Mame Kurogouchi 23 Spring Summer

“Bamboo Groove”

Split, knitted, assembled. constant circulation. Air visualization. fluid body.

Mame Kurogouchi's Spring/Summer 2023 collection explores bamboo baskets, which have been closely related to the lives of Japanese people from ancient times to the present day, and the surrounding culture. We will develop a collection inspired by the weaving technique and the tranquility of bamboo itself, and the balance of power and tension.
Bamboo baskets are made from a single material, bamboo, and have developed while incorporating practicality, decorativeness, and the unique qualities of the material.
Maiko Kurogouchi, fascinated by the beauty of the basket itself, the intricate weaving and the "space" set in it, gradually explored the harmonious relationship between the bamboo basket and the flowers, and the complicity of the dress and human beings. Through the collection, we will create a female image in which the opposite qualities of strength and suppleness coexist without contradiction.

While encountering various works and artists, Kurogochi felt a strong sympathy for the flower baskets created by Rokansai Iizuka, an artist who was active in the early 20th century.

Transcending the tranquility of traditional karamono baskets, these works reinterpret household items that developed with the lives of the common people with advanced technology and sublimate them into artistic themes. It will be a seed that germinates.

A technique reminiscent of Rokansai's specialty, "bundle knitting", is often used in knit pieces, and the rhythm and groove of precise knitting and bold openwork resonate as the basso continuo for the entire collection.

Light silk yoryu jacquard pieces and silk organza tops are made of bamboo grove patterns expressed by weaving and embroidery, and elegant sheer fabrics.
It embodies the dignified beauty of bamboo itself, and seems to be wrapped in the wind that shakes the bamboo forest. Bamboo beads produced in Oita before the war are also re-produced and gradation dyed for this collection, and appear as special macramé knitted dresses, vests and skirts.

Cord embroidery, which has appeared in the past as the brand's most iconic expression,
With a constructive silhouette reminiscent of a bamboo basket and ultra-thin cords,
Arriving at the most elaborate expression ever.

Kurogochi himself hand-twisted the jacket, which was created by slashing and weaving fabrics of various materials to create a round, three-dimensional expression, and produced it together with the small pottery kiln in Arita, Saga Prefecture. Comes with a special toggle button.

This penchant for detail
It can be found in every piece in the collection.
The piping finish on the pocket openings and belt loops evokes the edge of a basket, and the most classic basket weaving expression, the hexagonal weave, goes beyond the actual weaving expression, and is made of jacquard silk with unevenly dyed threads. It is also referred to as the pattern that threads create on cotton fabric.

The color palette begins with mint green, reminiscent of a bamboo grove, and the natural brown gradation of sooty bamboo that has been burned by the smoke of an irori fireplace and the reproduction of bamboo knots are reproduced by multicolor dyeing and thread winding on tubular fabrics. Traditional Arimatsu shibori techniques, such as Kamaki shibori, are carefully expressed, resulting in a variety of yet natural tones.

The dobby weave fabric, which is based on undyed organic brown cotton, mixes the earth tone of the material itself with the luster of the cupra, giving it a modern beauty. Appears in wide tucked trousers.

Accessories include necklaces and earrings made from smoked madake bamboo,
In addition to ear cuffs, a cord woven with macrame using bamboo beads is included.
The expression of bamboo baskets is used directly or indirectly, such as the collaboration hat with KIJIMA TAKAYUKI. Shoes will also appear in a wide variety of variations.

In addition to cord-embroidered pumps with egg-shaped heels and sandals with impressive details such as decorative knitting, the lineup will also include newly designed zori sandals in collaboration with footwear sekizuka.
The combination of thongs handmade using traditional techniques and light soles reminiscent of sneakers represents the timeless strength and modernity of the collection.