The second installment of "ISETAN HOME HOTEL," which brings a special hotel-like feeling to your time at home with carefully selected items, is being held. Last time, the focus was on cosmetics, but this time, with the theme of "Even the mind needs nourishment," the focus will be on "what you wear" while spending time at home, in addition to cosmetics and skincare. Focusing on the world of "white shirts," leading designers and directors from the fashion world have created white shirts exclusively for Isetan Men's. We asked buyer Tomohiro Inaba, who planned this project, about the background behind the project, and the participating directors and designers about their respective thoughts.
*The in-store event has been canceled due to various circumstances.
Please note that the products featured in this article can be purchased at the Mitsukoshi Isetan online store.




Participating brands and designers of "ISETAN HOME HOTEL"
Camoshita UNITED ARROWS / Kamoshita United Arrows Yasuhito Kamoshita
AUBERGE Manabu Kobayashi
Graphpaper Minami Takayuki
Masato Koyama HEUGN
cantate Matsushima Shin
COLONY CLOTHING / Tomoka Takada

We've created a white shirt that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and styles!

—Could you tell us why you focused on white shirts for the second "ISETAN HOME HOTEL" event?

Inaba: "ISETAN HOME HOTEL" is a pop-up shop that proposes lifestyles and concepts based on the overarching theme of "enriching everyday time." Within that, clothing is an absolutely essential item for enriching everyday time. And if we were going to make clothing, I thought a "white shirt," which is indispensable for creating style, would be a good choice. With that in mind, we collaborated with leading Japanese designers and brands to create this white shirt.



—That's an impressive lineup of participants. What were the details of the offer?

To bring each designer's vision to life, I only gave them three conditions: ① It had to be a white shirt, ② It had to be the shape and material that everyone envisioned wearing at home, and ③ It had to be genderless. I didn't specify the shape, material, or price, and instead asked everyone to create what they thought would best fit the concept of ISETAN HOME HOTEL. Everyone involved is truly a wonderful craftsman, and from Yasuhito Kamoshida, who represents the classic style I admire, to Takayuki Minami of Graphpaper , who leads the casual scene, we have a lineup of white shirts that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and styles. Please enjoy these shirts, each a testament to the passion of its creator.

Kamoshita United Arrows' Yasuhito Kamoshita: "High-Quality Everyday Wear ~ The One Shirt I Encountered"

Kamoshita United Arrows, Yasuhito Kamoshita


—You requested a shirt with a shape and material you'd want to wear at home, and the result is a shirt that allows you to enjoy high-quality relaxation in your daily life. Could you tell us about the points you focused on, Mr. Kamoshida?

"When I was approached about this 'ISETAN HOME HOTEL' project, a particular shirt came to mind. It's a vintage Spanish shirt I bought at a flea market in Paris a few years ago. It's a simple white shirt, but it's of high quality, carefully sewn with fine stitching. The yoke on the back is curved like a Western shirt, the body and armholes are voluminous, and the shoulders fit comfortably, allowing for free movement of the arms. In fact, I wear it often as loungewear. This time, I decided to use this shirt as the basis for the design. The body is almost exactly the same as the original. I particularly like the curve of the yoke on the back, so I faithfully reproduced it."


"Furthermore, to improve usability, we added a bib (chest panel) to the front so that you can store your cell phone and other items. The material used is high-quality Sea Island cotton, resulting in a relaxed yet elegant look."


—What were the thoughts and design points you put into the shirt?

"It's no exaggeration to say that the quality of a shirt is determined by its fabric. The fabric used in this shirt is from David & John Anderson, a company that carries on British tradition, and although they have now moved production to Italy, they continue to create beautiful, old-fashioned dress shirt fabrics. In particular, the fine-count fabric made from Sea Island cotton is as smooth as silk and becomes more comfortable against the skin with each wash. You can enjoy a luxurious wearing experience that makes you feel like you're relaxing in a resort hotel, even while at home."



"The sewing is modeled after vintage Spanish shirts, faithfully reproducing the extremely fine rolled seams where the fabrics are joined and the gathers on the yoke and cuffs, which further highlights the delicate beauty of the fabric. With each wash, fine wrinkles will be etched into the stitching, increasing the depth of its quality. In addition, the sleeves are made of two pieces, and are finished in a way that allows for ease of movement even when bending the arms."

AUBERGE Manabu Kobayashi: Pay attention to the linen fabric with a French vintage feel and the distinctive details.

AUBERGE Manabu Kobayashi



—This white shirt really has that AUBERGE feel to it. Could you tell us about the points you focused on, Mr. Kobayashi ?

"We based this design on vintage French marine (navy) linen shirts from the 1900s to the 1930s. French vintage is the main focus of AUBERGE 's manufacturing, but all existing French vintage linen shirt fabrics are extremely dense and fine-count, requiring extremely high skill to reproduce. The fabric we used this time is 100% French linen, 60/1 (60 count single yarn) plain weave, from our designated weaving mill, which is capable of weaving linen at the highest density in Japan. The atmosphere of military marine shirts, which were 'worn as tools' at the time, is exuded from such a high-density surface texture."


—What were the thoughts and design points you put into the shirt?


"Since this shirt is meant to be worn in the summer, I drew inspiration from the French Navy's marine shirts used about 100 years ago to create a relaxed, loose-fitting shirt. The deep V-neck opening at the front allows for fun combinations with the cut-and-sew top worn underneath, so I hope people will enjoy experimenting with colors, emphasizing the marine feel with stripes, and wearing it however they like."


"The design features extensive use of AUBERGE 's signature triple-needle stitching. The garment has been stone-washed for shirts, resulting in a slightly brushed finish. The sizing is designed with wider, dropped shoulders, making it suitable for unisex wear for anyone of a certain height."

Graphpaper Takayuki Minami's "White Shirt You'll Understand When You Wear It," made from typewriter material, is packed with thoughtful details.

Graphpaper Minami Takayuki



──The white shirt you've created is so appealing in terms of silhouette and material that you'll want to try it on. Could you tell us about the points you focused on, Ms. Minami?


"The fabric used is 'Suvin Gold,' a rare type of cotton that is highly compatible with Graphpaper 's products. It is soft, supple, has an elegant sheen, and is made from the highest quality typewriter cloth that feels great against the skin."


"This is an exclusive model made exclusively for this special order, featuring a pre-washed finish that gives it a worn-in feel. We hope you'll wear it casually, straight from the wash. We'd be happy if you could feel the soft, supple texture and sheen of the material, which seems to let in light and air."

—What were the thoughts and design points you put into the shirt?

"The design is an authentic regular collar, but it's an oversized shirt with dropped shoulders and a voluminous boxy silhouette. We've taken Graphpaper 's popular regular size and made it oversized so you can enjoy wearing it like a jacket. Whether you wear it over a T-shirt like a shirt jacket or tuck it in, you'll feel like you're wearing air—it's incredibly comfortable."



"I think oversized shirts look cool when they're slightly stretched out at the bottom. The key is that nuance of 'not sloppy, but a little off' or 'looking sharp but not quite.' So we've changed the pattern from the regular size, and if you look closely, you'll notice that the yoke and pocket positions are lowered, which is another important point."

HEUGN Masato Koyama presents a "high-quality shirt that feels like you're wearing air," offering exceptional comfort thanks to its carefully selected materials and calculated design.

HEUGN Masato Koyama

—This shirt is packed with attention to detail. Could you tell us about the points you focused on, Mr. Koyama?

"This shirt was designed with the theme of a high-quality shirt that can be worn comfortably during the COVID-19 pandemic. The model is based on the band-collar shirt from the collection's inline collection. HEUGN 's band-collar shirts are crafted based on vintage British military shirts, and are characterized by a just-right fit at the shoulders while creating a relaxed silhouette towards the hem."


"For this special collaboration with Isetan Shinjuku Store and Mitsukoshi Isetan Online Store, we wanted to create a shirt that could be worn by a wide range of customers. Therefore, we made the material softer than our inline dress shirts and changed the sewing method of the sleeves to create a more relaxed fit, resulting in a high-quality shirt that feels almost like wearing air."

—What were the thoughts and design points you put into the shirt?

"The fabric is made using a specially ordered 140/2 yarn made from Suvin raw materials, resulting in a high-count typewriter material. Based on a loosely twisted yarn typically used for knitwear, it undergoes gas burning to remove fuzz, creating a soft fabric with a beautiful appearance and a pleasant fullness. The appeal of this typewriter fabric lies in how it develops unique wrinkles and textures, and how its feel softens with wear."


"The overall silhouette of this men's shirt is sophisticated, with a just-right shoulder width and a relaxed feel created by the volume of the hem. You can wear it tucked in or out to create different looks and a refined style."


"In terms of details, the sleeves have a unique two-piece construction to ensure freedom of movement, and the collar is a reproduction of the detachable collar style from the early 1900s. The yoke at the back is positioned high, so the tucks at the back rest on the shoulder blades, increasing the range of motion."

Furthermore, it features a tail cut to ensure freedom of movement, a gusset design that anticipates expansion, and classic hand-stitching to improve the fit of the armholes.

cantate Shin Matsushima: A white shirt that embodies the "ultimate in linen," a masterpiece created by a textile expert.

cantate Matsushima Shin
Related article: Shin Matsushima of cantate shares his confidence and determination in craftsmanship.


—A white shirt made with such special linen that even buyers were impressed. Could you tell us about the points you focused on when creating it, Mr. Matsushima?

"When I received the proposal for the "ISETAN HOME HOTEL" project, I was actually in the process of creating a prototype of the linen fabric used in this shirt. When typing linen in English, people often mistakenly write it as LINE, so I looked it up and found that although there are various theories, linen is written as LINEN, and it is said to have been derived from LINE (straight line) because it was the first straight thing that humans saw. Linen has a long history with humankind; the cloth used to wrap mummies in ancient Egypt was linen, and it was also highly valued among European nobility."

Linen is also called hemp. We tend to think of "hemp" as synonymous with "linen," but in reality, the term is more broad and refers to three types of hemp: linen, ramie, and hemp. It's quite common to be told, "This is linen," only to find out it's actually ramie. So, if you were to ask, "What is linen? What is genuine, top-quality linen?", even people in the industry often wouldn't know the answer.

Because of the coronavirus, we're spending more time at home, and since we don't know how long this lifestyle will last, we want to help alleviate some of that stress and make your time at home more fulfilling. Please relax in a shirt made with linen that we can proudly say, "This is linen, which only nobles were allowed to touch," and crafted with cantate 's pattern-making techniques and sewing skills.

—What were the thoughts and design points you put into the shirt?

"This fabric is a special linen that we were finally able to use thanks to the trust we've built up over the years of cantate continuously purchasing linen from them. Both the warp and weft threads are made of extremely fine 150 count yarn, which is unusual for linen, and are doubled together."

This yarn is characterized by its exceptional whiteness, natural luster, and smoothness. This linen yarn is spun only once every three to four years, the year after the harvest of ultra-fine fibers—of which only a few hundred kilograms can be obtained worldwide. Because it is such a fine and precious yarn, the machine rotation speed is reduced at each stage of the plying and twisting process, even at the expense of efficiency, to ensure careful handling and the creation of double-ply yarn. The double-ply yarn is then woven slowly and firmly on a low-speed loom without any dyeing.



"By using double-ply yarn and weaving it slowly in a twill weave, the fabric gains volume, resulting in soft, rounded wrinkles. Compared to single-ply fabrics, it also has less pilling, making it a fabric that you can enjoy wearing for a long time and appreciate as it ages. In terms of design and specifications, I hope you'll take a look at the attention to detail, such as the triple-folded hem, the hand-stitched buttons, and the gathers at the shoulders and cuffs."


"We carefully considered the sizing so that it wouldn't be too loose, but still be comfortable enough to wear at home and go out in. It comes in two sizes, but the larger size is for men, and the smaller size is a perfect balance to fit comfortably for women and even petite men."

These days, even choosing the right size can be stressful. As someone who makes clothes, I feel very sorry about that, so this white shirt is filled with the hope that it will reduce the stress of having to think about sizing.

Colony Clothing's Tomoka Takada presents the "Pile Tech Shirt," perfect for wearing at home or looking great in resort settings.

Colony Closing, Tomoka Takada
Related article: Why are shops originating from Singapore and promoting "New Colonial Style" attracting attention now?

—A white shirt perfect for summer that you can see, wear, and touch to be convinced of. Could you tell us about the points that Mr. Takada focused on?

"For Colony Clothing, pile fabric is an indispensable material. Pile fabric evokes a gentle feeling in family and those around you, and it's a material that brings to mind beach activities and poolside. As a brand originating from Singapore, we sought out new materials that allow you to feel resorts and luxury just by touching them."


"This white shirt uses a new-generation relaxed fabric that blends pile material and SOLOTEX. It overcomes the lack of stretch that was a weakness of conventional pile fabrics. It comes in three sizes based on the brand's most popular model."


—What were the thoughts and design points you put into the shirt?

"The silhouette is unique to Colony Clothing, with slightly dropped shoulders, and the zippered pocket, perfect for storing coins and other small items, is another key feature."


"Pile fabric is absorbent, so it's great for use as a gown. Wear a functional shirt over it and enjoy time at home, out in the city, or with your loved ones."

Please choose your white shirt this time while imagining the occasions you'll be wearing it!

What did you think of the six shirts, each reflecting Inaba 's individual thoughts and feelings? I was incredibly excited when I saw the finished shirts. I believe you will also enjoy the attention to detail in the selected materials, specifications, and other aspects.

When choosing this white shirt, we encourage you to imagine the occasions in which you'll wear it. It's designed to blend seamlessly into your everyday life, while also evoking a slightly luxurious and enriching feeling.

View "Shirts" at Mitsukoshi Isetan Online Store