When Tsuriami(Loop wheel Knitting) Meets Sashiko

Hello, this is Fujiwara from the KUON Flagship Store.
Today, I’m excited to introduce a collaboration that I have personally been looking forward to for a long time.

Japan’s world-renowned "Tsuri-ami"(loop wheel-knit) sweatshirts and the "Sashiko" hand-stitching tradition that has continued for over 400 years.
These two distinct Japanese crafts have come together in the form of a sweatshirts through LOOPWHEELER × KUON / Sashiko Gals.

A Brand That Elevated the Everyday Sweatshirt

Many of you may already be familiar with LOOPWHEELER.
It is a brand that has brought Japan’s loop wheel knitting technic to global recognition.

Rather than pursuing efficiency, LOOPWHEELER sweatshirts are knitted slowly and carefully, without compromise.
As a result, they mold naturally to the body with wear and retain their shape even after repeated washing.
This exceptional comfort simply cannot be reproduced by modern mass-production machines.

I have been wearing LOOPWHEELER for years myself, and honestly, it is difficult to find any flaws.
To elevate something as familiar and universal as a “sweatshirt” to this level of completion is no small feat.
It is the result of more than 25 years of unwavering dedication to perfecting the sweatshirt—a mastery achieved only by those who have devoted their entire career to it.

Why KUON and Sashiko Gals

This collaboration began when LOOPWHEELER turned its attention to KUON,
a brand that continuously reinterprets traditional Japanese techniques through a modern sensibility, and to Sashiko Gals, a collective born from KUON’s sashiko artisans.

Sashiko is a craft that originated in everyday life.
It was a practical technique to reinforce garments, while also carrying elements of prayer and decoration.
Each stitch quietly accumulates time, care, and human intention—that is the essence of sashiko.

A “New Tradition” Born from Tsuri-ami × Sashiko

The “ultimate softness” created by loop wheel knitting meets the hand-stitched beauty of sashiko.
Both techniques have been refined at the forefront of Japanese craftsmanship,
and together they form something new—a garment rooted in tradition, yet filled with the freedom and joy necessary for culture to continue into the future.

This is not simply a collaboration.
It is a sweatshirt we would like to call a new tradition, one meant to be passed on to future generations.

Base Model Details

This sweatshirt is based on LOOPWHEELER’s crewneck model “LW360,” crafted from their signature LW Light loopback fabric.

• Newly designed gussets on both sides of the body

• A slightly wider ribbed neckline compared to LW01, LW250, and LW313

• A balanced silhouette positioned between standard and relaxed fit

Product Information

LOOPWHEELER x KUON / Sashiko Gals "Sashiko Sweatshirt"

LOOPWHEELER x KUON / Sashiko Gals "Sashiko Cluttered Sweatshirt"

Release Date
January 26 (Monday)

Available At
LOOPWHEELER Sendagaya / Osaka / Fukuoka
KUON Flagship Store / KUON Online Store

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This sweatshirt was born at the intersection of
KUON’s philosophy of “changing in order to preserve” and “playing in order to continue,”
and LOOPWHEELER’s uncompromising craftsmanship.

We invite you to put it on, and to feel the time, care, and warms of handworks.

YouTube Interview Available

Upon this release, a YouTube video featuring a conversation between myself and Mr. Suzuki, Representative of LOOPWHEELER, is now available.

In the video, we discuss the future of SASHIKO GALS and the philosophy behind this collaboration in greater depth.
We hope you will take the time to watch it.

YouTube Interview Available Upon this release, a YouTube video featuring a conversation between myself and Mr. Suzuki, Representative of LOOPWHEELER, is now available. In the video, we discuss the future of SASHIKO GALS and the philosophy behind this collaboration in greater depth. We hope you will take the time to watch it.