Ito New Designs and Move to Los Angeles CA.

Greetings to all and hoping everyone is safe in these very trying and precarious times. Ito moved to Los Angeles CA in the end of February 2020, just before the Covid pandemic hit the United States and it has been a very trying time not only for myself, but for many people I know, work with and unfortunately people I know who have passed away from Covid, most recently an icon Kenzo Tekada.

Upon completion of a project with the reopening of the San Francisco Asian Art Museum. Ito moved to Los Angeles, CA for economic, personnel and strategic reasons. As well as to open a store. Which sadly is on hold due to Covid. I will miss the many family and friends in the Bay Area and want to “thank you”, for all your support for all these years.

I am very excited about the new direction and collection that I have been working on. It is a blend of avant garde design meets traditional Japanese folk art (Japanese Country). Funny, every time I find myself straying from my core aesthetics, they pull me back right away and stronger. I have always tried to design to contort and reshape the human form in my silhouettes. I am happy with the result of the new designs, as I feel it reflects this concept. I have also reached back to pay homage to designers who have inspired me in my youth, especially a little-known designer, Dan Haitu (Yakidakaido) from Tokyo, Japan, which sadly no longer exists.

One of the big reasons for moving here to Los Angeles is that LA is the main hub of garment production in this country. Unfortunately, because I have a compromised respiratory problem, I am unable to take advantage of this. It has forced me in a direction that I should have always been following and that is to design and create “one of a kind”, or very limited garments. One focus of the current line is to create garments that are timeless and will value with age. With the new designs in denim that is what I am trying to create. I am doing Boro Stitching (Traditional Japanese Hand Stitching) and incorporating traditional Japanese textiles which I have sourced in Japan.

I am hoping you are all safe and healthy. I am putting the entire online store on sale, even the new designs. As I would like to share a little normality and reprieve from all the stress and turmoil, we all have been and are still enduring. Please go out and vote. Yes, I believe our lives depend on it.