Hidesign (Q7874)
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Indian leather goods manufacturer
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Hidesign |
Indian leather goods manufacturer |
Statements
What will we be wearing when the world burns? Hidesign might have an answer.The Tokyo-based workwear design company, which recently began a foray into fashion by making what it calls “work couture,” has an interesting mission: to make cutting-edge clothes that are as fashionable as they are practical. This time, designers Hideo Yoshii and Souta Yamaguchi held a small exhibition to show their collection, and presented it keynote-style to the audience.The collection was aptly called “Blue Collar,” in reference to both the uniforms of the physical laborers that inspired it, and literally in the colors: so far Hidesign’s clothes have only ever been gray, but this time they appeared in cobalt, navy, and aqua.Every item presented was well-thought-out, in both form and function. In one jacket, the designers incorporated a battery-operated fan system to blow cool air around inside, so that it inflated like a wearable balloon (in a display that drew oohs and ahhs from the audience). In another, compartments were lined with aluminium foil to keep drinks bottles or snacks chilled for longer—a picnic cooler in your pocket. A hooded raincoat had been designed to be worn over a backpack. Great for a rogue storm, sure, but the wildly outsized silhouette is what seals the deal.We’ve seen workwear become an increasing part of the luxury fashion conversation in recent years, but the rise of vintage Carhartt chore jackets and canvas twill cargo pants has also come with criticisms that the rich are appropriating blue collar uniforms in an obscene show of plebeian cosplay. Perhaps because its designs are so new and innovative, and increasingly applicable to modern life, what Hidesign does is not that. Instead, this collection felt like a refreshing level-up and an insight into what the clothing of the future could be. “We are very much thinking about how we can contribute to society with these clothes,” said Yamaguchi.It’s an increasingly pertinent pursuit. If the brutally hot and humid summers in Japan and around the world continue to worsen—as they are predicted to—Hidesign’s in-built fan vests and cooler pockets may well offer the clothing-conscious among us a way to brave the heat in style.
2 September 2024
Walk past any building site in Japan, and you’ll see that the construction workers—with their tabi boots,kuchofukufan jackets and tobi balloon pants—look stylish enough to put your average fashion show attendee to shame.Such is the thinking behind Hidesign, a fascinating new proposition that intends to bring Japanese workwear into the fashion space. The newly birthed label functions as the fashion arm of the Tokyo-based Hidesign Corporation, a workwear company that specializes in uniforms for aviation engineers, food factory workers, and more. The larger corporation was founded in 2005, but two years ago chief designer Hideo Yoshii brought on Souta Yamaguchi, a former stylist for tech-heavy brand Anrealage, to head up a design team for Hidesign ready-to-wear.“I have been thinking about workwear and making functional clothes for a long time, but since fashion and workwear usually occupy completely different worlds, I wanted the public to see more of what we do,” said Yoshii. His team brings the hardcore knowhow, and Yamaguchi shapes that expertise into something fashionable, taking it from the factory floor to the runway.It made for a convincing proposition. Kicking off this season’s Tokyo Fashion Week schedule with its debut show, the Hidesign collection was an amalgamation of the futuristic-looking workwear that the team has been working on for the past couple of years and signals the first time that Hidesign will be available to the public.The army of Hideseign’s so-called gray-collar workers that stomped out onto a square runway platform were each clad in technical wear that would blow the Arc’teryx hood off the head of any gorpcore enthusiast: coats that transformed into ponchos; gilets with removable sleeves and harnesses; jackets lined with antibacterial fabric usually found on nurse scrubs; and vintage European workwear that had been upcycled into one-off pieces. Plus: an astounding range of pockets made to hold everything from pens to airpods, bottles, and even a pocket for onigiri—the triangle-shaped rice balls that remain a favorite lunchtime staple for industry workers across Japan.Yamaguchi’s intention is to utilize the “delicate consideration of Japanese uniforms” to make what he refers to as “work couture.” Those pockets, hyper-specific as they were, are indicative of a passionate attention to detail that will surely delight those who end up using them—and they’ll look well turned-out while doing so.
In Japan, that kind of perfectly made item has a name: “We call it a Cinderella fit,” said Yamaguchi.
11 March 2024