How Mame Kurogouchi got together with Tod’s to create a collection based craftsmanship
A shared passion for traditional craftsmanship brought together the upcoming Japanese designer with the century-old Italian leather goods brand, resulting in a collection that is unique
As our car turns into the tree-lined roads of Hanegi Park in Setagaya, a suburb about 30 minutes from metropolitan Tokyo, it makes clear sense why upcoming Japanese brand Mame Kurogouchi, lauded by many as the “new Sacai”, would choose to have its headquarters here.
The neighbourhood is a mix of Zen and chic, much like many of the designs of the eponymous brand started by Tokyo-based designer Maiko Kurogouchi (’Mame’ is her childhood nickname), whose ethereal, flowing designs are a mix of Japanese traditional crafts and contemporary elegance.
Kurogouchi only made her first appearance at Paris Fashion Week last year as part of the At Tokyo programme launched by Amazon for designers who would not normally show at fashion week and who would find a platform to sell through Amazon.
It didn’t take much more than that first show to create a stir among other e-commerce platforms; the brand is now available on MatchesFashion, Moda Operandi, Rare Market and Opening Ceremony.
Also at the show last year was the Italian owner of leather goods brand Tod’s, Diego Della Valle. When Della Valle went backstage after the presentation, Kurogouchi recalls thinking that the dapper Italian was being polite and “just wanted to say hi”. But as they talked, both found many common areas of interest, among which was a dedication to traditional craftsmanship and a passion for travel.
Della Valle wasted no time in tempting the designer into coming up with a capsule collection for the brand’s experimental T Factory as the design lab’s third external collaboration since Alessandro Dell’Acqua in 2018 and Alber Elbaz last year.
“That first talk evolved into an invite to visit the Tod’s factory in Le Marche, which was really impressive for me; the dedication to craft I saw there is the same my brand is based upon. Mr Della Valle asked me to create a capsule collection for the Tod’s T Factory project, and I thought it was a wonderful opportunity for me to venture out of Japan and test new grounds,” says Kurogouchi, whose capsule collection has just launched.
“My main aim was to create something not for Tod’s but with Tod’s; a merging of our respective identities … I also thought it was important to offer something timeless – timelessness being a pivotal quality for me.”
Kurogouchi was born in Nagano, Japan, and grew up in a family who bred silkworms for a living. Her grandmother’s elegant silk kimonos and fine ceramics gave her a deep appreciation for traditional Japanese craftsmanship which she champions passionately to this day. She remembers already drawing and designing from the age of three and achieved her ambitions after training at the prestigious Bunka fashion school which boasts elite alumni such as Yohji Yamamoto and Junya Watanabe.