Wear the Origin / 26FW PRODUCT

There are things I think about while making clothes.

What is it that makes a piece of clothing attractive to me?

While making clothes, I feel like a chef.

The ingredients are fabrics and threads; how do I cook—or tailor—them?

Through ideas and techniques, I work toward creating something singular.

It’s not just about using high-end ingredients (fabrics).

There is the joy of wearing, the power of design, and,

I want to create things that allow you to feel the humanity behind them.

 

Designs and ideas are born from things I have seen, touched, and felt—

drawn from my own experiences.

To truly feel the humanity in the fabrics and threads themselves,

I often visit the production regions to meet the artisans who work there,

learning firsthand about their history, their current reality, and their incredible skills.

There is a story there, a flow of time built up over years.

The corduroy I want to talk about today also has that history.

Last winter,

I visited Enshu, the only region in Japan that produces corduroy.

I drove to Shizuoka Prefecture to visit a weaving mill.

I was surprised to learn that a corduroy fabric—something so familiar and close to us—

goes through so many different processes to become a single piece of cloth.

After the yarn is warped and woven, there is a finishing step unique to Enshu.

 

【Finishing Process Sequence】

1. Weaving

2. Cutting

3. Washing (kneading wash)

4. Singeing

5. Dyeing

 

Why does Enshu corduroy have such uniquely plump ridges?

Why is it so pleasant to the touch?

When I asked, they told me that the "washing" in the finishing process

plays a major role.

The Tenryu River runs through the Enshu production area.

Blessed with abundant water resources, this region treats washing

as a natural and essential part of the corduroy finishing process.

By washing the fabric while kneading it,

the ridges of the corduroy stand up, creating that unique, soft texture.

It seems this washing process is not performed on corduroy made overseas,

which results in the difference in appearance and feel.

While touring the factory,

there was another scene that left a strong impression on me.

In front of the office entrance, there was a row of archives.

These were paper records tracking their commitment to corduroy from their founding in 1964 to the present.

Each detail—the thickness of the thread, the intricacies of the weave—was recorded by hand.

"I live because I love this."

I felt the weight of their footprints, the trial and error they went through to meet fabrics yet unseen.

 

The corduroy finishing process is like a relay, passed from one specialized factory to the next,

working together to create a single fabric.

I learned that the cutting factory specializes only in cutting,

and the singeing factory operates exclusively for singeing.

The factory that handles the washing is now the only one left in the country.

I witnessed firsthand the reality that it is not easy to maintain this quality

amidst rising raw material costs and a shortage of successors as domestic production continues to decline.

I cannot save the production region by myself, but by using this fabric,

I believe I can share the charm of Enshu corduroy I felt with at least one or two other people.

For the 2026 Autumn/Winter collection, I designed two pieces using this corduroy.

Fabric: Shizuoka

Sewing: Gifu

These are Shota Hiyama clothes born in two prefectures.

 

To wear clothes is to wear something that was born in a specific place.

Behind the fabric, there are people living there, skills, and stories that have built up over time.

I want to value the concept of "wearing the region."

I believe this kind of clothing is also an attractive piece.

I am happy I was able to make these, and I would be even happier if someone relates to them.

This is something I really want you to wear.

Now available at our stockists.

Have a beautiful day!:)

Shota Hiyama

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