Grounded fashion is making a movement for the better thanks to MATSU in Beacon Hill.
The day that I planned to meet Dava Muramatsu at her boutique, co-owned with husband Masayuki Muramatsu, I chose to wear a hot-pink midi dress with tan heeled sandals. I kept my makeup simple, lips bare and hair in a styled high pony. I didn’t realize it at the time, but something felt off—and it was Muramatsu who helped me to figure it out. Walking inside MATSU (matsu boston.com), the Charles Street jewel box immediately entranced me with dark green and black walls, layers of textures and scents triggering the five senses. Immediately, Muramatsu wanted to style me. And being the go-with-the-flow person that I am, I agreed. The result was much more than I ever could have imagined. She dressed me in a shirt and tulle skirt by Louiza Babouryan, giving me movement and a sense of serenity. A final touch was added with a matsuturquoise pendant and bracelet, as well as an emphasized recommendation to always wear some hue of lipstick. I was floored. I had never felt so grounded in my entire life—I was complete. My experience is like many others who walk into her store, and is the reason why Muramatsu is described as a light worker in fashion and creating elevated images for women. “I try to (gently) push women outside of a safe comfort zone because in doing so they become elated once they see their inner beauty. This is where the true core essence lies, and once that is tapped into, their heart begins to sing—a poetic transformation of sorts,” the stylist explains. She does this by focusing on four major pillars to what she believes constructs the idea of wellness within fashion: beauty, balance, spirit and joy. There’s two beliefs behind this. One, that looking good and the inner awareness of looking good on the outside will tap into your soul and automatically create happiness; and that having fun in self expression through clothing.
A look inside the boutique.
Grounded fashion is making a movement for by layering, playing with color and textures will create a very happy heart and improve your disposition, confidence level and outward persona. A variety of designers bring these conceptions to life: Italian knitwear from Serie Numerica, luxury essentials from Majestic Filatures, compelling printed scarves from Ottotredici, whisper-weight cashmere scarves also from Botto Giuseppe, handmade leather bags from Campomaggi, opulent feminine pieces from Louiza Babouryan, and healing gemstone jewelry designed by Muramatsu, known as Nymph Jewels. Dotted throughout are Japanese products including Proof of Guild, Kikatsu glassware and Takahashi handcrafted porcelain vessels. “Once I can influence one’s spirit, their body language alters, their hearts open, their meridian channels allow for natural flow throughout the body as the chakras align. The result is a beautiful inner understanding of completeness,” she says.
Photography by: BAO SONG
