BRAND CONCEPT
The atmosphere where one cannot tell whether it is bright or dark, along with the emotions and attire of those present.
Inspired by an introspective look on “adolescence” and spirituality as a starting point, the menswear, with tailoring as its foundation, and the womenswear, embodying elegance, continue to explore the potential of intersecting through various essences such as structure, body, and emotion.
The designer's vision is constantly evolving, reflecting the shifts and interactions within contemporary society. Starting from the Fall/Winter 2023 collection, the brand's core concept centers around the ambivalence of an immature boy coexisting with a strict, refined lady.
DESIGNER PROFILE
His debut collection was a life-size boy's image rooted in his adolescent aspirations toward fashion. Since Spring/Summer 2016, the brand has continued to hold runway shows during Tokyo Fashion Week. From S/S 2017 onward, the collections have entirely used womenswear and its techniques to express the ad hoc connection between contemporary society and his spirit as a fashion designer, rather than using the superficial image of boy's attire.
Through the following collections– S/S 2019 which was photographed in London, Autumn/Winter 2019 which presented overly-detailed garments lit by sensational red lights, and A/W 2020 which reexamined physicality with mysterious and eerie shapes– a brooding and solemn mood became the brand's foundation.
From 2019, collaboration with the sewing atelier "THE SEWING WORKS'' has helped establish a new form of expression backed by craftsmanship. In 2020, when the world was shaken by COVID-19 and social values started drastically shifting, he held his S/S 2021 runway show on the banks of the Arakawa River near his hometown, once again confronting his childhood landscape and returning to his initial motivations. For A/W 2021, he updated elements of the brand's original schoolboy look with his current style, and collaborated with HARUTA CORPORATION, a leading manufacturer of school shoes.
For A/W 2023, the creative team welcomed stylist Léopold Duchemin who helped portray the ambivalent coexistence of an immature boy and a strict older woman for the show. Unlike past collections, which were entirely introspective, this is a monumental collection that recreates the brand's spirit through the mediation of the eyes of others.
Several of KEISUKEYOSHIDA's collection pieces were exhibited at "FASHION IN JAPAN 1945-2020" at the National Art Center of Tokyo in 2022, as an example of where Japanese fashion design is today. Following that, in 2023, KEISUKEYOSHIDA was selected as one of the "10 Asian Designers To Watch" by FASHION ASIA HONG KONG.
