Buckle up folks, we are about to leave the known solar system and head out into interstellar space. If your tastes in denim tend to the bold and adventurous, and your wallet runs deep, then Kapital might be your next addiction. It would be hard to sum up the depth and breadth of Kapital’s styles and selection in a single paragraph, but suffice to say that it runs from simple, rustic folk-inspired garments to creations so out there you’re left wondering by whom and under what circumstances they would be worn.
Run by the father and son team of Toshikiyo and Kiyo Hirata, Kojima-based Kapital has been making clothes for over 25 years. Much of their work is based on the concept of “boro” which translates literally as “a throwaway scrap of cloth”. In the past, rural northern farming families in Japan were very poor and were forced to continually repair and patch their clothing using whatever linen or cloth they could find, and this would lead to rustic clothing with layers of mismatched colors and patterns that were often passed down from generation to generation. With the burgeoning wealth of post-war Japan the concept of “boro” was quickly and willingly discarded in favor of more modern comforts, only recently being taken up again as an art form and proud nod to Japan’s agrarian past. Kapital painstakingly distresses and destroys, patches and rebuilds, coming up with some truly stunning works of art based on the centuries old concept of “boro”. And for those not quite ready to go full 17th century farmer meets Tatooine bar dweller, Kapital’s got your back: they make regular jeans too.