacturing (IMAOAFAD), Textured & Specialty Yarn Manufacturing (Textured/Chenille/Bouclé) (IMAOAAAF)

Keywords

• Premium ready-to-wear
• Japanese apparel label
• Contemporary fashion brand
• Designer menswear
• Designer womenswear

Headquarters

HQ city

Minami-aoyama

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: The primary revenue channel is direct-to-consumer sales through Auralee's own online store (auralee.jp), which now offers international shipping worldwide, managed by BBF Inc. as the authorized e-commerce distributor.
2. Wholesale / Stockist Distribution: Auralee distributes through a network of international stockists and retail partners, generating wholesale revenue alongside direct channels. The brand has a flagship store in Tokyo.
3. Collaborative Product Partnerships: The brand generates revenue through limited-edition collaborations with partners such as New Balance (sneakers) and EYEVAN (eyewear), releasing collector-focused products that build brand awareness and expand into adjacent categories.
4. Gift Wrapping and Accessory Services: Auralee offers a paid gift wrapping service using branded logo bags and ribbons, providing a small ancillary revenue stream.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Auralee designs, develops, and sells premium contemporary ready-to-wear apparel for men and women, with a focus on proprietary fabric development, natural fibers (cashmere, mohair, silk, organic cotton), meticulous tailoring, and Japan-made craftsmanship. The brand sells directly through its own e-commerce platform and Tokyo flagship, supplemented by an international network of independent stockists and limited-edition collaborations with partners such as New Balance and EYEVAN.

Product overview

Auralee is a Tokyo-based fashion label founded by designer Ryota Iwai, offering a unified collection of men's and women's ready-to-wear clothing with a focus on refined lifestyle essentials, masterful color work, and Japan-made quality. The brand operates through its core seasonal fashion collections (for both men and women) featuring categories including outerwear, knitwear, shirts, tops, pants, dresses, and accessories. The portfolio extends to collaborative sub-brands including ongoing sneaker partnerships with New Balance (T500, 475, 990v4, WRPD Runner), eyewear with EYEVAN, and lifestyle collections with TEKLA. The company also operates an e-commerce platform offering international shipping, supplemented by editorial content series (Material Matters, Projects) that showcase the brand's craftsmanship and creative vision.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AURALEE Fashion Collections Seasonal men's and women's fashion collections featuring minimalist designs, refined lifestyle essentials, and Japan-made quality. Collections include outerwear, knitwear, shirts, tops, pants, dresses, and accessories with emphasis on color work and meticulous tailoring, sold to fashion-conscious consumers.
• AURALEE Men's Collection Men's ready-to-wear line including outerwear, knitwear, shirts, tops, pants, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and accessories, sold to individual male consumers seeking understated premium basics.
• AURALEE Women's Collection Women's ready-to-wear line including outerwear, dresses, knitwear, shirts, tops, pants, skirts, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and accessories, sold to individual female consumers seeking understated premium basics.
• AURALEE x New Balance Sneaker Collaborations Limited-edition collaborative sneaker colorways including the T500 (AW25), 475 (SS25), 'Equilibrium' 990v4 MADE in USA (AW24), and 'Thinking Patterns' WRPD Runner, applying Auralee's minimalist aesthetic to New Balance heritage models for collector-focused consumers.
• AURALEE x EYEVAN Sunglasses Collection Collaborative eyewear collection with Japanese eyewear brand EYEVAN, featuring minimal-design sunglasses with two styles (002R acetate, 003 metal) targeting the niche luxury eyewear segment with collector-focused limited colorways.
• AURALEE x TEKLA Collaboration Collaborative collection with TEKLA, a brand known for sleepwear and loungewear, offering refined homewear products for consumers interested in coordinated premium lifestyle essentials.
• Gift Wrapping Service Paid gift wrapping service using branded logo bags and ribbons, available for eligible products at ¥330 JPY, $2 USD/EUR/GBP, or ₩3,000 KRW, providing an ancillary convenience offering for online buyers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Featured at Paris Fashion Week SS26 (June 2025) at Musée des Archives Nationales — a landmark 10th anniversary milestone presentation
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• EYEVANcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 April 2026AURALEE and EYEVAN released a collaborative sunglasses collection for Spring/Summer 2026, featuring two styles (002R in acetate and 003 in metal), scheduled for release on April 17, 2026. The collection emphasizes minimal design, limited colorways, and Japanese manufacturing precision, targeting the niche luxury eyewear segment with a collector-focused approach.
• New BalanceflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 January 2025Auralee has an ongoing collaborative partnership with New Balance, having produced multiple sneaker colorways and limited-edition releases including the T500 (AW25), 475 (SS25), 'Equilibrium' 990v4 MADE in USA (AW24), and 'Thinking Patterns' WRPD Runner. The collaboration bridges fashion and performance footwear, with Auralee applying its minimalist aesthetic to New Balance heritage models.
• BBF Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBBF Inc. is the authorized distributor and e-commerce operator of the AURALEE ONLINE STORE, managing the online sales platform, order fulfillment, customer service, and international shipping on behalf of the brand. The company is headquartered in Tokyo and operates under the joint management of AURALEE Inc. and AURALEE Co., Ltd.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/auralee2015
• Instagraminstagram.com/auralee_tokyo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/auralee

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Auralee