KYOTO 和

The Kyoto collection is the 5C5V range built on 和 (wa), the kanji for harmony. 和 is also a word for Japan itself, as in 和服 (wafuku, Japanese clothes), which is a lot for one character to carry.

Kyoto became the seat of the imperial court in 794, and emperors ruled from it until 1869. It was spared large-scale destruction in the Second World War, so it still has about 1,600 Buddhist temples, 400 Shinto shrines and streets of machiya, the traditional townhouses. Seventeen of its historic monuments were listed by UNESCO in 1994.

I paired Kyoto with harmony because, in the 5C5V telling, the city stands for balance and tradition. Harmony here means restraint, respect for craft, and old things sitting comfortably next to new ones.

In the collection now: hoodies in black, French navy and maroon; embroidered T-shirts in black and white; the Harmony graphic tee in white, black and vintage white; cuffed organic cotton beanies in navy, light blue and light grey; fisherman beanies in five colours; a black cotton cap, two-tone baseball caps and snapbacks in navy and black; a sweatshirt; and a Neon Dawn hoodie. The KIROKU Sumi 003 tee paints the wooden lattices of a Kyoto street. Everything is made to order.

Questions people ask

What does 和 mean?

和 is read wa and means harmony or peace. It is also a word for Japan and Japanese style, as in 和服 (wafuku, Japanese clothes).

What colours do the Kyoto hoodies come in?

Black, French navy and maroon. The black and navy hoodies are 100% organic cotton in sizes S to 2XL. The maroon hoodie is a cotton and polyester blend with a cotton face, in S to 3XL, and it runs small.

How long does a Kyoto hoodie take to arrive?

Each piece is made after you order, which takes 2 to 5 working days. It is then shipped with tracking. UK delivery is £3.95, free over £100, and you have 30 days to return it.