READYMADE: Yuta Hosokawa and the Art of Rebuilding Surplus
Remake is a Japanese tradition as much as a fashion method. The same culture that mends indigo with sashiko and turns old kimono silk into new garments produced a generation of designers who treat clothing as material. READYMADE, the Tokyo label of Yuta Hosokawa, is one of the clearest examples: it buys the vocabulary of military surplus, army blankets, tents and bandanas, and cuts it into coats, bags and jackets that look like what they were and behave like something new.
The method
- Blankets and tents become coats with the original stripe, stencil or stitching kept in view.
- Bandanas are pieced into patchwork garments. The Paisley Bandana Burn Coat in our archive is a patchwork of vintage navy bandanas with a corduroy collar.
- Luxury objects are rebuilt as new things: the label has made remakes that take apart and reassemble bags and accessories from the great houses.
- Small editions. Many pieces exist in editions of a few, with sizes numbered 1, 2, 3 rather than S, M, L.
Reading a piece
- Sizes. A size 3 is roughly a Western medium to large. Measure flat.
- Material. Look at the cloth: age and surplus fabric is variable by design, and small marks belong to the material.
- Labels and tags. Pieces carry the brand's label and numbered tags; keep them.
- Burn and distress. Some pieces are deliberately burned or worn; the description should say so.
Condition
Because the material is already used, condition grades are about construction and not about newness: seams, linings, fastenings and the integrity of patchwork. Japanese grades are explained in Japanese condition ranks.
Where it sits
READYMADE belongs with the remake brands of the 2000s and after: Kapital's patchwork indigo, the wagara denim of the embroidered houses and the kimono remakes in the remake room. See Kapital and the streetwear field guide for the context.
Why Japan
The label is Japanese, its editions are small and its first runs are in Japanese wardrobes. A buyer abroad who wants a specific piece is likely to find it here.
In the archive now
Continue reading
- What Is Amekaji?
- Japanese Remake and Upcycled Kimono Fashion
- Japanese Designer Archives
- All collector guides
Looking for a particular READYMADE piece? Our Hunting Salon™ searches across Japan's private collector circles on your behalf.
Index terms: readymade japan · readymade bandana coat · yuta hosokawa · japanese remake fashion · military surplus fashion · readymade size 3 · readymade from japan