East and West meet in Koto

Milano Fashion&Jewels


14* - 17 September 2024
(*Saturday by invitation only)

fieramilano, Rho

News

East and West meet in Koto

A story of friendship gives life to a brand that joins East and West.

This is a beautiful story worth telling and learning about. Because behind Koto there are two women who, first and foremost, are two friends.

 

Ayako Asada, one of the two founders of the brand, moved to Italy for love. She married an Italian but she did not forget her homeland and the tradition she experienced deeply in her childhood. She continued to feel the East close to her thanks to her friend Yuki Nakamurawith with whom she shared deep feelings for the city of Kyoto, even across the miles. And it is from this genuine passion that Koto was born: the wish to share the rich oriental culture through jewellery, fashion accessories and clothing. A story of friendship under the flag of "beautiful and well made".

 

In fact, Koto is a creative journey that begins in the Far East, in the Tango peninsula, the northernmost section of the Kyoto prefecture: it is here that the ancient Japanese weaving of the chirimen was born ( 縮緬 ). Cranes, dragonflies and cherry blossoms are the motifs chosen to create square cloths, the furoshiki, used for wrapping clothes, bentō or gifts. Today, however, those precious drapes, full of tradition, are the raw materials used to create Koto's bijoux. Even the details are inspired by the oriental tradition "our bracelets are made with Japanese fabric and have three spheres representing family, friendship and love", says Ayako Asada.

 

There is no shortage of magnificent outerwear, haori that are worn over kimonos "We recommend to use them instead of jackets in autumn or spring, even in everyday life, both for women and men,” she says. "The next edition of HOMI Fashion&Jewels Exhibition will be the perfect occasion to introduce also the YUKATA collections, the summer version of the kimono. Among the most popular colours there are red and black”. An anticipation that already makes us enjoy the feelings of this wonderful friendship...