Collection: Kosuke Tsumura
Kosuke Tsumura is famously known for his work in the ’90s under Issey Miyake for "Final Home”. Kosuke was a revolutionary designer for creating "functional" wear with survival in extreme outdoor conditions in mind. Tsumura was unmatched by anyone for his simplicity, yet well thought out designs & use of materials, his execution was phenomenal & well presented.
Born in Saitama Prefecture in 1959, at the young age of 23 Tsumura would go on to earn the SO-EN Award for a coat he designed, it was a white corduroy embroidery coat. For the time this was a very notable prize especially for Japanese designers at the time with many notable names in the fashion industry previously earning this award.
Shortly afterward he began working under Issey Miyake's design studio in 1984 at the age of 25 as an assistant designer. Through this experience Tsumura learned invaluable lessons on design knowledge, having the chance to work on many large-scale projects with Issey Miyake. As Tsumura worked on large projects with Issey, Tsumura began to further understand where his vision as a designer lies, it was to create functional & practical multipurpose garments. It is safe to hypothesize that his tenure at Issey Miyake studios was the spark that lit the flame to his ventures in creating garments that served a purpose beyond trends & aesthetics.
In 1991, Tsumura began prototypes on the first editions of the Iconic Nylon jacket. He found himself inspired by military and hunting attire, because of the durability and versatility of the fabrics used in extreme conditions. He would go on to demonstrate the versatility of his jackets in 1993 when GQ Japan documented an experiment in which Tsumura wore the nylon jacket filled with newspapers to keep warm. He also found a great deal of inspiration from exposure to Sci-Fi films such as AKIRA, Star Wars, and Blade Runner during the younger stages of his life. That came out around the time the concept of “Cyberpunk" & "Dystopia" became relevant and this helped Tsumura find a category he felt he fit in. Following along the path of post-apocalyptic themed scenarios these stories greatly impacted Tsumura on what he wanted his brand to represent and what purpose it was to serve. Shortly after he presented his first collection in 1994 Issey Miyake Studios began distribution & he became an independent label. This is when his work began to further diversify to the extent that people would consider his work bridging the divide between "Fashion and Art"
As Tsumura continued working on "Final Home" he always incorporated various aspects related to durability, this was shown through his presentation in 1995 Tochigi Prefectural Museum of Fine Arts for collection for a waste control exhibition, which later on all garments were 100% donated to the AMDA. He found himself propelled to serve a further purpose in every way possible, customers were encouraged to return used clothing once they finished using them to the store, which was later on donated to non-profit organizations that dealt with victims of natural disasters. Now fast-forwarding to the 21st century & Tsumura created a full line of products ranging from portable lightweight tents to teddy bears to various backpacks & chest rigs. He continues to create garments constantly inspired by fabrics that serve further purposes than simply fashion. He continues to show how clothing can be recontextualized as architecture and vice versa.