COTE MER — Bespoke Japanese Upscale Fashion
Tokyo street culture colliding with haute couture discipline—vintage garments deconstructed and reborn as one-of-a-kind artworks.
The COTE MER Collection at Japonista presents a body of work where clothes are treated like sculpture. Founded in 2008 by self-taught designer and former vintage buyer Norio Sato together with master pattern maker Seishi Naito, COTE MER approaches garments the way a sculptor approaches marble: as raw material waiting to be cut, spliced, distressed, re-imagined, and reborn.
Working primarily with vintage and deadstock pieces—Levi’s denim, sports jerseys, military uniforms, aloha shirts, band tees, kimono and obi textiles—the team deconstructs each item and rebuilds it into one-of-one artworks. Panels are collaged. Stitch lines are re-drawn. Traditional wagara patterns, boro patchwork, bleach splatters, and hand embroidery collide to form silhouettes that feel at once familiar and completely unprecedented.
Bespoke garments shaped by hand, time, and intention.
Japanese luxury defined through restraint and process.
COTE MER operates within a different rhythm from conventional fashion. Its garments are not designed for seasonal urgency or visual excess. They are the result of measured decisions—material selected for behavior, construction guided by longevity, and form shaped by human scale.
Bespoke craftsmanship in Japan emphasizes control rather than display. Handwork is present, but never announced. Stitching reinforces structure. Fabric weight determines silhouette. Luxury here is defined by clarity. Lines remain clean. Surfaces are allowed to speak. Authority comes from coherence rather than ornament.
These garments are meant to be worn repeatedly. Aging is anticipated. Value emerges through sustained interaction.
At the heart of the brand is the proverb 「一期一会」 (ichi-go ichi-e)—“once in a lifetime.” Every COTE MER piece is designed on that principle: unrepeatable, non-replicable, and made to exist as a single wave in an endless ocean of possibilities. No mass production. No second run. When a piece disappears into a collector’s wardrobe, that exact expression of fabric, color, and history will never be seen again.
Stylistically, COTE MER draws heavily from ’90s youth culture—skate, punk, hip-hop, underground club scenes—yet the cutting and construction are precise enough to sit comfortably in a luxury showroom. The result is upcycled Japanese street couture: slouchy yet engineered, anarchic yet tailored, loud yet deeply intentional.
Within this curated Japonista selection, you may find:
- Re-built denim jackets spliced with kimono and obi textiles
- Sukajan-inspired bombers and MA-1 variations collaged from vintage sportswear
- Oversized aloha and band shirts elevated into statement outerwear
- Upcycled bags, caps, and accessories crafted from leftover panels and trims
Each piece is one and only one, authenticated and documented through the Japonista lens, and sourced directly from the circles that surround the brand in Japan. These are not simply “reworked” clothes—they are future archive pieces, wearable case studies in sustainability, Japanese craftsmanship, and the evolution of street fashion.
Presented by Japonista, this collection invites you to collect garments as you would collect art—one once-in-a-lifetime wave at a time.
Looking for a specific COTE MER silhouette or color story?
For rare runway pieces, special collaborations, or sizes not listed here, our Concierge & Cultural Sourcing Service can help us search Japan’s closed circles for the piece that matches your vision.
Curator’s Note: To understand how Japanese objects express refinement through restraint, see our permanent reference guide: The Living Language of Japanese Visual Culture.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “bespoke” mean in this context?
It refers to garments made through individualized construction and handwork.
Is COTE MER focused on trends?
No. The brand prioritizes timeless design.
Are these garments fully handmade?
Key construction and finishing processes involve handwork.
Are the garments meant for daily wear?
Yes. They are designed to improve with use.
What defines luxury in this collection?
Material quality, precision, and restraint.
