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I’m Kosuge, making my first appearance on the ApparelX Trend Blog. Recently, Yamamoto has been putting a lot of effort into suit outer textiles. As the range of textiles carried keeps growing, I think some of you may have questions like, “There are too many kinds of textiles—I don’t know which to choose…” or “What’s different between each manufacturer?” So this time, I’ll give you a quick introduction to the suit outer textile manufacturers featured on ApparelX!
Nikke Textile Co., Ltd. was established in 2014 as a planning, manufacturing, and sales company for fashion textiles, as a subsidiary of Nippon Wool Textile Co., Ltd. Based on factories that carry out integrated production from spinning, weaving, dyeing, and finishing, it continues to develop collections with a spirit of exploration, including its Heritage series, which revives archives accumulated over more than 120 years through a modern lens, and its wool denim and functional material series created with the latest weaving and processing technologies, and continues to share them with fashion professionals around the world. (Quoted from the Nikke Textile Co., Ltd. website)
Its catalog books have been available for several years, but Nikke’s textiles are now steadily gaining popularity, starting with custom-order shops. With the goal of creating wool products that are distinctly Japanese and distinctly Nikke, textile planning takes place in Ichinomiya, where the planning and development department (Nikke Sōsaku Kōbō) is located. Nikke currently offers six types of catalog books (available year-round): Imperial Black, MAF, Design, Wool Denim, Cuba Beach, and Travel. A key feature is that they can meet a wide range of needs, from formal textiles to denim. Another attraction is the presence of playful designs, making them a great choice for anyone looking for something a little different. Also, be sure to check out Nikke’s official character, Wooln, who is very cute.
Miyuki Keori Co., Ltd. is one of Japan’s leading textile manufacturers with a long history, founded in 1905. Its main Yokkaichi plant aims to be an environmentally friendly company, and works to preserve the environment through a variety of initiatives. Its efforts are wide-ranging, including using the wool raw material itself, natural soap used in the washing process, and drawing underground water from subsurface flow rather than tap water, all in ways that make the most of nature’s blessings as they are. Miyuki Keori’s ideal future is to be a company that is kind to the earth. It will continue to work to reduce its environmental impact through ongoing improvements.
The defining feature of Miyuki Keori’s textile production is reducing environmental impact. For example, all water used is subsurface water (= groundwater) from the Suzuka mountain range, rather than chemically disinfected ordinary tap water. Of course, the water used is purified through several wastewater treatment tanks after use and discharged through underground pipes. Recommended for anyone who cares whether both the textiles and the manufacturing process are ethical. Also, its catalog books include many basic British-style textiles, making them suitable for solid, classic suits that are not swayed by trends or the times.
Kunishima Co., Ltd. is a long-established textile manufacturer based in Ichinomiya City, Aichi Prefecture. Its history dates back to 1850, when founder Buemon Kunishima, a samurai from Owari, established the company with the aim of contributing to Japan’s industrial development through the textile industry. Rooted in Owari and growing with the times, Kunishima Co., Ltd. continues to send high-quality textile products to the world today. The Bishu region, where Kunishima Co., Ltd. is located, is one of Japan’s leading textile-producing areas. In particular, this region is rich in soft water, which gives textiles a soft, rich texture in the finishing process, and its unique division-of-labor system makes it possible to produce a wide variety of textiles with a high degree of specialization. Taking advantage of this environment, Kunishima Co., Ltd. produces high-spec materials for men’s wear and a diverse range of textiles that meet the needs of the times.
Kunishima’s catalog books have two seasonal catalog books released every year: “BESTSERECTION” and “HERDREX.” “BESTSERECTION” brings together textiles designed for business settings, and is characterized by being suitable for users of any age or gender. “HERDREX” is positioned as a higher-end line than BESTSERECTION, and is a textile catalog book focused on natural fibers and careful weaving. Also, from this year, the luxury line catalog book “KUNISHIMA 1850 Exclusive” has made its debut on ApparelX. The textile price range is broad, and there are textiles in bright colors as well, so there are textiles suited to a variety of needs.
Founded in February 1885 as a wholesaler of woolen fabrics. It began importing textiles from England, the home of woolen fabrics, and started selling to tailors in Japan. It is one of the oldest wholesalers in Japan to begin serious imports of woolen fabrics from Europe. With a consistent focus on product quality, it offers a wide selection of top-quality luxury materials. In particular, it began doing business with Ermenegildo Zegna, known worldwide as one of the top men’s fashion makers, in 1968.
The VBC textiles sold on APX are from Takaoka’s original catalog book, from a wholesaler of woolen fabrics with 140 years of history. Vitale Barberis Canonico also has a 360-year history, and all processes are carried out at its factory in the Biellese region, renowned as a center for luxury woolen fabrics in northern Italy. While the price is relatively affordable among long-established European textile makers, the textiles are still made with extraordinary dedication and technology, and in particular the 21-micron wool textiles are of high quality, with excellent stretch and wrinkle resistance, allowing beautiful lines to be achieved.
Owari Ichinomiya is a town that flourished as a textile-producing area as far back as the Nara period. The company was founded there in 1912. In 1931, it switched from linen and cotton to woolen fabrics, and in 2012 it marked its 100th anniversary. Even today, it continues to carry on the low-tech skills handed down from its predecessors and to create valuable Bishu traditional products. Since the early Showa period, it has introduced and continued to use Schöhler looms. Schöhler looms are Japanese shuttle looms manufactured from looms originally made by the German company Schöhler. They spread about 50 years ago, but in today’s era of high-speed looms such as air-jet looms, they have been discontinued and only a small number remain in operation, becoming a rare and once-famous machine. While many weaving factories are introducing innovative looms and pushing ahead with cost reduction, the reason Kuzuri Keori insists on Schöhler looms is “to preserve the texture of handwoven cloth.” Today, Schöhler looms belong to the category of ultra-low-speed automatic looms, with a simple structure that motorizes the principles of hand looms. With a clatter and a bang, each part performs its assigned role like the hands of a single craftsman, gently, slowly, and carefully weaving a roll of textile without damaging the fibers. Because the warp tension is loose and has some give, the fabric feels soft to the touch, has fullness and resilience, is supple, and has excellent elastic recovery. Its excellent texture is ideal for suit fabrics and has earned high praise from customers.
Its gentle texture and colors woven on Schöhler looms are its hallmark. Looking at textiles with pinhead patterns, for example, you can feel a handcrafted quality because they are not perfectly uniform. Most of the textiles have standard colors and patterns, making them recommended for everyday suits. There are also textiles for Corduroy trousers, so they can also handle formal wear. Catalog book sales are not available on APX, but you can order card samples for each color, so if there is a textile you’re interested in, please take a look in person.
It has been about five years since Yamamoto started handling suit outer textiles. I hope this will be helpful not only to tailors, but to everyone involved in making products using suit textiles.
Our textile lineup keeps growing, so please contact us if you have any questions.
*Textiles may be added or discontinued. Thank you for your understanding.
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