What do you wear when you get home from work? -- There are many names for "relaxing wear," such as loungewear, living wear, one-mile wear, and ten-mile wear, but at the autumn "Japan Senses" event starting on Wednesday, October 19th, we would like you to check out the LifePackCollection from CURLY, an exclusive line from Mitsukoshi Isetan that just debuted at this spring's "Japan Senses."

Kawakita Sewing's commitment to comfort and design is what makes it possible.

The new Lounge Line Life Pack Collection from Curly is an original brand born from CURLY, a cut-and-sew brand produced by Kawakita Sewing in Kagawa Prefecture. It was created by utilizing the relaxed feel of cut-and-sew material and excellent sewing techniques. It is available at Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building , B1F, in the underwear, socks, and nightwear section.

The appeal of the Life Pack Collection from Curly is undoubtedly the further evolution of Curly's signature attention to detail. From the tape on the inside of the pockets of the crew neck sweatshirts, to the shoulder cuts of the loosely fitting turtlenecks, the exquisite length of the collars, and the clever design to eliminate wrinkles in the crotch of the jodhpurs pants, you can truly understand the meaning and intention behind these details when you see and try on the actual garments. This time, we spoke with director Hiroyuki Ito.

Hiroyuki Ito, Director of LifePackCollection from CURLY

Director Hiroyuki Ito explains why "the sounds in sewing factories are different."

The story begins when Ms. Ito, who worked at a select shop in Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture, commissioned Kawakita Sewing, a local company, to produce cut-and-sew garments for their house brand.

"Kawakita Sewing had a long history of making gloves, a local industry, and also operated a sewing factory specializing in cut-and-sew garments. At the time, I was in charge of everything from sales and buying to planning for a select shop, and I commissioned various factories, but the cut-and-sew garments made by Kawakita Sewing had an aura about them. They simply had a distinctive look, a great atmosphere."

To find out why, Mr. Ito went to Kawakita Sewing. "The sounds coming from Kawakita Sewing were different from the sounds coming from other sewing factories. Kawakita Sewing sewed at a slower pace than normal factories, so the sound of the sewing machines was different, and the softness of the finished stitches was completely different. I honestly thought, 'This is amazing.'"

We aim to be a cut-and-sew brand that transcends the very concept of cut-and-sew garments.

Impressed by Kawakita Sewing's craftsmanship, Ms. Ito quit her job at the shop and joined the company in 2007. "Apparently, there used to be many factory employees and it was a lively place, but as the production base for cut-and-sew garments moved overseas, there were only four employees when I joined. So, aiming to create a cut-and-sew brand that would utilize Kawakita Sewing's technology, I spent a year starting the following year doing everything myself, from design and patterns to planning original fabrics, and launched our own brand, CURLY."

Curly adheres to a policy of "integrated manufacturing," handling all processes from planning and sewing to inspection and shipping in-house. The staff at their own factory consists solely of experienced Japanese professionals who can easily foster a shared understanding. Their meticulous attention to detail in manufacturing has earned them increasing recognition year after year for their fashionable designs and comfortable wear.


"When we talk about living wear, we usually imagine clothes worn in various situations centered around the home, but what we envision is clothing that you can wear when you go on a trip or business trip, such as Karlie or Life Pack Collection From Karlie, leave home, travel by car, get on a plane or train while still relaxed, and then go straight to your destination and start your activities," says Ito.

The Life Pack Collection from Curly now includes a new kind of "private wear" that you can wear to work by throwing on a jacket or coat, and also to relax indoors or wear casually to a home party.

NEXT≫