Hello.
This is Noguchi from CASANOVA&CO.
It's been a while since my last blog post.
Of course, I haven't been slacking off; I've been busy running around preparing for what's to come.
Time flies, and it's already August.
It's Hazuki.
The Japanese archipelago has been experiencing insane heat recently, but the autumn/winter season won't wait.
Some brands have already started delivering their autumn/winter collections as early as mid-June, so I suppose our store's autumn/winter launch is actually a bit late.
We've already introduced T.T's 25AW collection on Instagram, but the first brand for 25AW on the blog is "Nomàt".
This is a brand we started working with from 25SS.
I think this is the first time I'm focusing on them on the blog, so let me tell you a little about the brand.
I believe the brand started in 2020SS.
The designer is a Japanese woman named Nomura.
After a hiatus to further enhance Nomàt's creativity, this 25AW season marks their 10th collection.
Given Nomura-san's background as a pattern maker for a fashion brand, Nomàt's designs and techniques are quite technical and artistic.
Furthermore, the seasonal lookbook shoots are done in collaboration with a Parisian photography team, and I think the output is quite impressive just in terms of visual expression. (Please check out the brand's Instagram highlights, where they've compiled all the previous lookbooks.)
Perhaps it's the combination of the brand's external communication that adorns the clothes and the presence of the clothes themselves, but I feel that many people find it hard to categorize Nomàt as either a domestic or an imported brand.
More than that, there's a certain "strength" that makes it difficult to position it as a men's brand, a women's brand, or even a unisex brand.
To put it very simply, these are clothes that look cool on both men and women, regardless of age.
That's my image of Nomàt.
So, I think the Nomàt clothes I'm introducing today also transcend borders, gender, and age.
Even though only one item has arrived, so it might not convey much.
Nomàt
COTTON Gathered Shirt
color _ Pearl Grey
size _ 1,2
This shirt.
As the name suggests, it's a shirt with plenty of gathers.
Personally, I think it's packed with elements that really capture the essence of Nomàt, so please allow me to introduce it briefly.
First and foremost, what stands out, as mentioned in the name, are the gathers.
The front, back, sleeves, and cuffs all feature an enormous amount of gathers.
It's an almost lethal amount of gathers for a seamstress, but since Nomàt does all its sewing in-house, the quality control is perfect.
I'll go into more detail about the fabric later, but using a fabric like this, where mistakes can't be easily corrected, requires an incredible amount of precision.
Here's another front view photo.
The gathers create volume, and the hem sways like a curtain.
From the side.
A very soft expression.
However, despite the overall softness of its appearance, I want you to pay attention to the flow and fit from the shoulder to the sleeve.
The contrast between the start and end points of the gathers.
The continuity of adding and subtracting volume.
I genuinely think this is beautiful.
If this part were ambiguous and fluffy, it would just become a cute girl with lots of gathers.
And if that were the case, when someone with long hair and a beard like me wore it, I'd end up looking like a "Sukisuki Ron-chan" character. (Google it if you don't know.) (Or don't bother.)
That's where Nomura-san's technical skill as a pattern maker elevates it to high fashion, creating clothing that transcends gender, wouldn't you say?
To digress slightly, I personally find the term "unisex" somewhat unsatisfactory.
While it certainly applies to Nomàt, I feel that the meaning of the word doesn't quite capture what I truly want to express.
In that case, I think it's more accurate to say "It's for both men and women" with respect.
And I feel that the concept of "gender-neutral" clothing, or what is generally called "unisex" clothing, is completely different from Nomàt's understanding of gender.
This also applies to KAKAN, a brand we work with; I think there's a situation where neutral clothes from brands that excel at women's clothing are labeled as unisex simply because they offer men's sizes.
I still can't articulate it perfectly, but I believe that's not quite right.
Clothing like Nomàt's and KAKAN's possesses a richness that goes beyond the performative social aspect of being unisex; rather than being unisex, they exist as a single, dignified piece of clothing in a more natural form.
That's why the coolness of wearing it as a man and the coolness of wearing it as a woman coexist, offering unique insights to each wearer.
At least, that's what I believe.
That's why I genuinely recommend this kind of clothing to both men and women.
Getting back to this gathered shirt.
With this many gathers, there's a significant amount of volume in the body.
When you spread your arms, it balances like a poncho.
When you lower your arms, it settles beautifully as shown before.
It's magical.
The back looks like this.
I think it's quite impactful.
For the current season, this shirt paired with shorts completes the look.
The buttons are metal buttons, which Nomàt uses quite often.
Whether it's aging during the dyeing process or separate button treatment, a texture like rust emerges on the buttons, giving them character.
Indeed, it achieves a mood that neither shell nor horn buttons could capture.
And the fabric.
It's 100% cotton.
This is also Omi-sarashi, a very high-density fabric often used by Nomàt.
The fabric is product-dyed using a technique called "Shouenzome" (pine soot dyeing).
Shouenzome is a traditional Japanese dyeing method that has been practiced for centuries, where pine wood is burned and its soot is used to dye the fabric.
It seems to be often used for kimonos.
Since soot, among other things, is the main ingredient in this dye, it doesn't penetrate uniformly into high-density fabrics, resulting in this mottled appearance.
As mentioned earlier, it's a very high-density fabric, so needles will leave holes if you put it through a sewing machine.
The dye probably accumulates there, causing only the seam areas to be dyed a bit darker, creating the appearance of contrast stitching.
The presence of the stitching seems to respond to the overall strength of the garment.
There's something profound in the subtle differences created by combining the three elements: fabric, sewing specifications, and dyeing.
I think it's a very expressive shirt.
It might be hard to tell since I only have photos of it being worn, but I highly recommend it for women too.
I'm 178cm and 60kg, wearing size 1, but I think a woman wearing size 2 oversized would also create a wonderfully expressive and lovely look.
Regardless of gender, I hope anyone interested will come and see it.
Although we haven't introduced them on Instagram or the blog yet, autumn/winter collections from various brands are gradually starting to arrive, so we hope you'll enjoy them in-store.