STYLE WARS

JAPAN AND MOROCCO

“We met four years ago and we’re totally di erent from one another. But despite our very distant cultural and traditional backgrounds, we started a fashion dialogue by trying to nd a point of encounter between us, while profoundly respecting our differing sensibilities.” Yumi Mori, from Japan, recently founded the Style Wars brand with the Moroccan designer Artsi Ifrach. Together, they presented their first collection for SS 2018 during Tokyo Fashion Week. So what’s the reason for this name clearly inspired by the Star Wars saga? “It’s an ironic juxtaposition,” explains Yumi. Uniting the image of vintage kimonos with futuristic, science- ction references certainly entails a good dose of humour.The brand’s DNA essentially lies in upcycling: “Our research is based on nding vintage pieces related to culture and tradition. It’s not always easy to nd them, but we search worldwide to source the best garments to obtain the best results. We give them a second chance, using ne fabrics such as silk or rayon and recreating soft and relaxing silhouettes. As we produce between Japan and Morocco, we use the craftsmanship of both countries. On the Moroccan side, we use handmade embroideries produced by women in their own houses. Part of the magic of the pieces is that there’s a human touch behind them and they’re highly personal. We’re very lucky that Morocco still has such a vibrant artisan environment.” •

@yumirocks and @maisonartc