AUXCA.TRUNK , located on the 8th floor Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building is an original brand offering men's and women's clothing, launched in 2016 by Akihiro Sumitani, the third-generation owner of a long-established tailor shop in Akasaka, Tokyo.


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Mr. Sumitani is a tailor who has attracted media attention for his wide range of activities, including working with workshops not only in Japan but also in Italy, and acting as a domestic distributor for overseas brands.

AUXCA.TRUNK was founded by Mr. Sumitani with the aim of creating new values for a new era, making a significant impact on the modern Japanese apparel industry. This time, we visited AUXCA｜SALOON, the brand's directly managed shop, and spoke with Mr. Sumitani about the circumstances that led to the brand's creation and his thoughts behind it.

An approach to "authenticity" that satisfies creators, sellers, and buyers alike.

The number of people employed in Japan's apparel industry, which was said to be 1.15 million in the 1980s, plummeted to 300,000 by 2010. It is likely that this number has decreased even further by 2021. Furthermore, according to one statistic, only 2% of all clothing distributed in Japan is domestically produced.

Akihiro Sumitani, the third-generation owner of the long-established "Tailor & Close" in Akasaka, Tokyo, began to question the Japanese fashion business, which is dominated by overseas brands and inexpensive fast fashion. "Tailor & Close" is a prestigious tailor shop that was founded this year to celebrate its 75th anniversary, and was established by Taro Sumitani, who made suits for Shigeru Yoshida and General MacArthur. Sumitani, who frequented his grandfather Taro's workshop from a young age and spent his student years training with his father, eventually inherited the position of representative and faced reality.


"We pay huge advertising fees to get featured in magazines, we're constantly stuck with inventory and have to hold sales, our debt keeps increasing, and even though our scale is expanding, it's not translating into profit. Why has the Japanese fashion business declined to this extent? I wanted to find out the reason, so I decided to do research at Keio University's graduate school."

At the graduate school's Department of System Design and Management, I learned to fundamentally re-examine and reconstruct the modern fashion business. What I realized there was a structural vicious cycle within the Japanese fashion industry.

"My research focused on visualizing structural problems and redesigning business systems. These problems involved both the 'producers' side and the 'sellers' side. Advertising was prioritized over the value of the product, and sellers, too, simply accepted whatever was advertised in the media without developing their own ability to discern quality. Because they only looked at price, their desire to buy decreased, and they misunderstood the true essence of buying and wearing clothes. As a result, a situation arose where no one benefited."

The current business model, prioritizing advertising over the creators' intentions, and the shift towards market-driven approaches by sellers, has led to a situation where neither side can create products with conviction. This spiral is caused by creators prioritizing appearance over quality and media outlets producing articles simply at the behest of creators and sellers.


Mr. Sumitani will once again redefine the "value" of buying and wearing clothes.


"When I re-examined the meaning of fashion, I ultimately arrived at the conclusion that no one can be satisfied unless it's 'clothes with a reason.' The creators should produce authentic pieces backed by tradition, and the buyers should feel uplifted by wearing them. Fashion must move people's hearts and inspire them."



Clothes that inspire the wearer must be authentic and made with conviction. It is with this absolute truth as its guiding principle that Ms. Sumitani founded AUXCA.TRUNK .

"Clothing with a reason" that resonates with the Japanese sense of aesthetics.

"Just when I was continuing my research, I came across a fabric made from 100% Suvin cotton woven by a company in Tokyo. It felt incredibly good against the skin. The elegant surface texture and pleasant feel, with minimal pilling unique to Suvin cotton, made it something you wouldn't want to take off once you wore it. However, the price was comparable to that of high-end fabric brands. It was a price that ordinary manufacturers could never afford."



Suvin cotton is a hybrid of the Vincent variety of Sea Island cotton, known as the "jewel of fibers," and Sujata cotton, which is native to India. It is an extra-long staple cotton named "Suvin" (written as "Subin" in Japan) after the first letters of the two cotton varieties. It is a rare material that is harvested only in Tamil Nadu, a state in southeastern India, and is said to be difficult to spin because of its long and extremely fine fibers. For this reason, it is usually blended with other cotton fibers, but the Suvin cotton fabric that Mr. Sumitani encountered was 100% pure Suvin cotton. The moment he encountered this exquisite fabric, he instinctively felt that it would lead to breaking down the current structure of Japanese fashion.

"Saying '100% Suvin cotton' is just a statement of fact. It sounds good as information, but it doesn't motivate people to buy it. What the maker should convey is the comfort, the feel against the skin when worn, and the feeling of upliftment. As tailors, we are intimately familiar with patterns, which are directly related to comfort. The aesthetic sense that arises from wearing clothes made with the finest materials and patterns is reflected in one's posture and demeanor. That is what makes a garment worth wearing."

AUXCA.TRUNK is a branding initiative designed to let people experience the comfort of this Suvin cotton.



"AUXCA" means "cherry blossom," representing the Japanese sense of "wabi-sabi," which is beautiful both in full bloom and as the petals fall. "TRUNK" means "trunk," signifying a large tree with firmly rooted roots and spreading branches. However, good materials alone are not enough to sell.

Clothes that uplift your spirits and change your demeanor when you wear them. It's a design that doesn't add elements, but rather strips them away. That's why it enhances the wearer. "It's like going to a great ramen shop; it's the kind of clothing you want to wear again and again," Sumitani says with a smile, and he writes about his feelings towards such "clothes with a reason" as follows.



This sentiment has been translated into English and is displayed inside the store.

Bringing Japanese luxury brands to the world.

Currently, Ms. Sumitani is also focusing her efforts on "JAPAN AUTHENTIC LUXURY = JAXURY," a project that aims to promote Japanese luxury to the world.

"Many modern Japanese people misunderstand the true meaning of luxury. For one thing, there are tens of thousands of research papers on luxury overseas, but fewer than 600 in Japan. What's more, they often confuse luxury with premium."

In Japan, luxury brands are often associated with overseas fashion houses. Moreover, the Japanese word "luxury" carries negative connotations such as "expensive," "extravagant," and "ostentatious," suggesting a focus on materialism. However, the original meaning of luxury is not exclusive, like expensive or extravagant goods, but rather a positive one that offers a sense of rare value, such as "comfortable," "elegant," and "rare pleasure."


"A friend of mine, a descendant of Italian nobility, told me that luxury isn't about 'things,' but about a 'lifestyle.' Those words really resonated with me. It's not simply about tradition, nor is it just about showing off. It's about having tradition and being authentic, trustworthy, and something to be truly proud of. That's the essence of true luxury, authentic luxury."

According to Mr. Sumitani, "authenticity" means something that the creator genuinely believes in, pursues with conviction, and creates. It only comes into being when everyone who understands its value experiences, comprehends, and acknowledges it. And it must be something that brings happiness to everyone involved, without anyone having to be sacrificed.

"The foundation of luxury in Europe and America lies in aristocratic culture, and Japan also had an aristocratic society until before the war. However, in the 70 years since the war, luxury as a culture has lost its heart. Now is the time to redefine Japanese-style luxury, build it as a brand, and send it out to the world. With the whole world paying attention to Japan, now is the perfect opportunity to showcase Japanese-born luxury."


In March of this year, Ms. Sumitani launched the "JAXURY Committee" in collaboration with the magazine "FRaU" to deliver "JAXURY," a new kind of inspiring experience originating in Japan that is needed in the new era. As part of the JAXURY Awards, she selected 100 companies for the Grand Prize and departmental awards.

"From now on, luxury must bring happiness to everyone involved—those who create it and those who enjoy it. Luxury is not about selfishness, but about altruism. I believe it's time to reaffirm that essence."

Sumitani also says that AUXCA.TRUNK is "altruistic clothing." It's clothing that is sure to satisfy the wearer. That's the kind of passion they put into it.

Passion inevitably generates empathy, and those who empathize will return. In fact, the brand's overall repeat customer rate is now as high as 60%. The fact that it is supported by "customers who know the real thing" who visit Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building is proof that AUXCA.TRUNK 's concept, and by extension Mr. Sumitani's definition, was correct. We are now witnessing the beginning of a future Japanese luxury brand.

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