
KUON
Challenging the existing notion on vintage clothing, KUON revitalizes traditional Japanese boro. “Boro” being worn and used textiles and old, torn, or patched clothing in Japan.
The Jam Kath combined carpet, Boro textile and KUON exhibit showcases museum worthy 17th century representations of traditional Japanese BORO textiles. Boro is a type of Japanese textiles that has been mended and patched together. The term is derived from the Japanese ‘boroboro’, which means something tattered or repaired.
A sharp contrast to todays disposable consumption, BORO textiles were owned and repaired for an entire lifetime. Used to make work clothes, nightclothes, blankets and household items, the care and time spent on repair was a reflection of the high value placed on textiles in 17th century Japan. With the cost of textiles prohibitively high, many people could not afford lengths of fabric, so instead obtained remnants and scraps left over from the large commercial cotton mills in cities like Kyoto and Osaka. Once a visual representation of poverty, these inspirational textiles are now highly coveted and collectable.
Inspired by this incredible rich textile tradition, KUON produce a range of men’s contemporary clothing produced from these intricate, ancient textiles. The name KUON, which means “eternity and performance”, reflects the brands use of vintage textiles and techniques to produce unique contemporary men’s fashion. The brand, honors the past, but is not bound by tradition, challenging the existing values of the fashion industry through their innovative use of vintage materials.
Jan-Kath luxury carpets first created the award wining collection – the Art of Carpet, inspired by Boro textiles, with a single carpet design over fifteen years ago. As masters of innovation, the Jan Kath Boro collection continues to grow into one carpet at a time into a beautiful, rich and unique collection. Designs are richly patterned, as well as uniquely shaped, with edges that mimic the tattered and torn edges of Boro.
Han Kath: http://jan-kath.de
KUON: http://www.kuon.tokyo