amachi. — Collection 008 “Taphonomy”

＜amachi.＞ is a Japanese brand that reflects inspiration from various perspectives and observations in clothing. This season the concept is centered on “the relationship between humans and nature.” We continue to introduce their seasonal collections at & SHOP along with the brand’s original visual design of the shop atmosphere. This event will be held in Tokyo from Friday, March 19th, and afterwards will tour to & SHOP in Kyoto.

Collection 008 “Taphonomy”

In amachi. Collection’s, the theme and the expressions are always interconnected to the next collection. The previous Collection 007 “Notion of Forms” and the current Collection 008 “Taphonomy” are particularly closely related.
In 007, the theme is the relationship was between trees and humankind, and from the aspect of the material of the tree, the concept of the city scenes in our present day was introduced, and in 008, the theme is centered on petrifying the wood that was expressed in collection 007. Designer Tenchi Yoshimoto met this concept in his fieldwork. The collection title is “Taphonomy,” which refers to the study of the process and mechanism of petrification of living things. This study was inspired firstly from the fossils of trees.
While researching the concept of petrification, Yoshimoto’s perspective drew inspiration from Roger Caillois, a French philosopher and stone collector. Using patterns and textures of agate stones and ruin marbles (pietra paesina) that Caillois had collected as a reference, Yoshimoto created his original expression of the designs through his clothing especially focusing on the way certain substances change into different forms.

Elise Gettliffe Sculpture Parts

Porcelain Sculpture One Piece ¥69,300 (¥63,000 excl. tax)
Elise Gettliffe Sculpture Parts

A new expression born in Collection 008, through a collaboration with Elise Gettliffe. In order to make hard and sculptural parts that directly represent the stone material, Yoshimoto’s petrified wood and the concept of the collection were conveyed to the potter Elise Gettliff who completed the story by making forms that accessorize the clothing. The parts are made in two steps – Elise’s father, sculptor Didier Gettliffe, creates the form, and Elise colors and patterns it.
All parts are handwritten with the elements of the work and each one has a unique pattern. Porcelain is used as the material to make a similar aesthetic to a stone.

Petrified Wood Top

Petrified Wood Top ¥286,000 (¥260,000 excl. tax)

A pullover that represents the petrification of the Wood Cut Knit from collection 007, that used the motif of the rings of a tree’s life. The fabric is a black-dyed cotton fabric with a stiffness representing a stone. The top is designed from inspiration of petrified wood inspiration, such as cutting and stitching, with porcelain parts in collaboration with Elise Gettliffe.

Caillois’s Agate Knit

Caillois’s Agate Knit ¥149,600 (¥136,000 excl. tax)

A special knit color made especially for this project. An agate stone that was collected by Caillois was used as a motif to create a knitting pattern. For the deep texture, a thick-count cotton is spun with an old-fashioned spinning machine that finishes with a non-uniform look. This is a rare form of knitting in the world, which finishes the yarn with a hard, crisp feel called konjac processing.

Paesina stone knit

Paesina stone knit ¥46,200 (¥42,000 excl. tax)

A knit created by combining industrial methods and the hand work of craftsmen. The material is knitted by slightly aligning fine cotton threads with flat threads of Japanese paper made from Manila hemp. The thickness of Japanese paper thread creates a limit to knit using a machine, therefore various solutions had to be thought of in the pre-knitting process. “Twist dyeing”, which is a special dyeing technique, was used to express the depth of color. Some of Caillois’s petrified stones have intricately intersecting linear patterns, and the nuances of these knitting patterns and coloring were inspired by these patterns.

Continuing our relationship from previous seasons, A&S has selected many items that share with you the universe of amachi. We welcome you to take this opportunity to take a look at Collection 008 “Taphonomy” and its expressions in person.

INFORMATION

TITLE
amachi. — Collection 008 “Taphonomy” Installation
TOKYO
2021.3.19 (Fri.) – 28 (Sun.) / 12:00 – 20:00
*The designer will be present at the store on 3/19 (Fri.), 20 (Sat.).
&SHOP AOYAMA
KYOTO
2021.4.2 (Fri.) – 11 (Sun.) / 11:00 – 19:00
*The designer will be present at the store on 4/2 (Fri.), 3 (Sat.)
&SHOP KYOTO
PROFILE
amachi. / The designer, Amachi Yoshimoto was born in the deep mountains of Elk Valley, California. Born to a parent of musicians, he grew up amid the flourish of the hippy culture without any electricity and running water. His childhood was spent in an environment where everything was handmade. Moving back to Japan, he became a self-taught clothes maker upon graduating from high school. After working at various domestic and international brands and pattern offices, he established his studio in the mountains of Nagano in 2017 to launch his menswear brand, amachi.
- Instagram

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※ Please note that some pieces may not be available due to its limited production.