I'm womenswear designer specializing in leather and embroidery. For my final collection I was inspired by a Wes Anderson’s film “The Royal Tenembaums”. Characters in the film were wearing same style as their children, so I made adult version of what I was wearing in primary school. My concept combined my traditional Japanese primary school uniform with lederhosen, and further diving into surrealism themes. I enjoyed exploring the craftsmanship of leather through sampling and thereafter repurposing off cut leather as I strive towards implicating sustainability within my craft.
I aspire to design for women of different shapes and sizes including children. My time at primary school moulded my interest in this field as I witnessed numerous students growing up faster than they could afford new clothes. As we had to frequently buy new uniforms, those who weren’t as privileged had no choice but to reuse the clothes they couldn’t fit into. I questioned this inequality and felt the need to bridge this gap through my designs.
I believe that the most important aspect of my work is functionality, wearability and longevity using different approaches.I have a long-standing passion for the historical and multicultural influences that have shaped both eastern and western fashion styles. I am particularly interested in how traditional and modern designers have shaped fashion tastes in my home country, Japan. I am fascinated by how trends and styles in one place can grow to have a global influence.