KUON, SUICOKE, SASHIKO GALS Launch Hand-Embroidered Sandals

On July 18, KUON, SUICOKE, and SASHIKO GALS are releasing a limited-edition triple-collaboration sandal, with each pair featuring unique hand-embroidered sashiko.

The collaboration integrates SUICOKE's sandal platform with the traditional Japanese hand embroidery techniques of SASHIKO GALS, a collective based in Ōtsuchi, Iwate Prefecture. KUON, a Tokyo-based label known for incorporating traditional Japanese textile methods into modern apparel, provides the overarching design and concept.

The core of the collaboration lies in the production method. Sashiko, a centuries-old Japanese embroidery technique originating in northern Japan, was historically used for mending and reinforcing fabrics. It involves precise running stitches, traditionally in white thread on indigo cloth, creating geometric patterns that enhance both the strength and visual texture of the material.

Each sandal in this collection is meticulously hand-stitched by artisans from the SASHIKO GALS collective. Due to the individual application of the embroidery, rather than a standardized or mechanized process, every single pair is distinct. Variations in stitch density and thread tension across each sandal ensure that the surface of every piece is genuinely unrepeatable, embodying KUON's philosophy of "turning time into value" by recognizing skilled handwork as the intrinsic material of the product.