Every country has its unique climate and natural features, to which accordingly it develops its suitable food culture, architecture, craft works, and performing arts. Clothing also always embodies cultural values which reflect the distinctive characteristics of those places. Clothes have been produced based on the aesthetics which have gone through continuous sophistication in the course of a long history.
But when did we start to call this versatile clothing culture simply “Fashion”? “Fashion” must not be the name of an existing thing, but just a noun to describe a phenomenon.
Unique aesthetics with tremendous originality and handicraft which materialize the aesthetics can be lost first in modernization and globalization. While clothing has been downgraded as the equal of fashion for a long time, let’s re-examine our clothing culture as a representation of each culture anew.
Matohu（まとふ）has continued to question these fundamental issues between clothing and culture through our clothes. By introducing our work of matohu as examples, we will share our pursuit of versatility and sustainability which all of us, both in Canada or Japan, desperately need in upcoming times.
About the aesthetics, the “Japanese Eye （日本の眼）” series will provide examples. The talk will be delivered with video clips, conceptual images, and original textile/clothes.
About the handicraft, the “Journey from Palms of Hands （手のひらの旅）” series will give examples. The talk will be delivered with video clips, an explanation of the history and current status of each craft, and the actual results of collaboration with matohu.
– HORIHATA Hiroyuki, SEKIGUCHI Makiko, matohu designers, March 2024
Toronto, Ontario – Documentary film screening & QA @Textile Museum of Canada
Date/Time: Tuesday, April 23, 2024 @ 5:30 PM – 7:45 PM
Venue: Textile Museum of Canada (55 Centre Ave Toronto, ON)
Toronto, Ontario – Designers’ Talk
Date/Time: Wednesday, April 24, 2024 @ 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Venue: The Japan Foundation, Toronto (2 Bloor Street East, Suite 300, Toronto, Ontario)
Toronto, Ontario – Documentary film screening & QA
Date/Time: Wednesday, April 24, 2024 @ 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Venue: The Japan Foundation, Toronto (2 Bloor Street East, Suite 300, Toronto, Ontario)
Montreal, Quebec – Documentary film screening
Date/Time: Sunday, April 14, 2024 @ 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Venue: De Seve Cinema (1400 Boulevard De Maisonneuve Ouest Montreal, Quebec)
Montreal, Quebec – Designers’ Talk (in French)
Date/Time: Friday, April 26, 2024 @ 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Venue: École supérieure de mode (ESM) de l’ESG UQAM Room DM-R310 (280 rue Sainte-Catherine Est OR Sainte-Catherine East Street, Montreal, Quebec)
Designers’ Profile:
HORIHATA Hiroyuki, after finishing Graduate School at the Doshisha University, and SEKIGUCHI Makiko, after graduating from the Kyorin University, both took the Men’s Design course offered under the Apparel Design program in the Bunka Fashion College.
1998: After graduating, they worked for 5 years as pattern makers at COMME des GARCONS and Yohji Yamamoto.
2003: Both resigned and moved to UK and started working for London based designer Bora Aksu’s 04-05 A/W collection.
2005: Launched own brand matohu and started participating in Japan Fashion Week from 2006.
2009: Received the Mainichi Fashion Grand Prix New Designer Award and the Shiseido Sponsorship Award.
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About matohu:
matohu (まとふ pronounced ma-tou) has two meanings. One is the Japanese word matou, which refers to clothes softly draping or wrapping the body.
The other is matou, the volitional form of the Japanese verb for wait (matsu) with the meaning of “let’s wait.” Instead of consuming and discarding things, matohu calls on people to wait until their own sense of aesthetics has matured.
With the concept of creating new clothes that sustain the Japanese sense of aesthetics, matohu offers designs born from the history, culture, and terroir of Japan in original styles authentic to the Japanese experience. Visit their website: https://matohu.com/
©matohu
