KOTO - Inconspicuous instigator of “constructed traditions”

Immaterial, undocumented and enacting a social and institutional critique of material culture, while bridging a historical divide between art and traditional objects, Koto features in leading fashion institutions’ programming and collections. The work as an intervention into material cultures and the 19th - and the 20th - century obsession with objects, the belief that our well being depends on the manufacture of objects. There’s an almost religious belief  stemming from the 19th and 20th centuries, that our wellbeing derives from industrial production.

Unusually, the two designers showed such interest in our surroundings during our conversation with the intention to expose us both. They said, the conversation below is made up of more than the trappings of academia. Although Koto may employ a philosophical léxicon in their response, as they do this blurb, they do not play into academic justifications, but are deeply personal.

Do you ever step out of your life and look at it as a spectator? Where did your last collection take you to?

We have our accessories that we have been selling for years, and then some things that we have changed a bit, always the same product, but we change the length or the color. We use Kimono fabric or even fabric printed with traditional Japanese motifs.

You came to Italy and you started your brand, but you always kept your origins in your work. What was your perspective on fashion before you became involved in it?

Yes, I came to live in Italy 16 years ago with my Italian husband, after living in Kyoto for 30 years, I grew up there with my best friend and then we created KOTO, the name of the ancient capital. Kyoto was the capital of Japan in the past.

Do women still wear traditional clothing in Kyoto?

Unfortunately no. When there’s a wedding or a ceremony yes, but other than that no. The kimono sector is slowly disappearing,  but many companies are trying to create something new from the kimono, like we are doing, giving it a new meaning.

All handmade? What are the biggest biggest challenges you have come across designing for Koto all these years?

Yes, it’s all handmade. It’s not easy to find a person to do this type of technique, but it’s really important to us to keep an authentic product. 

KOTO will be exhibiting at HOMI FASHION&JEWELS EXHIBITION 16 - 19 September 2022
A dedication to sustainability, craftsmanship, design and manufacturing with the ultimate accuracy. HOMI FASHION&JEWELS EXHIBITION explores a cultural challenge, is sustainability an utopian fantasy or a possibility?