KUON Spring Summer 2023
Longing for the Ocean
For the KUON Spring Summer 2023 collection, designer Shinichiro Ishibashi found inspiration in his memory of going to the beach for the first time as a child. Having been born and raised in the inland area of Iwate Prefecture in Japan, his first experience seeing the ocean held a strong impression and even now as an adult, Ishibashi has a strong longing for the ocean. "The beauty of nature" is a recurring inspiration source for KUON and this "longing for the ocean" may have sparked the deeply personal relationship Ishibashi has for nature.
The key color of lilac used throughout the collection was taken from Ishibashi's memory of the sneakers he wore on his first trip to the ocean. The silhouettes are a modern reinterpretation of the traditional American style clothing he remembers his father wearing, who was on his way to a business trip, mixed with Japanese clothing such as kimono, hakama, and the aesthetic of wabi sabi, the beauty of nature, imperfection, and the present moment, often referenced in the KUON collections.
Tailored jackets close in front with a kimono style ease, worn with relaxed single pleat trousers. Polo shirts are constructed with a kimono sleeve worn with a washi/cotton pleated tapered trouser, a new fabric KUON first introduced in their collection in 2021 where the washi paper, made from wood pulp and polyolefin not only gives it suppleness, but also makes it water-resistant and durable. Denim trousers are re-imagined with hakama details, using a boxy wide leg trouser pattern that is then folded over at the front waist with a button closure and ribbon tie. The denim patchwork hooded blouson and shorts reference the traditional boro techniques often revisited in the KUON collection while the Madras Patchwork versions are a nod to Western tailoring. Traditional Japanese techniques such as karamiori, a fabric making technique of tangling threads to create a more open-weave gauzy fabric can be seen is tops and blouson jackets while the sashiko stitching technique often used for mending and reinforcing fabrics can be seen on shorts. Seersucker blazers with side zips give a boxy kimono-like silhouette. Texture is brought out from shirts with a kimono-like shawl collar and shirred back seam details as well as reversible striped shirting with pin tuck details. Traditional techniques of aizome (indigo dye) and dorozome (mud dye) are used in shirting while a seashell print references the ocean. Gradient knit cardigans mimic the patchwork seen in the tailored pieces.
KUON KUON Spring Summer 2023
KUON Spring Summer 2023 Collection
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