Designer Kimura has been fascinated with vintage clothing since he was a teenager.
Even after he began designing clothes, his wardrobe always contained vintage items, which, along with the cultures that have had a major influence on him, are the source of his unique creativity.
The cargo pants for this collection are based on vintage items that Kimura has loved for many years.
I chose a few sizes larger and have continued to wear these jeans, enjoying their thickness.
Based on this inspiration, the details were meticulously designed to create a three-dimensional, rounded silhouette.
While taking advantage of the ruggedness of military style, the cargo pants have a refined and soft feel that sets them apart from the roughness of vintage style, making them truly mù_-like.
-What kind of outfit were you aiming for?
Kimura: My favorite French military cargo pants, M64, from the 1970s, are a few sizes larger than I intended.
I really like the thickness of it.
However, although the overall thickness is fine, the size is large, so naturally it ends up being thick in places where it doesn't need to be.
For example, the waist needs to be tightly cinched with a belt, which makes it difficult to wear the garment comfortably around the hips.
I thought it would be nice if I could wear this in a more elegant way.
To achieve a natural thickness that cannot be expressed numerically, we distributed the amount of fabric 360 degrees to create a three-dimensional silhouette.
- Attention to detail in fabric
Kimura: Even if you want to create an elegant atmosphere, if you use chino or sporty materials, it will inevitably end up looking too trendy.
The original image I had in mind was of classic cargo pants, and to express that classic military feel, I used back satin, a material commonly used in military wear.
-Characteristics of back satin
Kimura: We use the reverse side of a shiny, flat satin fabric. Satin is also called twill weave, and unlike regular twill or plain weave, it is a fairly strong weave, but because it is the reverse side, it has the characteristic of having some knots, which is a classic military material.
We also use sulfide dyes for the dyeing, so I think it will have a military wear feel, including the changes that occur over time.
-At first glance, the fabric and design look like classic cargo pants, but what makes them different?
Kimura: It's the silhouette when you wear it.
First of all, in terms of thickness, they are thicker than any pants we have released so far.
But it wasn't just thick; what I wanted to do was to make the thickness three-dimensional in all directions, and to express the drape and flow of the fabric, which is thick overall but looks elegant.
I think that in recent street-style designs, military items tend to be intentionally widened out or look extremely thick when viewed from the side, but we made various adjustments to create a curved shape and create thickness while avoiding this in all directions.
Therefore, when you wear them, the silhouette you see is not one that is wide in one place, either horizontally or vertically, but rather it has a soft, wide silhouette with the thickness distributed throughout.
-What did you focus on to create that silhouette?
Kimura: The waist has shirring with elastic that has a strong rebound.
It fits nicely without having to tighten it with a belt, and makes your hips look beautiful.
Also, cargo pants are characterized by their cargo pockets, but the fabric tends to stiffen around these pockets, and inevitably spreads out to the sides around the thighs where the pockets are located.
So, to create a beautiful rounded look overall, we added three pleats, and by placing the pleats in a way that gradually widens towards the sides, combined with the shirring at the waist, we create a three-dimensional, soft silhouette that brings out the natural roundness of the hips from the waist to the thighs.
The next thing is the hem.
With regular cargo pants, there is a drawstring at the hem that you tighten to create a forced curve, but with these, by adding tucks in the opposite direction from the hem, the hem is narrow but still has a natural curve and closes softly.
Starting from the pocket, the top is gently widened and the bottom is gently tightened, so that the overall shape is not overly tight, but rather is calculated to create a natural curve.
-Why are you so particular about roundness?
Kimura: When I create my products, I place importance on comfort, taking into consideration the curves of the human body and how the body moves, so I'm particular about this not just with these pants.
In the case of these cargo pants, the three-pleat design creates a fuller look not only horizontally but also in the front and back, giving the pants a three-dimensional look.
This is not limited to cargo pants, but also knickerbockers, but anything that spreads out to the sides looks quite masculine or rugged.
Of course I like that, but when expressing it within this brand, it's important that it looks a little elegant rather than pushing those elements to the forefront.
In this case, the military feel and thickness are definitely there, but by incorporating an image of softness and gentleness into the pattern, a touch of elegance is created.
-About the color lineup
Kimura: It comes in two colors, one of which is pistachio green.
The last time I did a pair of cargo pants of the same style with mù_lab. ( PLEATED CARGO TROUSERS / mù_lab.#005 ), the base was a slightly heavy khaki, but this time I wanted to create a more elegant and lighter image.
The other is blackberry.
By washing the black fabric dyed with sulfide dye, the color has depth and can appear purple or navy depending on the light.
-Mù_ compatibility with other items
Kimura: It goes well with our existing items, of course, but as for items that will be released in the future, we are planning to release knitwear and sweatshirts, which have a clean feel rather than being derived from vintage clothing, so when combined with those items, we hope to create a slightly strange look in the coordination.
Even with the same outfit, for example, by combining these cargo pants instead of easy trousers, you can create a slightly faded look, and enjoy a different atmosphere.
-The same style of cargo pants that we did at mù_lab. earlier were well-received. I'm sure there are many people looking forward to this one too.
Kimura: That's right.
I've already received such feedback and I'm very grateful.
I think that people who like vintage clothing can wear these to add a touch of elegance to their style, and for people who don't normally wear vintage clothing and like neater outfits, I think they are an item that can add a casual feel to their outfits within their own capabilities.
I've always been conscious that the same clothes can look different depending on the wearer's preferences and lifestyle, so I hope you enjoy that aspect as well.
PLEATED CARGO TROUSERS
color：PISTACHIO GREEN/BLACKBERRY
Size: S/M/L/XL
Price: ¥37,400
▼Product page here
PISTACHIO GREEN
BLACKBERRY