DESCENDANT

Previously, I made a prototype chore jacket with Ken Nishijo from raregem. It never made it into production, but for this season’s collection, I asked him to create something with raregem based on that jacket.

Ken has a remarkable ability to materialize requests.
On the other hand, when his partner and head of the sewing department, Aki Nishijo, gets involved, she adds the delicacies and carefulness that are unique to her. I think the small details probably shaped Ken’s ideas, but raregem is an edited version that preserves Ken’s thoughts intact.

For instance, when it comes to finishing the hem of the shirt jacket, while most apparel companies would choose a piping finish, Ken and Aki deliberately chose the "locked and folded" finish that's typically used on bags. So, although it is something to wear, it also has a somewhat tool-like appearance. The fabric is raregem's original 16 oz, which is thick and sturdy, and there's a gusset on the back that makes it easy to move around in, even when buttoned up. I think the way Ken wears it, works in it, and lives in it, allowing the threads of the fabric to fray, is the intended way to wear this shirt jacket. (Laughs)

We thought we could make the aprons ourselves, but we also thought it would be nice if they were made with raregem, so we asked them to produce them. When Ken and his team make them, they end up becoming tools. We used a slightly lighter 10 oz fabric and made the length shorter so that it would be easy to use on a daily basis. Of course, you can wear it in the kitchen, but you can even wear it out with a jacket. It has pockets so you can keep keys and a cell phone in them; no need for a bag or pouch. In fact, I often wear it with my rain boots on the weekends when I spend time at the harbor.

When you wear an apron, you fit it to your body by adjusting the strings. Still, Ken thought it would be a hassle to make these adjustments every time it was worn, so with this apron, the strings are gathered together in the back so you can just put it on; even the strings placement is carefully thought out and placed.

I requested the postman bag be made from scratch, even down to the shape. It doesn't have a flap, like a standard postman bag, but is fastened with snap buttons. The inner lid also fastens with buttons. After some use of the sample we created, we decided that it would be easier to use if we added short handles, so he made the update.

The trousers are made of the same 16-oz canvas as the shirt jacket so that they can be worn as a set. All four styles are DWU (DESCENDANT WORK UNIFORM), made with so-called work fabric. Ideally, workwear should be made in tandem with a workshop. It's the same idea as making shoes with a shoemaker.

Tetsu Nishiyama

The collaboration items with raregem will be available from Thursday, 9/19, at all DESCENDANT stockists.