Sashiko for Everyone. From KUON to You.

Hello, Arata from KUON here.

Today, I’d like to share a new chapter for the people who have been an irreplaceable part of KUON from the very beginning.

The sashiko makers of Otsuchi have been creating with us since we launched KUON in 2016. Some of you may already own—and have spent years wearing—a piece stitched by their hands.

In 2024, they began a new chapter as SASHIKO GALS. More recently, their work under “By SG” has brought a distinctive presence to KUON.

We send them an idea, and they come back with colors or stitches we hadn’t imagined. Seeing their work sparks another idea, and the conversation continues.

That exchange has always been part of how we make things at KUON. We think together, try things together, and they still surprise us.

Even as their work reaches more brands around the world, they remain the same treasured partners who have walked alongside us since the beginning.

Sharing the joy of making

Until now, we have shared their sashiko with you through KUON and SASHIKO GALS products.

You choose them, wear them, and make them part of your lives. That is what allows us to keep creating.

But I have wanted to take that relationship one step further.

What if you could pick up a needle yourself?

Choose a thread color. Watch the fabric change, stitch by stitch. Follow a line somewhere unexpected—and discover that you like where it takes you.

There is a joy in making that a finished product alone cannot fully convey.

Through clothing, we already share a connection. I’ve wondered what it would be like to share the experience of making, too.

It is something I have been thinking about since I started SASHIKO GALS.

And now, it is finally beginning.

Now, make a piece of your own.

As a first step, we have developed an original sashiko kit with itonowa, a brand with extensive experience creating craft kits.

We have been making and refining prototypes together since last year.

You begin by following the traditional asanoha pattern printed on the fabric. Around halfway through, some of the lines are deliberately left out, leaving space for your own ideas.

You can change colors or connect the lines in your own way. You don’t have to stitch every part of the pattern.

The idea is for the piece to become your own, gradually, as you stitch.

Perhaps you have always admired the sashiko on your clothes. Now you can try a stitch yourself. And when you look at that familiar garment in your wardrobe again, you might see it a little differently.

That is an experience I would love to share with everyone who enjoys KUON.

We are also launching SASHIKO CLUB—a place where something you begin on your own can become something you enjoy with others.

A place to share what you have made, or talk about a piece still in progress.

I hope it brings us a little closer, through the experience of making as well as wearing.

Beginning again on CAMPFIRE

Just as we did when we launched SASHIKO GALS, we are beginning this new chapter through CAMPFIRE.

Alongside the kits and workshops, we have prepared some special rewards for this campaign.

We will accept a limited number of sneaker and stuffed-toy sashiko customization orders, which are currently closed to regular bookings.

Perhaps you would like to pick up a needle yourself. Or perhaps you would like to entrust a favorite pair of sneakers or a treasured stuffed toy to SASHIKO GALS.

However you choose to take part, I would be happy to have you with us at the beginning. This time, supporters outside Japan will also be able to participate.

With SASHIKO GALS, we will keep pursuing the highest levels of sashiko craftsmanship. Through the kit and SASHIKO CLUB, we will invite more people to discover the pleasure of doing it themselves.

After all these years of creating together, I want us to keep moving in both directions.

Sashiko for everyone.

This time, let’s create together.

Arata Fujiwara

KUON

Our crowdfunding campaign launches on October 15.

The project page is now available to preview. Please take a look and add it to your favorites ahead of the launch.