Remember this name: Kichirou Asakawa, because he’s in for a wild ride in the fashion world after recently winning the Fashion Prize of Tokyo. His brand, ssstein, focuses on “serene beauty” and delivers some of the most elegant, well-constructed garments you’ve ever seen or touched, from coats and trousers to cardigans and vests. After winning the prestigious prize (previous designers who’ve received this recognition include Tomo Koizumi, Takk’s Takuya Morikawa, and Mame Kurogouchi’s Maiko Kurogouchi), he’s already immersed in the new collection, which he’ll be presenting in Paris on January of 2025.
Kichirou’s path into fashion is different from many others. He wasn’t sketching pretty dresses as a kid nor enrolled in fashion design in university; instead, he started working in retail, in second-hand stores to be more precise. Being surrounded by garments every day and seeing how different they would look on different bodies despite being almost identical, his curiosity sparked. That’s when he started taking pieces apart to learn more about their construction, patterns, and textiles, which led him to venturing into design. Now, eight years later, he’s built ssstein, a brand that stands on strong pillars both in terms of quality and demand.
This Saturday, October 12th, he’s presenting his latest collection at Berlin’s concept store Andreas Murkudis, thus expanding his presence overseas. After winning the Fashion Prize of Tokyo and before that presentation in the German capital, we sit with Kichirou to discuss his transition from selling clothes to designing them, sustainability, the pressure that comes with winning a prize, and his love for Paris.
I love how your journey into fashion design stands out from others. You began working in retail, which sparked your curiosity about garment construction. How did you transition from selling clothes to actually designing them?
I worked with a wide variety of clothes when I was in retail. In the process, I became fascinated by how similar garments could look completely different when worn—how their silhouettes and overall feel would change on the body. Why do almost identical products have a completely different balance when worn? I wanted to understand this in my own way and started taking apart old clothes to figure it out.
As I continued to do so, I learnt about the importance of textiles, sewing techniques, construction, finishing methods, and many other things, and from there I developed my own ideas. I began to make clothes based on my understanding and knowledge of how to create silhouettes and the overall mood of the product.
As I continued to do so, I learnt about the importance of textiles, sewing techniques, construction, finishing methods, and many other things, and from there I developed my own ideas. I began to make clothes based on my understanding and knowledge of how to create silhouettes and the overall mood of the product.
You built your brand little by little: first releasing three models of trousers, later adding tops and coats, and after that, adding other pieces like cardigans, more outerwear, etc. I think that’s smart as you learnt progressively. What are some of the most important learnings you take from that ‘slow cooking’ brand-building process?
From the beginning, delivering the brand with care has been very important to us. I wanted to offer a solid product because I was going to present it, so I delved into it until I was able to create it. As I learnt more about garment construction, the type and range of clothes I could make became wider and wider in a very natural way.
We also wanted to expand the brand gradually and carefully, so we did not increase the number of retailers selling our products too rapidly; we kept a reasonable balance between supply and demand. By communicating closely with each retailer and building up partnerships with great care, we have worked to carefully deliver the brand’s products to our customers. This desire is at the core of the project, and it’s very important to us.
We also wanted to expand the brand gradually and carefully, so we did not increase the number of retailers selling our products too rapidly; we kept a reasonable balance between supply and demand. By communicating closely with each retailer and building up partnerships with great care, we have worked to carefully deliver the brand’s products to our customers. This desire is at the core of the project, and it’s very important to us.
From showing clothes in an exhibition-like format to staging runway shows, you’ve grown quite a lot in the last eight years. What have been some of the most difficult challenges you’ve faced? And some of the most gratifying milestones you’ve achieved?
We are really happy to be able to expand our brand little by little and with care. There have been a lot of hardships, but they have all been very meaningful and I have learnt a lot from them. I am immersed in creating the collection with a very positive attitude every day.
A very remarkable challenge was that of expanding abroad. It was considerable because we wanted to bring ssstein to people in many different countries—this aim continues to this day. In the process, we have also had many new wonderful encounters and learned many new things, and we hope to continue to delve into what we want to express and deliver, and deliver it with care.
At our first exhibition in Paris, a buyer who came to see our products for the first time was very pleased with the 90/2 Wool Gabardine fabric and the double-woven melton fabric, which are standard materials in our pieces. As a brand, textile production is extremely important to us, so we were very happy that the buyers liked them. It was also a positive experience for us to see that our brand’s core products, which are serene and beautiful, were appreciated by people abroad, and it gave us the opportunity to further deepen our creations.
A very remarkable challenge was that of expanding abroad. It was considerable because we wanted to bring ssstein to people in many different countries—this aim continues to this day. In the process, we have also had many new wonderful encounters and learned many new things, and we hope to continue to delve into what we want to express and deliver, and deliver it with care.
At our first exhibition in Paris, a buyer who came to see our products for the first time was very pleased with the 90/2 Wool Gabardine fabric and the double-woven melton fabric, which are standard materials in our pieces. As a brand, textile production is extremely important to us, so we were very happy that the buyers liked them. It was also a positive experience for us to see that our brand’s core products, which are serene and beautiful, were appreciated by people abroad, and it gave us the opportunity to further deepen our creations.
You’ve won this year’s Fashion Prize of Tokyo, congratulations! What does this accomplishment mean to you and to the future of ssstein?
Thank you very much. We are very happy as a brand to receive the Fashion Prize of Tokyo, which is a wonderful recognition that will encourage us in our future endeavours. It’s come at a time when we were thinking about developing further some projects overseas, so we feel that we have been given the chance to make our brand known to a wider audience. We hope that this wonderful award will give us the opportunity to accomplish these projects and for more people to get to know us.
After winning this prize, do you feel more pressure to deliver something to higher standards in the next collection?
There is a bit of pressure, but every day I hope to present and deliver better creations. Also, I am looking forward to presenting new collections. I hope to do my best!
Previous winners include extremely successful designers like Tomo Koizumi, Takuya Morikawa (Takk), or Maiko Kurogouchi (Mame Kurogouchi). They’re all currently showing in Paris, a city that’s known for welcoming Japanese designers since the ‘80s, when pioneers like Rei Kawakubo, Issey Miyake, and Yohji Yamamoto dared to defy the French status quo. There’ll be a couple of events there in January and June of 2025 celebrating your brand and collections. What’s your relationship with the city like?
When I look at the designers who have received the award in the past, they are all very active and I have great respect for them. “Paris has been known as a city that has welcomed Japanese designers since the 1980s, when pioneers such as Rei Kawakubo, Issey Miyake and Yohji Yamamoto boldly challenged the status quo in France”—I thought that was exactly right.
In January of 2020 I went to Paris to shoot for the first time. I will never forget the mood of the city and the people I met. I really felt tolerance and acceptance for fashion, art, and people from all walks of life. I strongly feel that the open mind of the people who visited our exhibition there is thanks to the solid projects created by those pioneers you mentioned. Paris is a city that I admire. At the same time, it hosts great creators and professionals, which makes it even more serious. It’s a city that makes me feel even more pressured and gives me a stronger desire to present better creations.
In January of 2020 I went to Paris to shoot for the first time. I will never forget the mood of the city and the people I met. I really felt tolerance and acceptance for fashion, art, and people from all walks of life. I strongly feel that the open mind of the people who visited our exhibition there is thanks to the solid projects created by those pioneers you mentioned. Paris is a city that I admire. At the same time, it hosts great creators and professionals, which makes it even more serious. It’s a city that makes me feel even more pressured and gives me a stronger desire to present better creations.
The identity of ssstein is based on super clean lines, perfectly cut patterns, rich materials, and neutral colours. Is this a reflection of your own identity? What would you say are the pillars of the brand?
An important aspect of the brand is its serene beauty. The pillars are the precise patterns that make up ideal silhouettes and the beautiful fabrics that are essential in forming this silhouette. I’d say these are some of the strongest features of ssstein. We produce a variety of fabrics in neutral colours and create this ideal, tranquil, and beautiful mood through various approaches. Every day we hope to express natural elegance and beauty.
I love how you present each collection through the lens of various photographers or on different contexts, like having two or three different lookbooks. Why do you find it important to see these collections from a myriad of perspectives?
I myself am very fond of photography and have seen many different collections. The same product can give different impressions and convey different messages depending on the way it is expressed. I find that very interesting and intriguing. There are different kinds of beauty that I perceive.
The essential part of the brand remains the same, but the mood you want to convey can be expressed from multiple angles and approaches, so that you can feel different kinds of beauty and moods. I want people to feel the depth of the brand through many different angles.
The essential part of the brand remains the same, but the mood you want to convey can be expressed from multiple angles and approaches, so that you can feel different kinds of beauty and moods. I want people to feel the depth of the brand through many different angles.
In a world dominated by fast-fashion chains and overconsumption, how does ssstein challenge that? And why do you think it’s important that more brands like yours exist?
There are people like myself who love fashion and clothes and feel very happy and positive when wearing those clothes in our daily lives. We are very pleased to bring our brand and products to such people and believe that our project is very meaningful. We are also very proud to bring beautiful products and a world view to people that will make them feel rich and happy. We also believe that the balance between supply and demand will help prevent overconsumption, which in turn will allow us to continue our projects in a sustainable way for a longer period of time.
The fashion industry is stressful and fast-paced. So what do you do to relax after a hard day in the studio? What do you like to do in your free time?
As I am usually immersed in my work, I spend a lot of time with my family (wife, daughter, and son) on my days off and in my free time. I love spending time with them, it refreshes me. I also enjoy going to see things that interest me, such as going to the movies, photo exhibitions or looking at second-hand clothes.
After winning the prize, I guess you’re already immersed in the next collection, am I right? What are some of the initial concepts or directions you’re going for?
I am immersed in the presentation of the collection in January. The main concept at the start was to further deepen the aspects that we have valued to date and our own unique expression. We are creating a collection that delves into the beauty that we feel in everyday life, the serenity and elegance. We hope to deepen the brand’s unique expression and prepare for the launch in January. We are very much looking forward to it.
