Hi it's Shohei.
All deliveries for the Fall/Winter 2021 collection have been completed. At this time, I would like to introduce the most popular items from this season's items among the KUON team.
First of all, this collection was first shown to buyers and media in the form of exhibitions in this January. At that time, we decided to place orders for ourselves. Among the orders, I found a product that 7 out of 12 KUON team members ordered. In addition, five of them purchased the both two colors!
The most popular item
These are the pants that 7 out of 12 KUON team members ordered. While there were many items with impactful fabrics, the plain pants were the most popular item.
Let's take a closer look at the reasons for its popularity.
KUON's standard style
First, let's look at the style.
As some of you know, the style itself is the belted pants that are released every season. Minor changes are repeated with each season's fabric changes, and they are becoming more and more sophisticated.
The silhouette is generous from the waist with one tuck to the thighs and knees, and gently tapers from the knees to the hem, which is not only stress-free when worn or moved, but also helps to make the wearer's legs look beautiful.
Length based on data from over 2,000 people
The secret to looking beautiful is also in the "length".
Ishibashi, who has taken measurements of more than 2,000 people as a tailor, has come up with the "9.5 length", a bit shorter than full length which is exquisite. When worn with low-cut or smart shoes, they look like cropped, and when worn with high-cut shoes, they look like full length. You can look good just by wearing them without thinking about it.
In the look-book for the Fall/Winter 2021 collection, they are worn a little high waisted, making them look like they are cropped. The blue socks work nice!
If you don't like the cropped look, I recommend going up a size, or even dropping the waistband a bit.
Ishibashi always says, "Clothes are made to be worn" and it is because of this stance that KUON has become a standard item, and the first reason of its popularity is that "the pants make the wearers look beautiful".
Rough but Elegant
The next step is to find out the reasons of its popularity from the fabric.
This season, we used a shrunken wool fabric. It is developed inspired by the traditional woolen fabric "Loden cloth" from the Tyrol region of Austria. It is a key fabric for this collection, and Pea coat and Blouson made with the fabric are also available.
In order to survive the wet and harsh winters in the Alps, Loden cloth is subjected to a strong shrinkage process (intentionally shrinking the woven fabric to increase the weave density) to enhance its windproof, coldproof, and waterproof properties. Incidentally, the shrinkage rate of traditional Loden is said to be over 50%.
You can see the texture of the fabric better in gray. It is closer to the traditional Loden gray.
Originally, it is a rough-looking fabric that is often used for hunting/outdoor activity purposes, but by slowly shrinking the fabric woven with fine and delicate Super100 yarn wool, combing the surface in one direction, and then pressing it, we have added a beautiful luster and a soft touch.
Wool and Loden cloth are inherently warm and waterproof, but with the addition of softness and sophisticated texture, the result is an elegant fabric. Of course, it is a very durable fabric, so it can be used for a long time. Even though it is durable, the front is lined with Cupro to prevent it from losing its shape.
When styled with casual items, it creates a rugged atmosphere like vintage hunting pants, and when worn in a jacket style, it brings a clean image like thick flannel slacks. The second reason of the popularity is that "rough but elegant" character of the fabric brings out the charm of the standard pants more than ever before.
Sophisticated Pants for Winter
Plus, as you can see when you try them on, they are warm! I think they can be one of the warmest pants in the history of KUON. It's hard to find warm pants for winter that are comfortable to wear and have a clean look. This is probably a reason for their popularity.
Wool, also known as a "breathing fiber," is warm and breathable, and even if you sweat, it is hard to smell sweaty. The secret of wool's warmth lies in the fact that its fibers absorb moisture and generate heat. The absorbed moisture is then released as water vapor, which takes away the heat of vaporization from the surface of the body, thereby preventing the body from becoming too hot. It is a natural thermostat.
We explored the reasons for the popularity of LODEN Belted Tapered Pants in terms of fabric and style. I hope I have conveyed the appeal of these pants well. For your information, some sizes have already been sold out.
Personally, I have not been a fan of wool clothes because it stings, but I think these pants are going to be my uniform in this winter.
One more thing,
The patches on KUON pants have been made with "SAKIORI", but as a new attempt, the patches made of unevenly dyed denim are used for these pants. The SAKIORI is wonderful, but I'm also looking forward to seeing how this denim changes over time.
You can purchase the pants at here.
Thank you!!
