Kuden Project Àrd-Ùrlar by Takahiro Sato

Kuden Project Àrd-Ùrlar by Takahiro Sato is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2020 Duais Iarainn A' Design Award in Dealbhadh Sòisealta Competition Category.

IarannSòisealta· 2020

Kuden Project Àrd-Ùrlar

by Takahiro Sato

Client: KUDEN by TAKAHIRO SATO

Duais Iarainn A' Design Award Winner in Sòisealta Category

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Colors

The Design

About Kuden Project Àrd-Ùrlar

Chan e a-mhàin toradh a th ’ann an ath àrd-ùrlar Kimono ach tha àite aige cuideachd mar dhealbhadh sòisealta gus fuasgladh fhaighinn air 2 chùis shòisealta: Cuir às do chultar kimono traidiseanta Iapanach agus dòigh fuaigheil àrd Caillte airson Iapan agus an Iar. Airson kimono furasta a ghabhail ann am beatha làitheil, tha 3 nithean ann. Bidh daoine a ’caitheamh an dà chuid làn sheata mar kimono agus singilte leis an aodach àbhaisteach mar aodach làitheil. Mar bhrosnachadh airson a chaitheamh ann am beatha làitheil an t-saoghail, tha Next Kimono a ’dèanamh iarrtas airson fear traidiseanta agus obraichean aig tuarastal cothromach airson factaraidh fuaigheil. Is e amas deireannach KUDEN cosnadh dhaoine ciorramach a ’toirt a-steach mac an Stiùiriche.

The Recognition

About the Duais Iarainn A' Design Award

Tha Kuden Project Àrd-Ùrlar air Duais Iarainn A' Design Award a bhuannachadh, aithneachadh urramach a bheirear do dhealbhaidhean math a choinnicheas ris na riatanasan proifeiseanta is gnìomhachais a thathar a' sùileachadh bho chruthachaidhean a chaidh an dealbhadh gu math. Tha buannaichean Iarainn a' nochdadh sgil mhòr, speisealachadh àrd, tuigse eòlaiche agus comas cruthachail an luchd-cruthachaidh. Thathar an dùil gum bi Kuden Project Àrd-Ùrlar na chruthachadh air a bheil mòran meas, ion-mholta agus gràdhach a tha practaigeach agus ùr-ghnàthach. Tha an dealbhadh seo a bhuannaich Duais Iarainn A' Design Award a' cur nan cleachdaidhean as fheàrr sa ghnìomhachas còmhla agus tha feartan teignigeach comasach aige ceangailte ri eòlas-dèanamh agus tàlant. Tha meas air Kuden Project Àrd-Ùrlar airson a dhùrachd agus chaidh a dhealbhadh gus leasachaidhean càileachd beatha a thoirt seachad a chuidicheas le bhith a' dèanamh an t-saoghail na àite nas fheàrr.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: KUDEN's Next Kimono platform is not only product but also has a role as social design to solve 2 social issues Disappear Japanese traditional kimono culture and Lost high sewing technique for both Japanese and Western. For easy to take kimono in daily life, it consists of 3 items. People wear both fullset as kimono and single with their usual outfit as daily clothes. As a trigger to wear kimono in world's daily life, Next Kimono makes demand for traditional kimono and jobs at fair wages for sewing factory.
Dimensions & Packaging: Next Kimono is consists of 3 items. The social design to expand kimono to the world. Design and material are selected for suitable to daily life all over the world.Samurai Mode Jacket, Samurai Mode Pants and Samurai Mode Shirt, it's Next Kimono Platform.
Samurai Mode Jakcet(M size): Face side:triacetate69%,polyester31%/Lining:cupra100%/shoulder width:72cm/Sleeve length:38cm/Body length:82cm/Sleeve hem width:21cm/Sleeve width:43cm
The material of jacket is Soaron made of triacetate. In 1967, Japanese company Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation produced the Soaron first time.
From then, Soaron is always caught the eye of creator because that makes creativity higher. This material receive high commendation from fashion business world.By this fabric, we aim to comfortable jacket like what you want to put your arm through the sleeve.
Tags: social, traditional, kimono, apparel, branding, fashion, ethical, platform, solution
Production Technology: Nowadays kimono is known all over the world but on the other hand, the scale of Japanese kimono market is 1/10 compared to 35 years ago. Disappearing kimono as usual outfits, most Japanese can’t wear kimono by themselves.Also special technique to sew Kimono, Japanese dressmaking called Wasai is despairing.
We need a policy to expand kimono market and make more demands of kimono and also remove the obstacle to wear kimono in daily life. So I design Next Kimono, no need special technique to wear, as new kimono platform and adopt custom order to consider working environment.
Design Challenge: Most difficult challenge is redesign as western dressmaking remaining attracts of kimono. Also finding material and sewing factory that can actualize the shape by western dressmaking was difficult. In addition, put high value how we are as brand, without lie to customer so we show the cost to customer for they understand how/what/to who their payment is used for.
Research: Focus on the fact that kimono is long life design & 1 design (fashion platform) continued 400 years ago in Edo period. I consider kimono as a platform, to make it suitable for modern daily life all over the world, I redesign as Next Kimono platform. To bring kimono now recognized as expensive clothes only for special day back to daily outfits. Wear without special technique, 3 piece set design to wear separately, actualize affordable price by adapting western dressmaking.
Increase the demands of kimono, expand kimono market to the world, it connects to make interests for traditional kimono and Wasai (Japanese dressmaking) . The artisan of wasai decreases and even have to close their company because of diminishment of kimono culture. Even they have, it’s a low wage. Japanese dressmaking needs more time to make a clothes compared with western dressmaking so it can’t expand the market in short term. So I adapt western dressmaking for first step to expand kimono market and connect to employment of disabled people.
Our final goal is actualize employment of disabled people with sewing factory and artisans. But we can’t start with Japanese dressmaking first because of reason above so we try to make demands for kimono with western dressmaking factory and connect this activity to our final goal.

Also we have another approach as Ethical brand for environment, not only for working. We sell the vintage haori and kimono too. Mass production over our demand makes excessive stock in result, The brand that worry about be damaged by sold cheap price dispose their stocks to protect brand’s value and profit. This is the current situation for apparel world. They are too much burden on natural environment.In Japan, distribution stock that bankrupt company left in those history and closet stock lost balance between supply and demand.There is $30 billion closet stock, it 20 years worth of kimono demand. Only those stock can do is waiting for disposal.
KUDEN think ethical has to be sustainable, consideration for environment to produce products long time.
Not only produce new product like that, Also keep using already on market or you have with thanks to environment and producer, not disposal and throw away immediately is important sustainable approach for KUDEN.
Inspiration: When I sort through my mother's effects, I found her kimono. I remember my childhood kimono memory with mother and felt I want to wear kimono but can’t because I don’t know how to wear. I realized kimono culture will disappear if it keeps going. It’s my first inspiration. Also the reason I start brands, I have a son with disability and from my experience that involved in employment for disabled people, saw the product they make, I decided to make the place that people like my son works with joy.
Project Duration: First publish is on Kickstarter in November 2018 and produced Jacket first time in January 2019. Our partner sewing factory Marron went bankrupt in May 2019 and temporarily stopped production. It made our brand to go more Ethical brand and realize the importance of social design. KUDEN publish our cost to customer and keep 40-50% cost rate. In December 2019, released Pants.
Operation Flow: Next Kimono platform is a trigger to experience kimono in daily life and like it. To actualize it, Next Kimono doesn’t need special technique to wear, can wear 3 piece as kimono and also single with ordinary outfits. It makes it to wear and go in kimono for more opportunities. Redesign kimono but also remain the attracts of kimono like Miyatsuguchi, unique sleeve shape. Also Next Kimono platform is 1 design and long life design, it means we don’t follow the trends. It has a function to improve the working environment and efficiency of production and finance because the sewing factory can continue to sew same pattern, it means they accumulate the technique and increase their skills.
Team Members: Social Designer/Chief Designer(Creative Director): Takahiro Sato
Graphic Designer : Asami Sato
Image Credits: Photographer: Nobuyuki Arai, Mance Thompson, Serene Mangmati, Takahiro Sato