Flannel that even established British brands rave about.

—Speaking of originality, I heard you also created the fabric.

Osaku is excellent. It's a heavy-ounce 3-ply flannel weighing 500g/m. The tightly woven fabric is durable and drapes beautifully. Moreover, it has a soft feel to the touch, setting it apart from the rugged British fabrics.

--Production is handled by Katsuri Woolen Mills, a company with over 100 years of history and a source of pride for Japan.

This flannel is made possible because it comes from a prestigious, long-established company that still uses Osaku Schonherr looms in active use.
Kobori: This fabric was also made possible thanks to a suggestion from the other party. They said, "We have a 2-ply fabric that weighs 340g/m. If we make it 3-ply, it will weigh 510g/m." Easier said than done, I imagine they went through a lot of trouble to make it happen.
Our first collaboration with Mr. Osaku Katsuri was the mohair product we released in the spring. It sold out very quickly, but I'm looking forward to this one too.

--It's unusual to see a double name like Mr. Katsuri's. And Mr. Osaku's name is listed first.

Regular customers at Osaku said, "That's Osakuzuri!" (laughs).
They must have highly valued Kobori 's stoic approach.
I also love the Osaku color. Japanese fabrics often have a greenish tint for some reason, but Katsuri's is a pure gray. The 3-ply version also has a wonderful melange texture.
The lineup includes Kobori Dark Gray, Medium Gray, and Greige.

Left/Center: Pants (made with fabric from Katsuri Woolen Mills Co., Ltd.) ¥38,880 Right: Pants (made with fabric from VBC Co., Ltd.) ¥38,880

—I hear you started doing business with The Armoury, a famous Hong Kong restaurant, about six months ago. It's wonderful to see you steadily climbing the ladder of success.

Osaku: I don't have any ambition to make this brand big or anything like that. No matter how much time passes, I can only think about the customer in front of me. To put it nicely, it's a bespoke mindset (laughs). And if I may say so without fear of being misunderstood, Pantalonaio Osaku Hayato is merely a gateway to let people know the charm of bespoke tailoring.
Tadashi Kobori never compromises. That's Osaku for you.

Photo: Natsuko Okada, Tatsuya Ozawa
Text: Kei Takegawa

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03-3352-1111 (main representative)