This latest collection took its initial inspiration from the designer’s experiences designing stage costumes for Idomeneo, an opera written by Mozart that explores war and relationships in ancient Greece.

“During combat, the most important feature of an item worn on the body is its functionality, which is as true now as it was in ancient times. Functionality also serves as an important factor in evaluating the design of a given garment in the mass production-based apparel industry. By removing the garments’ functionality and making them purely decorative—inverting the original meaning of clothing—I sought to express my resistance to this trend.”

Yuima Nakazato

Each piece of ceramic used in the collection was made with Japanese clay and shaped by myself and atelier members’ own hands. Combined with hand-knitted dresses, corsets, and belts made in our atelier, I have created a delicate, decorative armor. These were worn by dancers led by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, with the resulting movement and sound being utilized as part of the stage setting.

The tailored suits are made with Spiber’s Brewed Protein™ fibers and wool woven into fabric on traditional looms at a Japanese weaver which has been in operation for more than 100 years. The lining is either hand-knitted or silk organdy woven with non-twisted fibers. Prints were made using digital textile printing technology with pigmented inks, minimizing both water and energy consumption. The shirts are made of fabrics woven from Brewed Protein™ fibers and organic cotton, while the decorations are made of silk and cotton lace produced in Caudry.

With Dry Fiber Technology, which we have been researching and developing with Epson over several seasons, we seek to recycle scraps generated during fiber production in Japan. Separating these scraps by color and material allows us to control the look and feel of the resulting fabric, which is then made into dresses and jackets.

Finally, MIKIMOTO’s black pearl jewelry and hand knitwear are used in the styling to complement the story of Idomeneo, which is set against the backdrop of the Mediterranean Sea.