It's already June, and the fall/winter 2022 collection will be available in stores soon in the end of July. (The actual summer is still to come though...) Today, I would like to introduce some coordinates and items from SS22 collection that Arata and I recommend.
Shohei's favorite #1
Shohei (S; hereafter): I'll introduce my favorite coordinate first, then could you tell us yours?
Arata (A; hereafter): OK!
S: My first coordinate is this one with the raincoat. This coat is the first item that I introduced in this blog from the SS22 collection.
S: I had almost never worn coats in spring before I see this one. Spring is short in Tokyo, and to be honest, I was negative about "spring coats". However, I placed my personal order on this coat because I thought I could wear it until the rainy season in June due to its low water repellent function.
A: I often see you wear it.
S: That's why this one comes first! You know, it's fine even in the middle of winter in Tokyo if I wear warm clothes underneath. I actually wore it on the other day we had heavy snow in February.
A: You can wear it with just a T-shirt underneath in this season, so you can wear it for a long period of time as you thought. I remember you wore it on a rainy day last week, but was it comfortable, too?
S: Yeah, I did. The backside of the fabric is also uneven due to processing, so it was comfortable without feeling clinging to the skin, even on rainy season.
A: I see. I guess it might be the reasons that fabric is light and the fit is relaxed.
S: Agree. Plus, it has a ventilation on the back.
A: Let me add one point. The shape is relaxed but very clean because of Ishibashi's experience as a tailor and patternmaker. I have been seen KUON from the beginning, and one of the items that I like about Ishibashi's work is coats. He is very good at making simple coats.
S: Absolutely. People tend to focus on the traditional fabric and technics when they see KUON products, but they are not everything.
A: We can find hidden charms of KUON in this kind of simple items. I see why you like it so much.
S: This coat must be my standard item so long.
A: The basic color is also good to wear it for a long time.
S: Now, let's move on to the pants.
S: These pants are not from the SS22 collection though...I found them while preparing for the sample sale we just held, and I was hoping they would remain unsold!
A: You just want to show them off! I knew you wanted them for some time.
S: You got me! Can we move on to yours, Arata?
Arata's favorite #1
A: My first selection is this cotton blazer and the pants with the matching cloth.
A: I selected the sand color. It is neither beige nor off-white.
S: It's hard to describe, but I'm also attracted to this color this season.
A: The texture of the fabric is also nice. We call it "Fanage Cotton", and Ishibashi's favorite cotton fabric.
S: It gives soft atmospheres.
A: As someone who has been looking at KUON for a long time, I feel comfortable with this item because it's made of standard fabric, but I'm also happy because it's a color I don't have many of in my closet. I also bought a SAKIORI Switched Blazer, but it has a bit of a mode look to it, so I prefer this one as a daily jacket, which has a more traditional casual style.
S: It's unstructured and easy to wear.
A: The key is to tuck a band T-shirt or an interesting T-shirt in. When I wear a jacket with matched cloth pants, I want to break it up somehow. I wear converse, which is a standard way, with a funny T-shirt and a 3sin cap. This is my summer style.
S: Who is that printed on this T-shirt? I can't remember...
A: Britney Spears!
S: Yes!! The inverted box pleats of the pants can be seen if you wear like that. It looks fresh.
Shohei's favorite #2
S: The last one is the RELIEF PATTERNED H/S Zip-up Jacket and the 2 Way Tuck Pants.
A: I know they are your favorites!
S: I've worn the jacket since this February even though it has short sleeves. I wore hoodies and long sleeve shirts underneath because I couldn't wait to wear it until summer. Finally, the time has come!
A: Don't you feel stuffiness when you wear it?
S: It is a dense shirt fabric of cotton, but it is coated with resin in a geometric pattern that makes it three-dimensional when worn, so it does not get stuffy.
A: 100% cotton?
S: Right. It has a crisp, papery feel and an interesting appearance. And the pants are a kind of my uniform lately...
A: A new style for SS22.
S: You can change the direction of the tucks with the buttons at the waist, so it has two or more looks in one. Customers respond well to it.
A: Most customers who tried them on bought them.
S: I found that the ONIBEGIE fabric is comfortable when it becomes pants because it is dry and crisp.
A: I often see you wear them as well.
S: As I wrote in this article, they are the pants I wear the most often.
Arata's favorite #2
A: Next outfit is mostly consists of KUON products.
S: I've never seen customers dress like that.
A: Introducing the items by item, first ones are the Patchwork Shorts. The style is so-called summer shorts above the knee. You should definitely wear these shorts in summer. The sides are made of real patchwork fabric, and it looks fresh and different from the conventional approach to BORO.
S: I agree.
A: It is easy to wear unique pattered items if it is on shorts.
S: Is the rise a bit long?
A: I would say standard, not short, not long.
A: The next up is the SASHIKO Stripe Baja Shirt, that the style is familiar with the name "Mexican Parka" in Japan. I've been waiting Ishibashi to create something like this. One of the keyword of the concept for this collection is "light", and this SASHIKO fabric was created from the inspiration of the sunshine in Mexico where Ishibashi used to travel, and it is incorporated into the clothes.
S: It's a Baja shirt, but it's easy to wear because the fabric is lighter than the original Baja shirts, and the front can be opened with a zipper.
A: It's much easier to wear a pullover just by having a zipper front. This one might be the first one that I decided to order.
S: I guess so.
A: The fabric is also different from conventional Sashiko-Ori, and it is interesting that you think it is ordinally striped fabric from a distance, but when you look at it up close, you'll know it is Sashiko-Ori. I would like to have a long-sleeved shirt and a short-sleeved shirt both made of this fabric.
S: I feel the same way.
Shohei's favorite #3
S: Well, the 2-Way Tuck Pants again...
A: You like them so much.
S: They are in the different color, indigo. The combination of white and blue gives a sense of coolness and cleanliness, and is my favorite color combination for summer.
A: It's an authentic colorway!
S: True. The shirt is worn open in the front to show the BORO of the T-shirt worn underneath.
A: I see.
S: There are 3 colorways, which are dark indigo, medium indigo and light indigo available for the Aizome Shirt, but I chose the light one because I want to be considered as a cool and clean summer-ish guy.
A: Nice try (lol)
S: Also, the back view is a must. I like the length of the garment, which hides up to the hips. I think the pattern-making skill is one of the reasons, but I also think it's cool that the organic cotton fabric is so light that you forget you're wearing it, and that it moves softly when you move. It's a simple but very cool shirt.
A: It's also good when you tuck it in.
S: Yes, I sometimes do it. It is a simple regular-collar shirt, so I wear it anyway when I am at a loss for a coordinate.
Arata's favorite #3
A: The last one is my favorite style of pants at KUON. Basically, I wear them all year round, and I often wear them with leggings in winter.
S: I see you wear them so often.
A: Not many people in Japan wear them, but the exquisite length below the knee makes the wearer's style look beautiful. The style was created for a collaboration project with Nick Wooster, and are known as "Nick's Shorts" among our team.
S: The shape is beautiful.
A: Exactly. I like that it can be worn dressy or casual. This season is the first time we have used plain fabric on them, but I like the feel and color of Fanage Cotton, so I wear them a lot. I hope many customers will give them a try.
S: The cardigan you wear in Navy was sold quite well in the store.
A: I think this one expresses the seasonal concept, "Colors of Light" with a high perfection. It is reversible, so you can wear it with the white Washi Crepe fabric facing out, but I tend to wear it with the lime green mesh side facing out.
S: I've encouraged our customers to try the lime green side.
Thank you for reading through the end.
View items in this article here.
