Kuon Men’s Fall 2022
Shinichiro Ishibashi founded Kuon in February 2016 after graduating from Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo and working under a master tailor in Tokyo’s Marunouchi district. Kuon means “eternity,” fitting for Ishibashi’s label that aims to revive old world Japanese craftsmanship and techniques with local manufacturers through modern fashion.
Look: Metropolitan menswear rooted in historical Japanese craftsmanship.
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Quote of note: Ishibashi built this collection around the Japanese term “sen,” focusing on two of its several meanings: “line,” inspired by Edo period ukiyo-e artist Hiroshige Utagawa, who represented sen through rippling water, and “link,” since he sees fashion as a way to connect people who can’t travel due to lockdown rules.
Key pieces: Several pieces nodded to traditional Japanese techniques like long wool coats in khaki and black with respective gold and blue polyester detail, as well as sweatshirts, T-shirts and mixed media double-breasted suits that merged contrasting wool suit trousers representing kintsugi, the Japanese technique of repairing ceramics or embellishing pottery with gold. Sporty bomber jackets showcase sashiko and sakiori techniques, the latter of which combines pieces from kimono fabric to create a new cloth. Ishibashi also introduced a knitwear capsule comprised of navy and off white cardigans, crewnecks, dickies, scarves and beanies.
Takeaway: Kuon is distributed in just over 40 stores globally, which is surprising given the amount of detail and back story in each piece. The brand’s made-to-order pieces crafted using sakiori are an investment, but Ishibashi made efforts to incorporate the techniques into ready-to-wear styles to reduce the collection’s price. Time will tell how the effort will pay off.
Launch Gallery: Kuon Men's Fall 2022
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