KUON Spring Summer 2024

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Launch: Fri - Sep 08, 2023 11:00 am EDT

“Hare” and “Ke”

The polarity between “Hare” and “Ke” is a traditional Japanese concept. “Ke” refers to the ordinary things or activities that we do every day, on the other hand, “Hare” refers to things and activities that are out of the ordinary, like festivals and rituals. Traditionally, the balance between these two is the essence of the Japanese way of living. Working hard on the ordinary (Ke) and looking forward to the out-of-the-ordinary (Hare) is how the Japanese have coped with their rather stressful social life. Furthermore, the ordinally makes out-of-the-ordinally more enjoyable.

“This season we focused on the polarity between Hare and Ke.” says Shinichiro Ishibashi “We took inspiration from festivities in Iwate such as Chagu Chagu Umako and Sansa Odori, in contrast to ordinary everyday activities”.

Working for the first time with the traditional Japanese marbling technique Suminagashi, Shinichiro Ishibashi introduces colorful marbled fabrics inspired by the horse decorations used during Chagu Chagu Umako and now made into jackets, shirts, and pants
*Since it is hard to mass-produce using the Suminagashi technique, there are some styles that are made with a marbled digital print.

Sakiori is made using worn-out Kimono uniforms for Sansa Odori, which is one of the most famous Bon-odori dance festivals in Iwate. Reversible styles are inspired by the Japanese traditional firefighter’s uniforms. They often feature flashy drawings on the inside and they are worn inside-out on special occasions like festivities.