Calm Dress
After working in clothing for a quite some time, I have learned that clothing strongly influences people's behavior and mood.
When you go out,
how will you be seen by others?
Does this outfit suit me? In modern society, this kind of thinking always exists to some extent.
It's the exact opposite inside your home,
where complete freedom resides. It's a world entirely for you.
A world where no one interferes with what you wear, what you say, and what you do.
Where you can spend time inside each day with peace, comfort, elegance, and beauty.
Clothing that serves this purpose was the inspiration for our “Calm Dress.”
When worn, it produces a beautiful silhouette with a voluminous skirt.
The softness of the organic cotton gives the fabric gentle, natural creases.
It has been knitted exclusively for LIFESTYLIST.
When viewed closely, the fabric reveals a very fine herringbone knit.
The design, created from 12 different pattern pieces and made from a luxurious 4 meters of fabric--enough to make two ordinary dresses, flares out gently as you approach the skirt's hem.
With shoulder straps running from the shoulders to the back, the dress has been designed to enable you to adjust it to fit the height and body shape of the wearer.
The dress is cut, sewed, and finished at our partner factory in Fukushima,
which has been operating as a family business of two siblings for more than 20 years.
When I visited the factory in person, I had the chance to ask about their craftsmanship.
“What do you feel is your motive for having been in this line of work for 20 years?” I asked.
Fabric, Thread, and Shape
“Even among the tens of thousands of combinations, hundreds of millions of combinations, in 20 years, we have never made the same thing twice, and every experience is something completely new,” they told me.
“From design to pattern making, cutting and sewing,
it's a group endeavor that can't be done alone, so it's important to stay connected,” they added.
“We learn something every day, and as the generations move forward, the best practices in craftsmanship have changed with the times, so we always remain flexible.
At the same time, we approach requests for our work seriously and challenge ourselves to do our best.
That is all we can do, so we continue to this day,” they said.
After they mentioned this, I asked what they thought of the Calm Dress. That's when everyone snickered...
"It doesn't make sense???" I assumed they were thinking based on their strange looks.
One of them replied, "It's going to be tough to do!!
That's because it's unusual to sew so many pieces of fabric together so delicately! You're telling me it has to be separated all the way to the lining?
I didn't notice that when I looked at the initial specifications... it will take much longer than I expected (laugh) because it uses more than twice as much fabric as a regular dress! The lining too!"
It seemed they had some qualms about the details, but everyone seemed to be laughing and enjoying themselves.
“I'm sure that when the design arrives, your 20 years of accumulated wisdom and experience
will be on full display with this dress, right?” I asked, feeling a spark of joy.
The two spoke about the joy of change that comes with their philosophy that we must continue to change
and stick to our principles,
as designs and customer needs continue to change with the times.
At the factory, a young man was making his way to a sewing machine.
When I asked, I learned he was their son.
“We'll be able to make this dress with this quality for the next 50 years,” he told me.
At that moment, I felt a little peace of mind and a sense of the future.
Fukushima has long been a region where clothing is produced.
I heard that there are many garment factories in this area.
I believe in
the power of fashion.
I wonder if a difference exists in the motion or appearance of things made by people in Japan,
compared with things made by people of other countries.
With a focus on nuance, detail, and subtleties, this is a wonderful product.
I would be delighted for it to become a part of your daily relaxation routine.
Lastly,
the dress does not have a tag like most clothing brands, but is instead subtly embroidered with the "LIFESTYLIST" logo on the hem.
Traditionally, when cotton garments changed color over time, people dyed them.
I learned this on a prior tour of an indigo dye factory in Tokushima.
Even faded clothes would look like they were brand new.
This dress is something you'll feel like wearing every day, and because it is pure white, I believe that change will eventually come.
In that case, I would be happy if you would re-dye it to your favorite color.
The cotton thread has been worked in a way to ensure that color will sink properly into the embroidery.
My wish is for this dress to be an intimate part of your life and treasured by you for a long time to come.