Hello.
This is Noguchi from CASANOVA&CO.
Following yesterday, today I will be discussing WONDER ROOM again.
The three fabrics I'm introducing today are all making their debut this season.
They are named:
・EGG
・MARS
・SEASCAPE
I might go on for a bit today, but please let me introduce each of them.
First, EGG.
【EGG】
Fabric that delivers comfort, satisfying global fashion houses, developed at a 70-year-old factory.
Based on imported machinery, proprietary machinery was developed to combine the best aspects of loopwheel knitting and jacquard knitting, allowing for high-density weaving.
Applying technology derived from jacquard knitting, which is not usually possible with terry cloth, to comfort. This is a truly unique expression.
Expressing the warmth of being enveloped, like an egg, that can be worn daily in the cold winter, and the feeling of healing when wearing it.
This washable fabric also has windproof properties, achieved by a special treatment applied to the outer yarn during the spinning stage.
We want you to experience the warmth of an egg and the feeling of sharp awareness emerging from unconsciousness.
*Quoted from the brand's official statement
EGG. Literally, "egg."
More like the image of a fertilized egg, rather than the unfertilized eggs we humans consume.
A mother bird warms her eggs by enveloping them with her body, waiting for the moment of hatching.
EGG gives us a soft, gentle warmth, as if warming such an egg.
Within the WONDER ROOM brand, I think it's a material texture as suitable for autumn/winter as WHALE.
Structurally, it's "jacquard terry."
...Some of you might have guessed it.
This EGG is a derivative of FRIEND.
No, it might be more accurate to say that FRIEND is a derivative of EGG.
What exactly does that mean?
In fact, this EGG was the "jacquard terry" that Imai-san first developed to a commercially viable level.
EGG came before FRIEND.
More than a year ago, at the 25SS exhibition, Imai-san was casually explaining FRIEND and mentioned, "Actually, there's a thicker version of FRIEND." That was this EGG.
In other words, the special terry structure using a jacquard knitting machine, conceived from pile fabric as I wrote about FRIEND yesterday, was arrived at through EGG.
And FRIEND was then adapted from EGG as a material more suitable for year-round wear.
So, what's the difference between EGG and FRIEND?
The difference is more apparent on the reverse side.
The ivory one is the back of FRIEND, which I introduced yesterday, and the black one is the back of EGG.
Can you kind of see the difference?
With FRIEND, the yarn on the back travels shorter distances, while with EGG, the yarn travels further than with FRIEND.
This means that there are more layers of air on the inside of the fabric, i.e., against the body, which improves heat retention, similar to a thermos bottle.
This is where its suitability for autumn and winter comes from.
However, when the yarn travels a long distance on the back, it also becomes more prone to snagging.
Even if a snag causes the yarn to break, Imai-san says it's fine as long as you re-insert the yarn in the same place, due to the fabric's density and meticulous design. Nevertheless, to mitigate the risk of snagging, FRIEND is designed with one more back yarn than EGG.
To put it simply, EGG has 3 back yarns (three-ply yarn), and FRIEND has 2 back yarns (two-ply yarn).
Strictly speaking, the development order was EGG → FRIEND, so starting from EGG, for FRIEND, there was no need to prioritize heat retention, thus the yarn's travel distance was shortened. This reduced the risk of snagging the back yarn, and consequently, by using two-ply yarn instead of three-ply yarn to reduce the number of yarns, the bulkiness of the fabric was suppressed.
My apologies for getting so technical.
And as you might already sense, given Imai-san's approach, there were countless test samples created before arriving at EGG and FRIEND.
They experimented with changing yarn types, making the pile longer on the back of the yarn, and so on.
Apparently, some of the samples they had made up until then were submerged due to the flood that occurred in Wakayama Prefecture a few years ago, but he said that if such a disaster hadn't happened, it would have been easy to fill the entire floor of CASANOVA&CO with test samples for fabric development.
It's natural for WONDER ROOM clothes, but I want everyone to know that a vast amount of time and cost is invested daily in research and development.
Because that's how clothes come to be loved.
Let's get back to EGG.
This is the surface of EGG.
You can see it has a slight sheen compared to FRIEND and WHALE.
This is because the surface yarn has been mercerized.
Mercerization is generally applied to inexpensive yarns and is considered a process to make them appear more beautiful.
However, of course, Mr. Imai is not mercerizing inexpensive yarns to make them look better.
The top yarn used in EGG is mercerized continuously until it's thoroughly absorbed into the yarn, a process called "Lensil" mercerization. By doing this, it's said to refine the surface texture and also enhance the fabric's windproof properties.
The image is that the windproofness is achieved by filling the gaps in the yarn, much like Barbour's oiled cotton.
This approach to mercerization was quite new to me.
As a result, both the front and back have excellent thermal insulation, truly enveloping and warming the body.
Please experience the natural warmth of terry cloth made from 100% cotton.
＜EGG items available in stores＞
・double pocket hoodie
・crewneck sweat shirt
・sweat slacks
【MARS】
Fabric that delivers comfort, satisfying global fashion houses, developed at a 70-year-old factory.
An ambitious work born from the theme of a new surface texture, resembling a knit surface or a terry cloth surface, perhaps like the surface of Mars and the deserts of Earth.
It achieves patterns not possible with conventional knits or existing sweatshirts, while also being washable.
A special machine was developed specifically for this fabric, applying the principles of knitting and double-faced fabric based on terry cloth technology.
The outer yarn is a blend of washable wool and original cotton. The inner and back yarns are 100% cotton, providing an exceptional and novel feel against the skin.
*Quoted from the brand's official statement
I've repeatedly said that WONDER ROOM is a brand of "jersey and terry cloth," but can this MARS truly be classified under that?
I still haven't found the answer myself.
However, I did feel that it's a garment with "a knit-like texture and movement, yet a jersey-like feel against the skin, and based on the concept of terry cloth."
But that's precisely why it's becoming harder to classify where MARS belongs.
An encounter with the unknown.
However, when I asked Imai-san about the inspiration behind MARS, it became very clear why such a fabric was born.
The starting point was the negative image of animal fiber knits.
I think many people have vague negative perceptions of knit products made from animal fibers like wool or yak, such as not being able to wash them or finding them scratchy.
While there are indeed animal hair knits that are introduced as washable, I think there are mostly three patterns: they are specially processed to be washable, they are washed despite the risks of dimensional change or pilling, or they are designed from new with those changes in mind.
Indeed, there are occasionally knits, like incredibly tightly woven cashmere, that show no issues even after washing, but these are truly exceptional cases.
Regarding the itchiness problem, I'm a person who isn't sensitive and has thick skin that isn't bothered by itchiness, so it's not an issue for me, but I can certainly imagine that there are people whose skin reacts to even the finest wool or cashmere fibers, causing itchiness and irritation due to their constitution.
For such people, even just having wool or cashmere on the surface that touches their skin is a no-go.
It's not about whether the clothes are cool or not; they're simply eliminated from consideration.
So, what did Imai-san think of to solve this?
First, if the part that touches the skin is made of 100% cotton, the itchiness problem is solved.
But then, a knit with a 100% cotton inner surface would just be a regular cotton knit, wouldn't it?
So, he arranged the wool to show on the surface, with cotton on the inside.
In other words, a two-layer structure.
This means it's double-faced.
That's when the technique of interlining came to mind.
To put it simply, interlining is a technique where the front and back are joined together with "connecting threads."
However, with this interlining, since the front and back are connected with connecting threads, the threads appear as regular dots on the surface, like a polka dot pattern, which detracts from the fabric's appearance.
...And so, Imai-san's long journey began again. (laughs)
Based on the interlining machine, he applied the structural principles of jersey and inlay, and repeatedly made modifications.
The resulting MARS-specific machine is no longer capable of interlining. (laughs)
Only the exterior of the machine is for interlining; everything inside is completely different.
It's like modifying a Toyota car, putting in a Mercedes-Benz engine, and giving it a Porsche interior.
It's no longer a Toyota car at that point.
So I can't quite explain why that machine ended up the way it did, but anyway, the MARS-specific machine was what he arrived at for his goal.
This is the surface of MARS.
The outer yarn is a blend of wool and cotton.
Conversely, the reverse side.
This side is 100% cotton, as originally envisioned.
And this zigzag pattern is not just for aesthetics; it also serves to prevent skewing.
The structure itself is carefully designed to prevent issues when washed.
This is a truly meaningful fabric, which taught me that there's still room to develop completely new fabrics like this in the world of knitting.
It's a utility player that can be considered in both the knit and terry positions within a closet.
When you have such a player, the team starts to move smoothly.
Please define MARS's position within your own wardrobe.
＜MARS items available in stores＞
・drivers
・neck warmer
【SEASCAPE】
A fabric that can only be expressed with machinery and techniques passed down through generations at a factory with over 100 years of history.
Imported Ultimate Pima cotton, organically grown in America with serial numbers for quality assurance, is used to create original yarn.
Attention was paid to both its luxurious feel and the strength of its twist and thickness.
A special knitting method was developed using old machines to create a thin yet opaque fabric with a crisp yet gentle feel.
We want you to experience the resulting crisp touch and smooth feel.
It is a valuable fabric that allows you to experience the jersey knit of history, unchanged from the past, in the present day.
*Quoted from the brand's official statement
The grand finale, SEASCAPE.
I announced that I would introduce a new lineup of fabrics, but I apologize, SEASCAPE actually existed in 25SS.
At that time, it was positioned as a jersey knit within the WHALE category, specifically as WHALE's jersey.
However, the loopwheel jersey was inevitably overshadowed by the focus on WHALE's terry cloth.
The 25SS collection, despite only being introduced in a blog post with the single phrase "a super-dense, hyper-maniacal cut-and-sew fabric made from Ultimate Pima," quickly flew off the shelves to those who "got it." This time, it's making a re-appearance under the name 【SEASCAPE】.
This SEASCAPE is incredibly amazing.
What makes it amazing, and why, cannot be conveyed without you touching and wearing it.
The feeling of substantiality from the enormous amount of yarn crammed in at an incredible density, despite not being overly thick.
A moderate crispness in the yarn, yet a suppleness as if the yarn itself is richly saturated with oil.
And yet, a touch that feels distinctly slimy.
The kickback transmitted to the body with everyday movements.
In short, it's amazing.
The raw material is Ultimate Pima, which is given a serial number.
This is then left to "age" in the cotton stage, just like WHALE. (laughs)
From there, the yarn is spun specifically for SEASCAPE, and then incredibly densely woven on machine "No. 45."
Doesn't this description alone convey that it's an exquisite jersey? (laughs)
At the time of 25SS, only long-sleeved T-shirts were available, but this time, in addition to short-sleeved T-shirts, pants are also being introduced.
The pants, at first glance, look like ordinary easy pants, but once you wear them, it's a completely different dimension.
SEASCAPE might be the least conspicuous series within WONDER ROOM, but this is a jersey knit worth seeing.
While the photo only conveys "it certainly looks high-density," please look forward to experiencing it in person.
＜SEASCAPE items available in stores＞
・l/s dress shirt
・s/s dress shirt
・room slacks
This concludes the introduction to WONDER ROOM's fabrics for 25AW.
However, it goes without saying that what we want to convey is not "it's an amazing fabric," but rather "it's a rich garment."
In the blog, I could only do my best to convey the fundamental aspects of the fabric, so please come to the store and let's discuss together what it means for such unique fabrics to become gentle garments.
However, since it would be too extreme of me not to show any of the clothes, I plan to post photos of each item on Instagram on Friday.
I hope you look forward to it.