DESERTIKA, a brand developed by Italian luxury bag manufacturer Orobianco, has collaborated with KANTIAN, a textile brand from KT Texino, a long-established textile manufacturer in Fukui, to launch a men's wear collection starting in the 2014-15 autumn/winter season.
Orobianco unveiled its DESERTIKA bag collection at Pitti Uomo, the world's largest men's fashion trade fair, in 2012. The brand, whose name means "From Desert" in Italian, offers bags that are tough and functional enough to withstand the harsh desert environment with its extreme temperature changes. Based on the concept of the bag collection, the brand's newly unveiled men's wear collection offers a fashionable, urban style. The debut collection includes an ultra-lightweight sweater-print coat, a jacket made of a completely waterproof material consisting of two layers of double-sided brushed stretch fabric with a film between them, and the brand's patch-embellished blousons and hooded parkas. While the brand's core target demographic is people in their 30s and 40s, the designs are suitable for all ages. Prices range from ¥30,000 to ¥50,000 for jackets, ¥30,000 to ¥60,000 for coats, ¥10,000 to ¥20,000 for pants, and ¥8,000 for cut-and-sew tops. Products will be available at department stores and specialty stores from mid-August, with a Tokyo store opening in September. Future promotional strategies include sports-related events. A party celebrating the debut was held on March 26, and Orobianco's owner and designer, Giacomo Valentini, was also in Japan for the event. "The most important thing when making apparel is the fabric. I heard that KT Techino has the world's best synthetic fibers, so I first looked for fabrics at their factory. Since material production and clothing production are closely intertwined, I was particular about creating apparel made in Japan using Japanese materials. Dezartica apparel combines Italian design, Japanese technology, and the attention to detail that Japanese people excel at, resulting in something completely different and globally applicable," he said. He also mentioned that they are considering developing unisex apparel for women. Dezartica's brand director is Shigenori Tajima, who also serves as brand director for Kantian. It was also announced that Orobianco will become an official supporter of the women's rugby team, Phoenix. Three players and the team's manager, former Japan national rugby team wing Yohei Shinomiya, unveiled uniforms featuring a large Dezartica logo. The players expressed their enthusiasm, saying, "If we perform well, there will be more opportunities for people to see our uniforms, so we want to do our best."
