Kyoko Teramoto, the Designer of “ami-tsumuli”

I’m basically a big fan of luxury, high-end fashion. I love beautiful things and am a fan of art, from classical to modern. After graduating from a design school in Japan, I entered the atelier of Eri Matsui, who is famous for her wedding dresses. Working as assistant designer, I created new materials and designs with her. I was also responsible for merchandising and shows. I learned the fashion industry inside out.

However, when I was 29, my father passed away. My father was an engineer, but, after he retired, he took over the knitted hat company, Yoshikawa Hat CO., that my grandfather founded. In this way, he was able to support my grandfather. At that time, I decided to support our family’s company. For several years, I worked for both Matsui’s atelier and my family’s hat company. Until then, I had worked with neither knitting nor hats. This was a time for new learning, and I went to a night school for knitting.

Creating my own Brand

Six years after I entered Yoshikawa Hat Co., I had a firm confidence that I could make my dream of creating my own brand come true. I originally had a vision to do this with clothing, but, after working at Yoshikawa, I gradually changed my mind and decided to attempt this with knitted hats.

And that is how “ami-tsumuli” came about. Debuting at Paris’ notable trade show, Premiere Classe, in 2004, we continue to gain a reputation as an elegant knitted hat brand with constructive design backed up by considerable technique and history. Our hats are currently available in famous department stores in Europe, Asia, and Japan. I am always grateful and happy to see how people are fond of my designs.

Questions Arising

At the same time that “ami-tsumuli” was growing, I gradually started to feel that something was wrong. Buyers always ask us to create “something that sells.”

This sense of wrongness made me rethink fashion. What is fashion? Why do we have to present a new collection every six months? Why does there have to be a sale at the end of every year? I know the artisans who knit for us, but I know nothing of the people who produce the materials for us. Who are they? How are they producing? Wools are made from animals, but do the animals really not feel pain when they offer us their hair? One question led to another, and I couldn’t stop questioning.

I love luxurious fashion, but what if something or someone suffers for the sake of my enjoyment? I felt uncomfortable. When I thought this way, I decided that I preferred to share joy not only with customers but also with the people who produce and make for us. Wouldn’t it be real “luxury” if each one of us could share in the joy? As a result, I started my research into the materials.

Encountering new facts and people has led me to other new facts and people. I have read books, visited farms, met new people, and listened to their ideas and stories. There are times when ideas and facts conflict and I am confused. For every single topic, I try to understand many ideas from many perspectives, but it is very important to see and feel myself. So I try to visit farms and factories myself. This is essential for creating my own ideas.

I am currently not studying as much, but I created my own ethical collection, “ami-tsumuli white label,” in September 2013. I have not only chosen environmentally friendly materials, but I have also done my best to visit the production sites myself and share what I learned on the brand’s website.

From the first collection of “ami-tsumuli white label”

Understanding the Present in order to Imagine the Future

The more I learn, the more I feel it is essential to understand from many perspectives in order to judge what is good and what is wrong. Since our society is built upon networks of many activities and people, if we focus too much on one aspect, this may cause damage to other branches in the network. There are just too many things to learn, and I may not reach the end of studying. Moreover, I would like to share what I have actually seen and heard and brush up the ideas together.