Kuon Men’s Spring 2023
Kuon founder and designer Shinichiro Ishibashi continues to apply unique approaches to craftsmanship, tailoring and Japanese history to his award-winning label, currently available in more than 40 stores in Asia and Australia.
This season, Ishibashi reminisced on his first beach trip with his family as a child. Born and raised in the inland Iwate Prefecture in Japan, Ishibashi grew up away from the ocean, and beach trips were a novelty.
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Look: Traditional Japanese wares, textiles and craftsmanship modernized through present-day silhouettes.
Key Pieces: Kuon retained key themes and designs for this season, such as the juxtaposition of wabi-sabi and Japanese aesthetic with American traditional style. The kimono had been redone as a garment-dyed long shirt coat, and a madras plaid patchwork shirt. Wide-legged, pleated hakama pants had a front draw that can be pulled in to adjust how the pants sit on the waist.
Ishibashi proposed new blazer alternatives, including loose fitting notch lapel blazers crafted like a kimono and available in lilac, a key color for the season, and a boxy shape seersucker jacket with patch pockets and side zipper fastener.
The designer dabbled with patterns like a reversible striped shirt with a pintucked front bib with different colors on the reverse sides, and leisure shirts with original patterns taken from photos of shells that his daughter picked up at the ocean. In addition, a cardigan shaped like a haori jacket has a gauge knit that gets wider towards the bottom, resembling how the water changes color with waves.
Takeaway: Ishibashi’s latest collection suits many shoppers’ current loose-fitting clothing preferences. What is most interesting is the showcase of versatility in traditional Japanese craftsmanship, design and textiles exhibited in lightweight pieces, like a full zip bomber jacket made in Japanese paper.
Launch Gallery: Kuon RTW Spring 2023
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