Of all the staples in a man's wardrobe, utility clothing remains a constant source of inspiration for our work hard, play hard lifestyle. In Japan they take this sort of thing very seriously and Kobayashi Setsumasa's clothing line - previously known as General Research - is a case in point.
See more of the ... Research collection
In W* 117 we took a look at Mountain Research but this is just a fragment of Setsumasa's project. Each season, Setsumasa and two close friends take to the hills and decide the focus of their next collection; hence the blank dots of the label. ... Research is deliberately left open for inspiration.
To date, this has arrived in the form of collections based upon prisoner uniforms (September 06), riding equipment (December 06), newspaper boy gear (April 07 - including some nifty messenger bags) plus two perennial favourites, Naval and Mountaineering garments.
This winter, Mountain Research has slogans such as 'Only Anarchists Live With Mountains' embroidered on their sweat-shirting. Thick jersey trackpants are fleece-lined and feature kneepads. Hooded anoraks mix traditional US Woolrich plaid with technical fabrics for warmth and durability.
When ... Research have sold out of clothes, Setsumasa and associates simply disappear back up to their cabin in Mpunt Fuji. This is one set-up that is not out to prove anything other than continue developing their love for original utility garments. As we were saying - Work hard, Play hard.
-
How Ichio Matsuzawa designed the almost-invisible bar defining Art Week Tokyo 2025During the art fair’s latest instalment, Wallpaper* met the Japanese architect to explore architecture as sensation, not structure
-
The story behind rebellious New York fashion label-cum-art collective, Women’s History MuseumMattie Barringer and Amanda McGowan’s multidisciplinary label has been challenging fashion’s status quo for the past decade. As they open a new exhibition at Amant, Brooklyn, the pair sit down with Wallpaper* to discuss their provocative approach
-
Mark+Fold Turns 10 with first Shoreditch pop-upBritish stationery brand Mark+Fold celebrates ten years in business with a Brick Lane pop-up featuring new products, small-batch editions and conversations with creatives
-
Tranquil and secluded, Lemaire’s new Tokyo flagship exudes a sense of homeIn Tokyo’s Ebisu neighbourhood, Lemaire’s tranquil new store sees the French brand take over a former 1960s home. Co-artistic directors Christophe Lemaire and Sarah-Linh Tran tell Wallpaper* more
-
In Kyoto, COS celebrates the ancient art of shibori dyeing with a colour-soaked collection‘We can’t take this type of craft for granted anymore,’ says COS design director Karin Gustafsson, who worked with Kyoto shibori artisan Kazuki Tabata on the airy summer collection. Wallpaper* heads to Japan’s former capital to find out more
-
Inside John Lobb’s sumptuous new Kyoto store, housed in a traditional wooden ‘machiya’John Lobb’s inviting new Teruhiro Yanagihara-designed Kyoto store is introduced with a series of images starring lauded Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda
-
Le Labo’s Kyoto flagship blends wabi-sabi with the art of slow perfumeryLe Labo has a new flagship in Kyoto’s Shimokorikicho, Nakagyo-ku neighbourhood, a celebration of Japanese heritage and craftsmanship
-
Kiko Kostadinov’s Tokyo outpost is a fashion store like no otherBulgaria-born designer Kiko Kostadinov tells Wallpaper* why he chose Tokyo to open his first store, which sets to ‘pervert the traditional mould’ and features collaborations with artists such as Ryan Trecartin
-
Ya-man’s Tokyo store is ‘an immersive, almost psychedelic experience’Ya-man, the Japanese beauty brand known for its tech-focused devices and gadgets, opens an otherworldly HQ in Ginza, Tokyo
-
Year in review: top 10 beauty and grooming features of 2023, selected by Wallpaper’s Hannah TindleOur top 10 beauty and grooming features of 2023 span from Prada’s make-up debut to Japanese hair styling and the secrets of Björk’s nail artist
-
Japanese hair art: Yumeko Yume’s retro Osaka salonAn Osaka salon is the next stop in this photographic odyssey, exploring vibrant and varied Japanese hair art
