Y. & SONS PROJECT

Y. & SONS × THE INOUE BROTHERS...

Collaboration Background

“Style can’t be mass-produced…” THE INOUE BROTHERS… “Wearing the kimono brings the extraordinary to your ordinary life” Y. & SONS. We share the value of a deep commitment to craftsmanship, resulting in a fruitful partnership.

”THE INOUE BROTHERS…” was founded in 2004 by brothers, Satoru and Kiyoshi Inoue, born and raised in Denmark. They shared a joint goal to supply the world’s finest alpaca wool made in Peru. They adopted a way of trade called ‘direct trade’ to remove the middleman. Resulting in better value for the manufacturers in Peru and aid in combating poverty. This enabled them to also produce and sell higher quality and original products at reasonable prices while maintaining their commitment to an ethical sustainable supply chain.

At Y. & SONS we use organic cotton since we believe that raw materials should not threaten the livelihood of suppliers. We make our kimonos in an environmentally sustainable way. For example, we produce haori straps and bags by using offcut threads and scrap fabric pieces from the tailoring process. We at Y. & SONS share this philosophy with THE INOUE BROTHERS… and started collaborating with them in 2018. Guess what our collaboration came up with? We launched a kimono and haori made of Peruvian alpaca wool in 2022.

EPISODE 3　24AW Pure Black Alpaca

The Dream of “Pure Black Alpaca Wool”

We finally launched a new style of clothes made from pure black alpaca wool as 2024 Autumn / Winter Collection.
The passion and dedication from Y. & SONS. and THE INOUE BROTHERS… finally took form in a kimono and a haori. Sourcing dye-free “pure black alpaca wool” was not only a material choice but is also cultural exchange.
※”Pure black alpaca wool” is a dye-free alpaca wool made from alpacas that have only black wool. They have natural brownish-black color wool with a glossy sheen, and only small amount of wool (about 300 g) can be collected from each alpaca.

Sharing Japanese and Andean Cultures

This project did not create a mere fashion item. We created a “cultural connection”. “Japan and Andes are connected even though they both are geographically far apart. The fact that we were able to make kimonos with this special material this time is truly a reinterpretation of our culture,” Satoru said. The pure black alpaca wool kimono and haori are not just tailored pieces, they are now something special that symbolizes our shared passion and respect for each other’s unique perspectives and cultures. This was our third collaboration autumn/winter project. What we achieved this season is astounding. It was a great challenge for Y. & SONS to overcome.

Attempting to use Pure Black Wool Initially Seemed Impossible

Our project took years of trial and error. The desire to make a pure black alpaca wool kimono was initially proposed by Y. & SONS. However, THE INOUE BROTHERS… thought that it would be near impossible since making a kimono requires long lengths of fabric.

THE INOUE BROTHERS… Designer: Satoru Inoue
THE INOUE BROTHERS…“pure black alpaca wool” project began in 2015. At the time, there were only 50 alpacas with pure black hair in existence. This fact meant they were very precious. There was not a single product that was made of pure black alpaca wool. “Pure black is something special”, Satoru says. They started looking for pure black alpacas by traveling around the Andes Mountains. They have since increased their number of pure black alpacas to approximately 2,000 pure black alpacas today.

The Material’s Charm – An Affinity with Japanese Culture and Creating New Values

The color of pure black alpaca” is similar to the color of Japanese people’s hair. It forms a strong part of Japanese identity and culture. “This color is something in common with the Japanese sense of beauty.”, Satoru says. Expressing such a material in the form of a traditional kimono creates a new appeal that connects history with modern. Making a kimono from pure black alpaca wool was not about producing rare and luxurious item. It was to demonstrate its beauty, “decisions” and “challenges” in the material.

EPISODE 2　23AW Royal Alpaca / LIGHT GREY

Challenges For The Japanese Tailors – Making New Culture

Close communication with kimono tailors formed an important element of the project.
Tailoring pure black alpaca wool requires techniques they have not done before. Y. & SONS value a process of kimono making by not telling them “Here is what to do.” Instead telling them a character of the material and working together. This is an important step in order to reinterpret the culture of kimono in the modern age and breathing a new life into the pure black alpaca wool. Kimono sewing may seem simple, but requires extremely delicate techniques in cutting and making its unique silhouette. The use of alpaca wool was a new challenge for sewing and tailoring.

EPISODE 1　22AW Royal Alpaca / DARK GREY

By producing a kimono made of alpaca wool, we offer an extraordinary experience if you “deliberately wear Kimonos” in your daily life. We hope our kimonos are not only worn in Japan by Japanese people but also worn everywhere by people all over the world.