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THE STORY 25 FALL WINTER

Crafting Shapes

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The journey in search of form continues.

I find quiet joy in gazing at white, shapeless forms emerging from the depths of black and vermillion. In the contrast of red and black, in the gentle, rounded contours — traditional lacquerware has long been a part of my daily life.

Steam rises from the glossy black surface of a bowl of miso soup or udon noodles. Forms with a subtle sense of fluctuation—shapes that are soft and gentle, yet carry a quiet strength. The lightness you feel in your hands belies their solid appearance. As I cradle these vessels, I find myself idly wondering: could such a shape become a piece of clothing? While revisiting The Forms of Japan (Nihon no Katachi, 1978), I was once again captivated by the exquisite lacquerwares featured in the book. I began to wonder how I might translate those vibrant colours into fabric, and recreate their textures through fibre and textile.

Another source of inspiration for me lies in the ever-shifting forms of everyday life. Take mochi, for example. One day, I noticed how its shape changes each time it’s heated—puffing up differently into a soft, golden dome on the grill. Since then, my quiet breakfast hours have become fresh encounters with a new, unexpected form. As I began to record these moments, the small transformations of each day became a series of discoveries—sparking a deeper journey to seek out “comfortable forms”. I began cutting paper with scissors, shifting pieces around, layering, arranging—moving my hands in a kind of collage, trying to discover a form that felt like my own.

One of the pieces I feel most connected to this season is our down series, which emerged from this very process. The down, woven with delicate patterns of wild grasses—as if wrapping oneself in an autumn field—takes shape through soft, swelling curves that are as elusive and organic as freshly puffed mochi.

In this daily pursuit of form, I found myself once again face to face with the very essence of clothing: the pattern. As I searched for textures, what I encountered in books gradually took shape through the body, becoming three-dimensional. This process — perhaps best described as a descent inward — was filled with moments of inspiration that transformed into something tangible, and eventually returned to me once again.

Through this season’s The Story, I hope to share a glimpse of this quietly enchanting experience with you.