SOU SOU APPAREL, FROM KYOTO TO THE WORLD

By earthtoiris | August 25, 2014 1 Comment

KYOTO | Headquartered in the mystic ancient town of Kyoto, apparel brand Sou Sou, represents the most basic values of Japanese tradition. The name itself: “Sou Sou”, which means “Yes, Yes” in English, symbolises the importance of communities in Japanese culture. “Sou Sou” is a common expression that reaffirms a sense of belonging, the idea of being an integral part of something. And the brand smartly recreates this instinct in each of their creations. Sou Sou’s journey started with a modest store in Tokyo 11 years ago dedicated to the only product they were manufacturing at that time: the iconic Lika – tabi shoes or Samurai shoes.  Sou Sou innovated the design of the split soles. They made them thicker, more like sneakers, so that they can be worn as an exclusive complement to a trendy sporty look. Their loyalty to their cultural heritage had its rewards and helped them develop a signature style. The designs are simple yet edgy. Most importantly, they are undeniably Japanese, which makes them even more appealing and trendy. The creative brains behind Sou Sou come from multiple fields: architecture, textile design, and apparel design. Their multidisciplinary backgrounds contributed to the rise of Sou Sou beyond a pure apparel brand, covering diverse areas: women’s, men’s and children apparel, house ware and textile, accessories, home decoration, and shoes. The samurai shoes are all hand made and Sou Sou collaborates with local Japanese artisans to create the beautiful patterns that are unique to their designs. In fact, Sou Sou’s loyalty to traditional manufacturing techniques, and the Japanese inspired prints and dyes, has attracted the curiosity of International brands. An inital collaboration between Sou Sou and The French Le Coq Sportif, led to the opening of the Sou Sou X Le Coq Sportif store in Kyoto carrying exclusive designs. Sou Sou’s modern Japanese designs have no doubt become and international insignia of Japanese culture. Nowadays they count with one branch in San Francisco and seven stores in Kyoto. PHOTOS BY EARTH TO IRIS. Below a list of Sou Sou stores in Kyoto. Find them on Google maps. Ise Cotton store | Clothing and house accessories. Sou Sou X le Coq Sportif store. Kikoromo | Women’s apparel. Shitsurai | Houseware and textile Kei-I | Mens apparel. Hotei | Bag and wallet store. Warabe-gi | Children’s apparel store. Sou Sou Japanese website.