Engineered Garments x Kamakura Classics

This collaboration originated from a mutual appreciation for each brand's philosophy and worldview—KC reproducing classic American style with uncompromising Japanese techniques, and EG renowned for its distinct design perspectives and detailed craftsmanship.
Under the direction of Daiki Suzuki, the collection features entirely original, newly developed details crafted onto classic foundations. Brought to reality through KC's world-class Japanese craftsmanship, the lineup delivers two exceptional shirt designs.

Why did you team up with Kamakura Classics now?
Engineered Garments (EG) is known for its "American-style ruggedness and roughness," but Kamakura Classics (KC) is a brand that pursues "Japanese precision and neat sewing." Even though both have American classic roots, the approach is completely opposite, but what was the main reason you decided to create clothes together with KC this time?

Daiki: EG certainly has a rugged, rough American vibe, but personally, I believe the brand's pillars are the design that refines American classics with our own filter for the current era, as well as the use of details. If that design were to be produced in Japan, I would want to partner with a brand with the best production techniques. In that sense, Kamakura Classic, whom I happened to meet at last year's Brooklyn event, is definitely the best partner.

The reason for deliberately entrusting it to 'Japan's Serious Factories'
EG's clothes have a style that enjoys the unique 'reasonable roughness' and 'distortion' unique to American factories. Why did you deliberately choose to make them in a very serious and precise 'Japanese factory (Yoshida Motokogyo)' this time? What did you expect from Japanese factories?

Daiki: EG's concept includes creating value different from conventional society, embodying imperfect beauty, but beyond that, the design itself wanted to try a completely new, unique style created from classics. To achieve this, a factory with proven experience and technology supporting design was essential.

The Chemical Reaction Between 'Playfulness' and 'Tightness'
EG's 'playful spirit of deliberately finishing unfinished' and KC's 'craftsmanship aiming for perfection.' When these two contrasting styles collided in a single shirt, what kind of interesting chemistry did you feel occurred from Suzuki's perspective?

Daiki: Combining two opposing elements has been EG's vision since its founding. And I believe that from the process of merging two opposing elements into one, interest—that is, a new coolness—is born. This project is exactly the same, and I think the result exceeded expectations. It's like a smart (a factory with meticulous technical skills) or a defective (playful design).

Details aimed at "Kamakura can do it"
Among the "4-color shirts" and "Western shirts" designed this time, are there any niche details or specifications you were confident about, which would be difficult to do in a NY factory, but with a KC background, you were confident they would definitely shape it? Please let us know.

Daiki: There was a technical aspect, but more than that, I thought it was a brand with a capacity to embrace crazy designs. If it were KC staff, I thought they would understand the structural difficulties and the interesting aspects of the design. The four colors are collar shapes that are impossible to use in practice, but if each type lacks a solid structure, it won't work. Also, I think Western can't do it unless you know the original specifications and understand the details (like almost hiding buttons or deliberately using locking thread on the shirt tail).

How do you want them to wear it?
"A playful shirt from EG, crafted with precise Japanese sewing." How would you like our highly sensitive customers to wear this shirt and how would you like them to wear it?

Daiki: Nothing in particular. The clothes belong to the customers they acquired, and I always expect each person's simple to wildly creative styling. Personally, I want to try wearing blazers or denim trackers with a tie as they are, and various other things.