DESCENDANT

It’s an old story, but whenever I saw the people who worked behind the scenes, supporting the outdoor activities featured in outdoor catalogs, I felt a certain sense of excitement. I often found myself wondering what kind of people they were and what their everyday lives were like. I think I was also deeply moved by the action of bringing attention to and showing respect for these people who aren’t usually put in the spotlight.

DESCENDANT’s approach to making things is not centered on any one specific focus. Rather, it is about envisioning creations that seem to exist but don’t, where both old and new things coexist, and where we gather elements that have been lost.

The 2026 Autumn & Winter collection focuses on those lost moments in an era of change: the late 90s and early 2000s. A period in time where the old and new blended together, a time that came to be defined by mixing and crossover.

I wanted to create a pair of 5-pocket denim pants that felt like a return to our origins. It has been a long time since I worked with raw denim. The concept was to adapt a generously sized Western style for our own specifications, and we sought that "lost" denim feel of being neither too big nor too small. Denim that evokes nostalgia while retaining a touch of rugged charm. There is no taper, ensuring they pair well with boots.

The tops consist of basic workwear staples such as an Oxford trucker jacket and a solid brown flannel shirt. Wear it by the sea, and you look like a fisherman rather than a cowboy. It’s interesting how the exact same pieces can make a completely different impression depending on the season or the setting.

I feel that when you take American traditional style and filter it again and again through the lens of street culture, the original form slowly fades away. It ceases to be constricted to any certain definition, and somehow, it feels just right.

Tetsu Nishiyama