Yuta Yajima and Erika Mizuno were brought together, while studying at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, through their shared passion for fashion design. Today they live in Tokyo, as partners in both life and business, having found their own label. An upcoming force in the Asian industry, Kielo;, is a brand that focuses on pieces that are both timeless and fashion-forward. Chasseur sat down with the creative duo and had a talk about everything from their humble beginnings to the creative process behind their signature style and plans for the future.
Kielo or Lily of the Valley is a flower best known for its highly intoxicating odor. What inspired you to choose this name for your brand and is there a deeper connection we should know of?
When we were choosing the label name, we wanted to name ourselves in a foreign language other than English. Both of us are greatly inspired by the Nordic culture and its many talented artists from various fields of art, thus we were seeking for a word that is easy to pronounce and remember from the different Nordic languages. After much discussion and consulting a Finnish friend of ours for advice, we came across the word “kielo”.
Not only is nature an important element in our works, as can be seen from our brand name, but it is a constant reference or motif that we utilize in our collections. For example, for the SS14 collection, we created hand-drawn prints of decaying flowers and animals, inspired from European still life paintings. We see nature as an inevitable and essential source of inspiration for our creation because everything in life revolves around nature and its cycle, and we humans cannot overcome or repel its influence.
You both come from interesting backgrounds. Under what circumstances did you meet and what really ignited the spark which eventually led to this collaboration?
Erika and myself met while studying fashion design at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp. We were in the same year and helped each other a lot during our academic career. Erika had to face the cultural difference between Belgium and Japan, especially the language barrier, while I had very little knowledge about pattern making and sewing. During this time we discovered that both of us have similar aesthetics and share the same interests, such as watching films, visiting art museums, listening to music, and reading books. It seemed natural to work together considering the commonalities we share. Then at a very good timing, we were offered a platform to showcase our work as professional designers in Zurich, Switzerland during fashion week. From then on, we decided to become team members and present a mixed collection of both women and men’s wear.
What do each of you bring in the mix?
We both have an eye for color, texture and combination of fabrics for one thing. I (Yuta) have the ability to search for unique sources of inspiration, conduct thorough research, and form personal storyline with the inspiration, which differentiates us from others labels. Erika has very strong pattern making skills and the ability to manipulate fabrics through embroidering for example. Our enthusiasm for art in general also leads to individualistic creations that set us apart from typical expressions in fashion seen in other designer’s works.
Eye-catching prints and interesting textures, often combined in the most innovative ways, are the two stand out elements incorporated in all of your collections. How were these introduced in your new line?
Creating original print motifs and combining unique fabrics together is a signature design of ours which we intend to continue for the rest of our career. With the SS14 season in particular, all print motifs were hand-drawn with immense detailing. Erika has studied oil-painting in the past and I (Yuta) have been able to strengthen my drawing skills at school, thus we are both quite comfortable in creating graphics, and our ability to create original motifs instead of relying on other artists’ works is an advantage we have.
Other than the printed ones, we referred to fabrics used for classical pajamas and resort wear, but gave our own ‘twist’ to them. For example, stripped fabrics, often in thin cotton, silk or satin that can be seen in luxurious pajamas were combined in different widths to make the garments look more graphical. Jacquard fabrics with botanical motifs and fabrics with metallic leaf were used to create a noble, elegant, and nostalgic impression to the looks.
Being a Tokyo-based label how easy do you find it for new Asian designers to infiltrate the international market?
In terms of exposure in media, we feel that publications from overseas, especially that of Europe and China are very open-minded and in constant search for exciting and emerging talent. Chasseur is no exception and we very much like working with young magazines like yours because the distance between editors and designers is much closer compared to larger publications. Sales wise, again we receive much more attention from the international scene, particularly from China. For one thing the Chinese economy and its fashion scene is growing at a rapid pace. Chinese people are willing to spend money on fashion in general, but especially on products that cannot be found elsewhere. As designers, we find it exciting to work with our Chinese clients as they are in favour of Japanese fashion in general and they are so passionate about what we have to offer from season to season. It seems as though not many domestic buyers in Japan are interested in carrying emerging designers’ works unless they are talked about overseas or foreign buyers have accredited them. Many domestic buyers are very cautious in buying pieces from young designers and prefer to buy the big names instead.
What should we expect next from the creative duo behind Kielo?
We have some rather exciting creative collaborations up ahead, which we will reveal very soon. The creative process is still on-going, but we are confident that we can offer something very special and that the final product will be an amazing one!