We live in a brand-obsessed culture, where we are often defined by the labels to which we are loyal. But for over two decades now, there's been one company that has built quite a devoted following despite flying under the radar and more or less avoiding the turbulent brand wars.

Muji, a Japanese retail company, started in the 1980s with about 40 "no brand quality goods" and now produces over 7,000. Muji's growth is surprising, considering its "no-brand" strategy involves very little in the way of marketing. Instead, the company focuses on simple, high-quality, beautifully designed products.

But is it all just some shallow, anti-corporate gimmick? Nope. Muji emphasizes sustainability and avoidance of waste at all points of its operations, from design to production to packaging to "branding."

As a result of this rigorously simplistic approach, Muji's style has been dubbed everything from "boring" to "minimalist porn." I just think it's refreshing. And I really want this.

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