ssstein, the Japanese unisex brand that won the FASHION PRIZE OF TOKYO 2025, has just inaugurated the 2025-26 AW Paris Men’s Fashion Week with its first presentation abroad. Kiichiro Asakawa, the 38-year-old founder and self-taught designer of the brand said, “No gimmick. I deliberately avoided any theatrical props or performances. I focused on sharing the essence of ssstein, which is beautiful garments of great precision”.
”The collection, consisting of approximately 130 styles (up to 300 references including color variations), has been edited into 36 looks and presented on both male and female bodies. “Looking through my favorite photography book again and again, I was moved by the emotionally intimate relationship between the photographer and his subjects. I wanted to express this ‘resonance’ (The key word of the collection) with my clothes.” explains Asakawa, without revealing the photographer’s name.
The dominant colors are a dozen shades of grey such as taupe, greige, and charcoal. In certain looks, a layer of the same grey in different materials creates tonal subtlety. The ssstein’s signature fabric, a 90 thread-count two-ply black wool with anti-scale coating (for smoothness) as well as resin coating (anti-wrinkle), was exclusively produced in the range of grey hues. Due to this fabric which intensifies the color, the different nuances are apparent.
Fabric development is at the heart of Asakawa’s creation, as he seeks material which is smooth but suitable for structured silhouettes. Other featured fabrics of the collection are the napped Beaver cloth in cashmere or wool/cashmere mix, and combed two-ply Melton wool for both jackets and coats. Whipcord, indispensable for workwear, makes an appearance in parallel with washed nylon for outdoor items, 140 thread-count ‘typewriter cloth’ cotton for shirts and cotton/yak mix for T-shirts.
ssstein’s signature styles such as the double-lapel jacket or coat, the vest-and-coat ‘docking coat’, the peaked-lapel reversible double-face jacket and other tailored items have been updated. A new style of jacket and coat with dropped-shoulder is made of Loro Piana doeskin. The shoulder line is not just enlarged or padded but architecturally constructed via panels on the shoulder edge and sleeves, with a waist slightly tucked in at the back. All these fine adjustments create a relaxed yet imposing allure.
In response to the increased demand, ssstein expanded its denim range. Cuts vary from extra wide to straight or slightly flared, and colours go from washed out to black or indigo. Every pair of ssstein jeans look aged. Though Asakawa is reluctant to call it a “vintage effect”, the pieces are put through stone-wash, air-brush and blotting processes. He enjoys these kinds effects as much as fabric development. Workwear in whipcord or linen is accentuated with puckering (thanks to post-manufacture washing), over-dye and distressed hems.
The bold side of ssstein is expressed by the accessories this season. A macrame vest of black Paracord worn over a sartorial look adds a funky and sporty touch. A super wide black leather belt can be worn like a corset or be integrated into a jacket or coat, when passed through specially designed holes and slits. These increase the resonance Askawa seeks, between the clothes and the wearer.
About Kiichiro Asakawa:
A graduate of Tokyo Gakugei University, Asakawa started his career by working for the Japanese multi-brand store Naichichi for six years. Curious about a garment’s construction, he often took apart vintage pieces from the store. When Naichichi came to an end in 2016, he opened his own store Carol. Besides selling edgy designer clothes, at Carol, he offered pairs of vintage Levi’s 501 jeans that could be specially adapted to each customer’s unique morphology. This project’s success led him to launch ssstein in 2017 with three trouser designs. Two seasons later, tops and coats were added and the brand developed into a full collection. The first ssstein runway show took place during Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo for the 2023-2024 AW season. The designer’s sharp aesthetic is recognizable in the scenography of his presentations as well as the lookbook images and the campaign videos.
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