Kamakura Shirts Original Vintage Ivy
Kamakura Shirts was founded in 1993 by Yoshio Sadasue and his wife Tamiko in the city of Kamakura, which was once the capital of Japan. The brand delivers high-quality shirts from the finest craftsmen in Japan to the world, taking its inspiration from the American Ivy League schools of the 1960s.
“Is there no one to take over my vision and make Japanese men fashionable?”
The Origins and Values
Those words began it all — the words of Kensuke Ishizu, founder of the VAN Jacket clothing company (VAN Jacket Inc.). Yoshio and his wife Tamiko Sadasue both worked for VAN Jacket, the company responsible for introducing American Ivy League fashion to Japan in the 1960s and 70s.
Their idea was to start a specialty shirt store that sold high quality products at an honest price, a completely new take on the retail business models of the past. Fairness and respect would be paid to the makers of the shirts, the factory workers, prioritized through direct communication.
Shirts are a necessity for men in order to be fashionable, and they must be made well to stand the test of time. By providing high quality and long lasting shirts within an accessible price range, Sadasue was certain that customers would be pleased.
Craftsmanship and Quality
The sewing techniques used in Japan are among the best in the world, exemplifying precise craftsmanship, and excellent skill. Upholding the principle "each stitch placed with the greatest care", each garment is delicately and meticulously sewn together.
Most of their fabrics have a minimum yarn count of 80, and the selected fabrics reach a yarn count of up to 400. The natural shell buttons possess a unique sheen and are easy to button on and off, compared to plastic buttons.
Vintage Ivy Button-down Oxford Shirt
The VINTAGE IVY COLLECTION began in 2012 with the encounter of Mr. Graham Marsh, an Art Director/Ivy League connoisseur residing in the UK. Drawing on Mr. Marsh's expertise in 1960s jazz and Ivy League fashion, Kamakura Shirts skillfully crafted authentic button-down shirts that capture the essence of that era.
The Ivy style, transmitted from America to Japan since the 1960s, once dominated the fashion culture of that era and continues to be embraced today. Japanese enthusiasts meticulously honed this "IVY" style, and as a result, its quality and excellence garnered recognition even in the West. To the extent that it was re-imported to the United States.
Lund & Lund introduces a collection born from the spirit of American Trad, a testament to their unique perspective and heritage.
