Sanyo Shokai held a press preview for the capsule collection "CREATURES OF THE WIND + SANYO," a collaboration with Creatures of the Wind (COTW), a New York brand created by Shane Gabier and Christopher Peters. To mark the 70th anniversary of its founding on May 11, Sanyo Shokai formulated the tagline "TIMELESS WORK. Let's make truly great things" to communicate its future direction both internally and externally. Each brand is currently running campaigns. For this capsule collection, the company collaborated with two groups to realize the 70th anniversary slogan: COTW, runner-up at the 2011 CFDA Awards, and Daimaru Seisakusho 2, a New York-based pattern maker for Thom Browne and Jason Wu. For the preview, two New York-based groups visited Japan and introduced the COTW original collection, along with a seven-piece capsule collection unveiled at the 2013-2014 Autumn/Winter New York Collection in February. The capsule collection featured coats inspired by sketches from the Sanyo Shokai archives from 1964 and a 1966 Sanyo Coat advertisement. 1960s fashion was updated for the modern era through COTW designs and Daimaru Seisakusho 2's three-dimensional patterns. While incorporating period details, such as a tie coat inspired by a tie-equipped coat from a 1964 sketch, the silhouettes were carefully designed, slimming the bust to avoid an overly vintage feel. Menswear-inspired pieces featured swept-back sleeves, while feminine pieces featured soft shoulders and voluminous tucks, evoking a modern and fresh feel in the sleeves and shoulders. The collection also paid homage to Japanese manufacturing, using Japanese fabrics and all sewing done at Iwate Sanyo Sewing, a Sanyo Shokai Group company. The collection will be available in New York and other major cities worldwide from September. In Japan, the collection will be sold at International Gallery Beams and Isetan Shinjuku Restyle.
"Japan's advanced technology and quality are unmatched anywhere else in the world. We're delighted that this initiative has broadened our horizons. We've already started production for the 2014 Spring/Summer season, and recently visited fabric manufacturers and factories introduced to us by Sanyo Shokai. We also plan to visit Iwate Sanyo Sewing and factories in Aomori. We only had seven styles for Fall/Winter, but we hope to have even more," said the COTW duo.
Ryuhei Daimaru, president of Daimaru Seisakusho 2, said, "While many collaborations combine mainstream brands with young designers to offer low-priced products, this is the first of its kind to offer something interesting through craftsmanship as an antithesis. We hope to continue this initiative and create great products."
