MEET MATSUMOTO FROM JAPAN

During my visit to the Modefabriek last weekend, I bumped into the jackets of Matsumoto.

Matsumoto is designed and created in Japan using the latest hi-tech, superb quality materials. Inspired by tradition with innovative design.

Beautiful loden fabrics are used for some of the outerwear pieces and Harris Tweed for their blazer styles, the inner lining is a hand painted camouflage.

My personal favorites are the updated Fireman Jacket and the Harris Tweed blazer

Thanks to Marit from Essential Basics for sending me the look book

BEAMS+ - LOOKBOOK FW2015

Beams+ confirms every season again that Japanese brands are doing preppy style at the best. 

They do it in a fresh, modern way without being boring. I call it Nippon Prep.

Enjoy the Fall/Winter lookbook!

SUNDAY BOOK MANIA - JAPAN JACKET BY TAILOR TOYO

Yesterday I received my copy of the very rare book called Japan Jacket by Tailor Toyo.

A Japan jacket is a reversible and embroidered tour jacket with either a map of Japan showing the major cities or a motif of a tiger, dragon or hawk and Mount Fuji. A Japan Jacket is known as SUKA JUN, abbreviation of two words. SUKA refers to the city of Yokosuka, just south of Tokyo and the home port of the U.S. Navy 7th Fleet. This is the largest naval base in the Far East. JUN refers to a jumper or a jacket. In short, the Japan Jacket is a tour jacket born in the city of Yokosuka.

The roots of its history could be credited to a serviceman who took his jacket to a tailor shop and had it embroidered with his name and decorated with colourful oriental designs while stationed there in the 1950s. The jackets soon became popular among the servicemen as a souvenir of their Japan tour or shore leave. These jackets were sold at gift shops in all towns or cities where men from the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines were stationed. Of course, military PXs and base concessionaires sold them as well. For the servicemen, it was an ideal gift to send home to family and friends. It became a shared clothing item for both the East and the West.

See also my other post about Souvenir Jackets.

MIKIA BANDANA BRACELET

Mikia Bandana bracelets.

 Mikia is a Japanese jewelry line designed, by Aki Mitsubayashi. Using natural stones, African trade beads and other unique materials Mikia creates distinct pieces that complement any style.

As bandana is from the Hindi word बन्धन bandhana which means "to tie" these bracelets make even more sense to me. 

THE BIG WAVE - INSPIRATIONAL ART

Meet Mr. Katsushika Hokusai, the inspirational artist for Gant Rugger Pre Fall 14 collection and the Barbour X White Mountaineering Spring 1025 collection.

Katsushika Hokusai, born as the story goes on October 31, 1760 (exact date questionable). He was a Japanese artist, ukiyo-e painter and printmaker. He was influenced by such painters as Sesshu, and other styles of Chinese painting. Born in Edo (now Tokyo), Hokusai is best known as author of the woodblock print series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, which includes the internationally recognized print, The Great Wave off Kanagawa, created during the 1820s.

Hokusai created the "Thirty-Six Views" both as a response to a domestic travel boom and as part of a personal obsession with Mount Fuji. It was this series, specifically The Great Wave print and Fuji in Clear Weather, that secured Hokusai’s fame both in Japan and overseas.