When creating clothes,
sometimes we encounter the material before the design.

Where it was born.
What kind of thread is used.
How it is woven and finished.

If the origin, raw materials, or crafting method differ,
the resulting expression changes, too.

Soft wool that gently holds the air.

Checkered fabric with depth,
where many colors of thread overlap.

Cupro that sways gracefully,
while maintaining the look of denim.

For this
"UNE FEMME, TROIS VISAGES,"
we chose three materials with different backgrounds.

Focusing on the unique personality of each material,
three blouses were born from them.

This time, we unravel the story of where these materials were born
and why they were chosen for each piece.

 

01｜CHEMISE ODETTE

Soft wool tailored in Bishu

The material used for Odette is an original fabric
woven specifically for aLORS in Bishu,
known as one of the world's leading wool-producing regions.

We combined fine-count wool and cotton,
deliberately designing the weave to be loose.

Though it contains wool, it is not heavy;
it is a lightweight fabric with a subtle sheerness.

It feels smooth to the touch
and creates a comfortable space between the fabric and the body.

However, the charm of this fabric
is not just its lightness.

Up close,
you can see the three-dimensional texture created by the fine weave.

That expression ensures that when fashioned into ruffles,
the fabric does not look flat or dull,
but creates a three-dimensional effect as if it is holding air.

Behind the cuteness,
there is a quiet depth created by the intricate weave.

I layered the story of the Odette blouse
onto that expression.

Lovely,
yet not just sweet.

For the woman who holds her own will
within her softness.

That is why this material was chosen.

 

MATERIAL NOTE

Bishu, spanning from western Aichi Prefecture to Gifu Prefecture,
is a representative wool-weaving region of Japan.

Wool production has thrived there for a long time,
gathering technologies that handle various processes
from spinning and weaving to dyeing and finishing.

At aLORS, against the backdrop of Bishu's craftsmanship,
we created an original fabric by combining fine-count worsted wool and cotton.

"Worsted" refers to a method where wool is combed to remove short fibers,
aligning the long fibers before spinning them into thread.

It is characterized by minimal fuzz
and a smooth texture.

This material was also used for the
"Lily blouse" in the 2024 Autumn/Winter collection.

Hearing comments like,
"It was useful during the transition of the seasons"
"It was just right for a warm winter,"

became the catalyst for us to create a new blouse with this material once again.

 

02｜CHEMISE CLAUDE

Layers of color woven in Biella, Italy

For Claude, we chose a
checkered fabric with depth, created by
the layering of many different colored threads.

The red is not just a simple red.

It contains Bordeaux, brown, and navy.

The olive, too, contains
not just green, but brown, gray,
and red layered within it.

By layering multiple colors,
somewhat muted or deep colors are born.

At first glance, it is a classic tartan check.

However, up close,
there is a complexity in the combination of colors
that cannot be expressed by a single tone.

The profound shades born from these overlapping colors
are unique to Italy,
rarely found within Japan.

Attracted by that exquisite coloration,
I chose this fabric for Claude.

Tartan check was originally
not just a decoration, but a pattern
that carries a background of land, lineage, and affiliation.

While it is gorgeous,
it is also somewhat honest and uncompromising.

Leveraging the personality of that check,
we finished it not as a formal shirt, but as a cropped length.

Layering a slightly unconventional design
onto a traditional material.

Not wearing classic items
in a purely classic way.

That balance
creates the uniqueness of Claude.

 

MATERIAL NOTE

Biella in northern Italy is a land
that has long developed alongside the wool industry.

With rich water resources and
a concentration of technology in spinning, weaving, dyeing, and finishing,
many fine wool fabrics are still born there today.

<CAMPORE>, which handles this fabric,
is one of the manufacturers that has continued weaving there
since its founding in 1830.

Technology cultivated over nearly 200 years
and a sense of color unique to Italy.

Layering many colors of thread
to create complex hues without becoming too flashy.

The check used for Claude reflects
both the craftsmanship of Biella and the
aesthetic sense unique to this land.

 

03｜CHEMISE MAUD

Looks like denim, but it isn't.

For Maud, we used a fabric
woven with 100% spun cupro for both warp and weft.

In appearance,
it has the strength of denim.

However, when worn on the body,
that impression changes significantly.

It is soft, drapes supplely,
and the cloth sways along the body with every movement.

And when it catches the light,
a subtle luster emerges
within the indigo blue.

The gathers from the chest to the hem
are details that truly come alive because of this material.

Deep shadows are created in the parts where the cloth overlaps,
and the shades of blue seem to change with every movement.

While guiding the gaze to the center of the body,
it allows the curves of the body to be felt
without revealing skin.

What is there is not
an overt sexiness, but a quieter, inward sensuality.

It is a kind of allure that you hold quietly within yourself.

That is why the color, too,
is an indigo blue rather than a forcefully assertive black.

It looks like deep navy,
yet like clear indigo in the light.

Including that ungraspable fluctuation of color,
it defines the expression of Maud.

 

MATERIAL NOTE

Cupro is a regenerated fiber
made from cotton linter, the short fibers remaining around cotton seeds.

It is characterized by a smooth touch
and supple drape.

Toughness in appearance,
and the suppleness unique to cupro.

That unexpected combination
is the unique characteristic of this fabric.

 

 

aLORS original wool/cotton
tailored in Bishu.

Checkered fabric where many colored threads overlap,
born in the Biella region of Italy.

And a material woven from 100% cupro
that has the look of denim.

Three materials that differ in where they were born,
the threads used, and their properties.

That is precisely why the expressions of the clothes born from them are different.

A will within loveliness.

A rebellious spirit within tradition.

A quiet sensuality
between strength and softness.

Choosing a material is
choosing the expression of a garment.

And it is also about imagining a
new side of the woman who wears that piece.

I hope that the blouses born from these three materials
will become a catalyst for you to encounter
an aspect of yourself you have yet to know.

UNE FEMME, TROIS VISAGES.