Jotaro Saito

Jotaro Saito is a Japanese fashion designer and creator of the label of the same name. He specializes in designing and producing kimonos with modern and subtle twists to them, mixing a great number of design elements together to create his finished products.

History

Saito was born in Kyoto, Japan to a family well known in the Fashion industry as the creators of the original modern dye community. His grandfather was a dye artist and his father was a kimono designer. In 1997, Saito made his debut at the Tokyo Collection with OTIAS, debuting as a Kimono Designer at age 27. He held exhibitions in the following years annually through 2001 and released his collections after that each year in the Tokyo Collection.

His work has been featured in numerous television programs and in magazines and is highly sought after by film directors and the wealthy. His is also a current member of the Council for Fashion Designers in Tokyo, Japan.

Clothing Style

Saito’s design philosophy is to create kimonos that are fashionable but matched with modern space. As such, his work has been well received in a number of different forums for its versatility in use of a historical form of clothing. Using the standard Kimono form, Saito imbues a number of different patterns, color schemes, and modern flairs to each design, creating a series of Kimonos that have pushed the boundaries of the art form.

Other Productions

In addition to Kimono production, Saito has been active in creating and producing various works of art, including Hotel Screens, Ukai-tei art, the Tokyo Peninsula Hotels lobby art, and numerous art projects in museums, restaurants, hotels, and shopping districts. He has also been behind design work for luggage, furniture, household fixtures, and home art. His work often combines various different forms of traditional Japanese art styles with modern and western interpretations of both art and furniture.

External Links

• Official Website (English/Japanese)