Timothy Everest has a longstanding connection with Japan. From Kendo cloths to collaborations in Kyoto, it’s almost always been an east meets east London affair. Not only is it because the company’s concern for craft and care chime with a certain Japanese sensibility, but also because Timothy Everest embrace traditional, timeless practices and fuse them with the modern. This seems to be why Japanese textiles and products ooze the qualities we adore – expert construction and materials with attentive and disciplined design. The pinnacle of many things can often be found with Japanese goods, from whiskey to workwear to Wagyu beef, and this relentless dedication to quality, with pure and simple elements is something one cannot help but admire.
Made in Japan
As a bespoke tailor, an obsession with the finest details, the best materials, and harmonious design and craft, is high on the agenda. Somewhat like the UK, Japan is an island of innovators and industrious artisans, with an even more extreme obsession with perfection. A bespoke commission the studio were delighted to take on was a work jacket made for actor and director Mr. Ralph Fiennes. Cut from Kendo, a traditional hard-wearing Japanese indigo-dyed cloth, it was an aptly subtle but sumptuous design for a man who clearly wouldn’t settle for anything less. Most self-respecting Japanophiles will appreciate the beauty and prestige of Kendo, and its associations with Japanese martial arts.
Fiennes’s friend and colleague, Tilda Swinton, also starred in a short film for Timothy Everest’s collaboration with Japanese tattoo master Horiyoshi III of Yokohama. The bespoke suit, which also featured on the red carpet (as worn by Swinton) was adorned with embroideries inspired by the ink patterns of Horiyoshi. The film, entitled ‘FINDHORN‘, isn’t exactly a Kirosawa samurai epic, but it does give a good indication of the work that goes into a Timothy Everest bespoke suit, with Swinton wearing the seemingly unfinished jacket inside out, with stitch lines and pins exposed. The creative elements combined here for an exciting project with an understated eccentricity, which could be described as an homage to Japanese aesthetics.
Even closer to home, the interior of our Redchurch Street store and workshop was designed with a Japanese influence. The designers took elements from post-industrial Shoreditch and Georgian architecture, with concrete panelling and exposed ‘stitch-lines’, beams and pipework. A raw, elemental and contemporary ‘deconstructed’ take on the townhouse style of the area and its mercantile heritage. If you’ve yet to visit our store, it’s a kindly use of space and really does speak to the brand’s marriage of traditional and modern aesthetics.
MADE IN JAPAN : IN THE TIMOTHY EVEREST EMPORIUM
Tamaki Niime Scarves
One of our most frequent Japanese guests has been the ever-pleasing Tamake Niime. Ms Niime weaves these unique scarves in the Japanese tradition of Banshu-Ori, a time-honoured process of making cotton textiles in one continuous production cycle. The scarves she produces are one-of-a-kind and provide lightweight insulation with virtually any combination of clothing. From a small workshop in the city of Nishiwiki, Niime oversees the entire process of dyeing and weaving her range of meticulously made and incredibly beautiful pieces.
Full Count Japanese Denim
Our ongoing collaboration with the iconic Fullcount & Co, purveyors of arguably the best Japanese denim available. The exclusive style, which is a modified 0105 fit in 13.75oz selvedge denim with a tapered hem, features a Timothy Everest leather patch on the back waistband and Spitalfields Flower print in the pocket bags. The denim has been handwoven on vintage shuttle looms in Japan using Zimbabwean cotton. Classic Fullcount details include copper rivets, branded fly button and reinforced stitching at key wear points.
Waffle and Cotton Polos
Apotheke Fragrance
Most of us want to impart a little more zen into the homestead. So why not start with these elegant bamboo incense sticks handmade in Japan. Notes of tobacco, wood, citrus and spices will add a sophisticated and pleasing aroma to your sanctuary.
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