When asked about the joy and pleasure of creating products, Yumi Aota of the knitwear brand RIVORA answers, "It's the joy of seeing the finished product in the hands of our customers." RIVORA is a brand that designer and representative Yasuhiro Suzuki and brand manager Yumi Aota have nurtured together.

A classic knit that makes you say, "I can't wear anything else anymore."

The knit sweater that Aota-san is wearing is a crew neck made from a cashmere, silk, and mohair blend, a staple of Rivola's collection, and it's from the brand's first season four years ago, when they first used this yarn.
When asked about the comfort, she smiled broadly and said, "I've been wearing it every year for the past four years, and it looks fluffy, has a nice texture, is light and warm, and just the best. When it gets cold, I find myself reaching for it without thinking." Customers who have purchased it have also commented, "I can't wear anything else after this."
Furthermore, a turtleneck made from this material will be available this season as a special edition item exclusively for Mitsukoshi Isetan.

Turtleneck sweater: 86,400 yen
*Exclusive to Mitsukoshi Isetan

Aota says she likes knitwear because it's "kindly and easy to wear without stress."
"Since knitwear is an item worn as an inner layer, Rivola makes it as light as possible, soft, warm, and breathable, taking advantage of the benefits of natural fibers," they explained. The quality of the material is directly reflected in the appearance.

Rivola knitwear to consider in terms of overall outfit balance

The brand name Rivola is a coined word inspired by the three words "river," "rio" (Portuguese), and "kawa" (river). "Just as a river flows from upstream to downstream, the process of creating a design from raw materials, working with factories through trial and error, and then bringing it to the hands of the customer is similar to how things change along the way. Culture is also born around rivers. Therefore, I believe it's important to design with the customer in mind, considering the situations in which they will wear the garments."


When Rivola first started, it was a total men's brand that also offered suits and woven items, but as they continued to develop their products, they received high praise for their knitwear and knit cut-and-sew garments, and gradually shifted to becoming a knitwear brand.

"Currently, in autumn and winter, we have lightweight knits with a fluffy texture, such as colored mohair, and in spring and summer, we have layered T-shirts, which are T-shirts made of two layers of thin fabric, as our staples. With Rivola's knits, we value the overall worldview of the clothing and consider them within the balance of the coordination. Rather than the strong individuality of each piece, we value how it looks when it blends into the outfit," he says.

We want to create products where the face of the maker is visible.

Rivola's collection first appeared at Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building during the Spring/Summer season this year, and this will be the first time their Autumn/Winter collection is being offered there.
Up until now, Aota has been "working together with designer Suzuki, experimenting and carefully creating wearable items while considering, 'What kind of products are people looking for right now?'" This season, she is in charge of designing scarves.

Stoles: ¥29,160 each

"The orange stole is inspired by the horizon at dawn. In addition to this, there are two other colors: light gray, which represents the faint brightness of the midnight sun, and the blue of the night sea. The orange one uses two types of yarn, for a total of three colors. The way the yarns overlap gives it an impressionistic, almost painterly feel," she explained.
Furthermore, the stole, which depicts the image of "snow softly falling on the ground" in light gray, was inspired by the work of photographer Taiji Matsue and evokes the image of the winter landscape.


"The charm of knitting lies in the three-dimensional effect created by combining different yarns. Lately, I've been enjoying thinking about different knit patterns," said Aota, holding a cardigan with a fluffy body and sleeves made from a rugged material. "Suzuki is really good at these kinds of combinations of different materials," she said, checking the warm feel of the fabric.

Photo: TAKU FUJII

*All prices include tax.

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03-3352-1111 (main representative)
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