COTÉ MER Kimono Obi Patchwork Denim Remake Jacket L XL Japanese Design Harajuku Streetwear Wearable Art

Light-Wash Japanese Reconstruction with Gold Brocade, Kiri Crests and Graphic Logo Sleeves

Description

A richly reconstructed COTÉ MER denim jacket combining pale, heavily washed workwear with a mosaic of Japanese kimono and obi-style textiles in gold, ivory, vermilion, green, silver and black.

The front retains the recognizable architecture of a classic trucker jacket: pointed collar, metal-button closure, twin flap chest pockets and shaped vertical seams. From the shoulders outward, however, the garment transforms into something far more theatrical. The original denim sleeves have been rebuilt with metallic brocade, embroidered Japanese motifs, graphic black COTÉ MER panels and rib-knit cuffs.

Across the back, a large rectangular patchwork composition is framed by two exposed black zipper tracks. Gold textile fields, paulownia crests, radiating fan-like geometry, floral brocade and stylized wave patterns form a textile collage that reads almost like a modern Japanese folding screen translated into streetwear.

This is not an untouched vintage trucker jacket. It is a contemporary Japanese reconstruction whose irregular textile placement, unfinished transitions and contrasting materials are integral to its design.

Visual Presence

The pale blue denim provides a quiet, weathered foundation for the jacket’s exceptionally vivid textile work.

From the front, the composition is comparatively restrained through the torso, allowing the reconstructed sleeves to dominate. One sleeve moves through orange-red, antique gold and ivory brocade before meeting a black logo panel. The opposite sleeve combines pale lavender, metallic embroidery, green wave geometry and another boldly printed COTÉ MER section.

The back delivers the principal visual statement. A patchwork panel occupies most of the body between the shoulder yoke and waistband, bordered by long metal zippers that continue below the hem. The vertical hardware introduces a hard industrial line against the ceremonial richness of the woven textiles.

The result balances several seemingly contradictory languages:

• Japanese ceremonial textile
• Washed American workwear
• Harajuku street fashion
• Punk reconstruction
• Graphic sportswear
• Contemporary textile collage

Rather than smoothing those contrasts away, the design places them side by side and allows each material to keep its own history, sheen and visual rhythm.

Identification and Subject

Brand: COTÉ MER / コートメール
Object Type: Reconstructed denim trucker jacket
Style: Japanese remake fashion, deconstructed streetwear, wearable textile art
Color Palette: Light blue, gold, ivory, silver, vermilion, orange, green and black
Front Closure: Metal buttons
Front Pockets: Two pointed flap chest pockets
Sleeves: Multi-textile reconstruction with branded graphic panels
Back: Large kimono and obi-style patchwork panel
Hardware: Twin exposed metal zipper tracks
Cuffs: Black rib-knit cuffs
Marked Size: No readable size marking visible
Origin: Japan

COTÉ MER was established in 2008 under designer Norio Sato and is presented within Tokyo’s fashion sector as a Japanese men’s and women’s ready-to-wear label.

Iconography and Meaning

The most recognizable repeated emblem is the kiri mon, or paulownia crest, appearing as a white flowering form against green geometric grounds.

Paulownia has a long history in Japanese decorative art and heraldic design. Museum collections document the crest across lacquerware, metalwork and textiles, including historic associations with Toyotomi Hideyoshi and later official usage.

The patchwork also incorporates:

• Radiating ivory-and-gold geometry resembling an opened fan or rising light
• Black cloud or wave-like forms
• Green repeating arcs related to traditional wave-pattern vocabulary
• Chrysanthemum-like floral roundels
• Metallic botanical brocade
• Fragmented circular and cartwheel forms
• Red-and-white cords or curved bands
• Gold fields associated with formal Japanese textile design

Because the original textiles have been cut and reconstructed, individual motifs no longer form a single continuous ceremonial narrative. Their visual power instead comes from fragmentation: formal symbols are removed from their original garment structure and recomposed as modern streetwear.

The paulownia and chrysanthemum families of motifs have both appeared extensively in historic Japanese textiles and decorative objects.

Style, Materials and Construction

The foundation appears to be a light-wash denim trucker jacket with a pointed collar, button front, chest pockets, front welt pockets, waistband and metal adjustment hardware.

Its original structure has been extensively rebuilt.

Front Body

The front body remains primarily denim, preserving the trucker jacket’s familiar seams and pocket configuration. The wash ranges from pale sky blue to deeper indigo shadows along folds, seams and pocket edges.

The collar and selected denim edges show intentional or naturally developed fraying, reinforcing the garment’s reconstructed, worn-in character.

Reconstructed Sleeves

Both sleeves are assembled from multiple textile systems rather than a single matching fabric.

Visible elements include:

• Metallic gold brocade
• Vermilion and orange satin-like textile
• Pale lavender figured textile
• Green woven wave-pattern panels
• Ivory and silver floral sections
• Graphic black fabric
• Large white COTÉ MER lettering
• Black rib-knit cuffs
• Exposed seams and deliberately abrupt textile transitions

The sleeves are asymmetrical. Corresponding sections do not mirror one another exactly, giving each arm its own composition.

Back Panel

The back is dominated by a rectangular grid of mixed Japanese textiles. Some pieces retain recognizable crest or floral imagery, while others contribute color, sheen and woven texture.

The panel is not a simple printed reproduction. Individual textile fragments have been joined into a patchwork composition with visible seam lines and changes in weave direction.

Two long black zipper tapes frame the back panel. The silver-toned teeth contrast sharply with the gold textiles, and the zipper ends extend below the denim waistband to create loose, moving vertical accents.

The zippers appear to function primarily as reconstruction and design elements rather than as an ordinary garment closure.

Material Assessment

The jacket visibly combines denim, woven brocade-like textiles, satin-like panels, printed fabric, rib-knit material, metal buttons and metal zippers.

The exact fiber composition of the repurposed Japanese textiles is not confirmed. They should therefore be described as kimono or obi-style woven textiles rather than guaranteed pure silk.

Branding and Labels

COTÉ MER branding is prominently integrated into the lower sleeve panels in oversized white lettering.

The original neck label is not present or is no longer readable, although a rectangular area of tonal variation is visible inside the collar where a label may previously have been attached. The integrated sleeve branding remains a defining part of the garment’s design.

The reconstructed textiles, graphic panels and zipper framing are consistent with COTÉ MER’s documented practice of combining denim jackets with Japanese kimono textiles. The brand’s official shop describes its kimono denim jackets as individually constructed garments using kimono textiles over reconstructed and hand-treated denim foundations.

Period Assessment

This is a contemporary COTÉ MER reconstruction dating from after the label’s establishment in 2008. The exact collection and production year are not confirmed.

The washed denim foundation, oversized logo graphics, mixed kimono textile sleeves and exposed zipper architecture are consistent with the label’s modern Japanese remake vocabulary rather than an original twentieth-century ceremonial garment or untouched vintage denim jacket.

The underlying denim may incorporate earlier or pre-owned clothing, but the completed reconstructed jacket should be classified according to its later COTÉ MER transformation.

Condition

Presented in pre-owned reconstructed condition with intentional rawness and visible signs of wear.

The jacket displays:

• Heavy fading and tonal variation throughout the denim
• Fraying along the collar and selected denim edges
• Irregular and exposed patchwork seams
• Raw textile transitions
• Minor pulled threads within the brocade sections
• Localized surface marks and discoloration
• Small abrasions around the front pockets and body
• Light wear to the printed sleeve graphics
• Minor marks on the black COTÉ MER panels
• Unevenness around the reconstructed hem and zipper extensions
• Natural creasing and softening from previous wear

Much of the irregularity is integral to the reconstructed design. The mixed textiles were not intended to appear factory-uniform, and the exposed seams, fragmented motifs and loose zipper ends form part of the jacket’s visual language.

The major patchwork sections, metal buttons and visible zipper components remain present. Buyers should expect the complex surface character of an individually reconstructed fashion garment rather than pristine conventional denim.

Dimensions and Fit

Approximate laid-flat measurements:

Body length: 58 cm / 22.8 in
Chest width, armpit to armpit: 54 cm / 21.3 in
Approximate chest circumference: 108 cm / 42.5 in
Sleeve length from shoulder seam: 50 cm / 19.7 in

The jacket has a compact, slightly cropped trucker silhouette with a moderately generous chest and comparatively short body and sleeves.

It may correspond approximately to a unisex S–M depending on body shape, shoulder width, layering and preferred fit. It could wear more relaxed on a smaller frame or more fitted on a broader frame.

Please compare the measurements with a jacket that fits comfortably. General size conversions should be treated only as a guide.

Display, Styling and Collecting Appeal

This piece can be styled as either a statement jacket or a central work of wearable textile art.

The pale denim works especially well with:

• Black wide-leg trousers
• Distressed or coated denim
• Minimal white or black layers
• Leather boots
• Platform footwear
• Japanese designer streetwear
• Punk and grunge silhouettes
• Avant-garde layered clothing
• Contemporary kimono-inspired fashion

The cropped body emphasizes the reconstructed sleeves and allows the hanging zipper ends to remain visible. The brilliant gold, red and green textiles become especially pronounced against an otherwise monochrome outfit.

From a collecting perspective, the jacket crosses several specialist categories:

• COTÉ MER archive fashion
• Japanese reconstructed clothing
• Kimono and obi textile reuse
• Designer denim
• Harajuku streetwear
• Sustainable remake fashion
• Deconstructed apparel
• Contemporary textile art
• East-West fashion fusion

Displayed flat, the back reads as a framed patchwork composition. On the body, the contrasting sleeves and suspended zipper ends introduce movement and three-dimensional texture.

Offers, Shipping and Store Policies

Respectful and reasonable offers may be considered. Some pieces allow limited flexibility, while others are offered at firmer prices according to design complexity, condition and international demand.

This is a pre-owned reconstructed garment sold in its existing condition. The photographs form an important part of the description and document its fading, raw construction, textile variation, surface marks and signs of wear.

Please review all photographs and measurements carefully before purchase. Questions are welcomed prior to ordering.

Returns and exchanges are not ordinarily accepted, subject to applicable Etsy policies, purchase protection and mandatory consumer law.

Worldwide shipping is available through Japan Post EMS where service is available. The parcel will include tracking and will normally be prepared within 3–5 business days. Delivery time varies by destination and customs processing. Import duties and local taxes remain the buyer’s responsibility where applicable.

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Material Tags

denim, woven brocade textile, kimono textile, obi-style textile, printed fabric, rib-knit cuffs, metal zippers, metal buttons, sewing thread