Hi it's Shohei.
I would like to write about another coat from our FW21 collection. It presents 2 keywords of the concept, "Color" and "Layering" very well. I had a chance to talk about the "Layering" with Ishibashi, and I would like to share it with you guys.
ONIBEGIE QUILT Collarless Coat
ONIBEGIE QUILT Collarless Coat
"Color"
As you might know, the main fabric is our standard natural dyed Nylon called "ONIBEGIE".
ONIBEIGIE is synthetic fiber dye, made from natural components extracted from onion peels. It was impossible to dye synthetic fiber with natural dye, but ONIBEIGE was invented to enable it. It gives intricate, deep color which cannot be expressed by chemical dye. For Fall / Winter 2021, it is quilted with polyester insulation to enhance its warmth.
Dark Indigo is dyed with Indigo,
Orange Brown is dyed with Acacia.
In the Edo era (1603-1868), there were restrictions on the color of the kimono worn by the common people (brown, gray, indigo). This shade of this Orange Brown, worn by a popular actor in Kabuki, one of the entertainment for the people at that time, was very popular among the people.
It is interesting that there were fashions in that era as well as in the modern era.
"Layering"
As I mentioned in the beginning, this coat present "Layering" as well as "Color". Like the twelve-layered kimono, there has been a culture of layering in Japan since ancient times. This is a modern interpretation of layering, designed so that it can be worn as both inner and outer wear.
Incidentally, the liner of the M65 parka of the U.S. Army is one of the sources of inspiration. This is the lining of the so-called "mods coat".
With its quilted look and collarless neck, it seems close, but it is not. The designer, Ishibashi, has updated it into an original piece with his sensitivity and skills.
Now, let's look at the layering style, first of all, when worn as an outerwear.
Although the shape is smart, it has been designed with the perfect amount of room in each part to allow the movement of the human body, so you can enjoy layering without stress even if you wear a voluminous fleece jacket underneath like this. The light and soft polyester padding also helps to reduce the stress when layered.Next, when worn as an inner layer.
Outer: NYLON SATIN Hooded Bomber Jacket
Inner: ONIBEGIE QUILT Collarless Coat
Vest: BUSHED DOUBLE-FACE WOOL JERSEY High Neck Dickie
This is the layered style of the quilted coat that Ishibashi had in mind. The matte fabric peeking out from the hem of the glossy outerwear.
Even items that are already complete as a single piece of clothing can feel "new" when layered.
Details
Let's look into details.
Have you noticed?
The buttonholes are placed vertically. This was created to prevent the grosgrain tape placed on the back side for reinforcement from becoming too wide, which would make the garment look unrefined.
It looks like a simple detail, but Ishibashi told me that it is quite difficult and time-consuming due to the structure of sewing machines... Also, even a slight deviation is noticeable, so factories tend not to like this specification.
In addition, the back of buffalo buttons are reinforced with buttons.
This is the part where the front overlaps.
By placing the buttons a little farther away from the corduroy piped edge, it forms an elegant V-zone like double-breasted jackets, and also improves both cold and windproof properties.
The slightly deep side slits emphasize the structured shape, and at the same time, allow you to ride a bike or sit down without stress.
The tonal piping of fine corduroy also works as a crisp design point, not only for reinforcement and improving the skin feel.
Scenes from the production
In order to bring the designer's image and the actual product image closer together, we create test samples called "toile" using cotton sheeting fabric for each item.
However, for this coat, the quilting fabric is used from the stage of making the toile, just like in the actual production. It is easy to see the finished image, but it takes a lot of time and money... I can feel the production team's passion and commitment to manufacturing.
This product, as well as the others, is packed with so many details that it is hard to tell all to you. Every detail has its own meaning, so we hope you will take a time to look at them in person.
You can check the product here.
Thank you!
