Kuon Men’s Fall 2022 – WWD

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 “eternal”, in line with Ishibashi’s label that aims to revive old-world Japanese craftsmanship and techniques with local manufacturers through modern fashion.

Look: Metropolitan menswear is rooted in historic Japanese craftsmanship.

Quote notes: Ishibashi built this collection around the Japanese term “sen”, focusing on two of its many meanings: “line”, inspired by Edo period ukiyo-e artist Hiroshige Utagawa, who represents lotus across rolling water, and “links,” as he sees fashion as a way to connect people who cannot travel due to lockdown rules.

Main parts: Some of the pieces have given a nod to traditional Japanese techniques such as khaki and black wool coats with yellow and blue polyester details respectively, as well as felt jackets, t-shirts, and two-piece suits. Multimedia straps paired with matching trousers with contrasting wool represent kintsugi, the Japanese technique of repairing pottery or covering pottery with gold. The sporty bomber jacket introduces sashiko and sakiori techniques, the latter of which combine pieces from kimono fabrics to create a new fabric. Ishibashi also introduces a knitwear product that includes navy blue and white sweaters, boat neck tops, turtleneck sweaters, scarves and beanies.

Take it: Kuon is only distributed in over 40 stores globally, which is surprising given the amount of detail and backstory in each piece. The price of the brand name is sky high, but Ishibashi is trying to bring them down.