Just as you choose what you eat , you have your own values for the fabrics of your clothing.

Steven Allan, who grew up with fashion and art from an early age, opened his eponymous boutique in his hometown of New York City in 1994. About four years later, he launched his own brand, and since then, he has created garments that do not rely on excessive decoration or easily recognizable logos, but instead emphasize the quality of the materials and the beauty of the cut, which has created a large fan base. Steven Allan, who specializes in making such minimalist clothes, is particularly concerned with the selection of fabrics.

It may come as a surprise to fans of the brand, which is known for its urban New York style, that it has chosen organic cotton, a material that has a somewhat earthy image. It seems that United Arrows, the Japanese distributor of Steven Alan, made a suggestion that led to this decision. Hiroyuki Akita, who is in charge of planning at UNITED ARROWS, said, "We were very pleased with the idea.

This is our 10th season of dealing with Steven Alan, and the more times I have visited New York to see Steven, the more I have been able to experience the atmosphere of the stores and the city firsthand. When I was in Japan, I had an image of the concept of "organic" only in terms of food and cosmetics, but in New York, I realized that it has taken root as a value to value things that are kind to oneself and to the environment.

In today's world, where the word "sustainable" has become widespread, organic cotton is a material that is highly compatible with the American lifestyle that values comfortable living. However, it would take a little more time for organic cotton to become a part of the Stephen Alan collection. The first encounter that would lead to this was at UNITED ARROWS.

When we were visiting various exhibitions in Tokyo, as we usually do, we happened to come across a booth of a fabric store and a trading company that dealt exclusively in organic materials. There, I saw photos of organic cotton materials and the people who produce them, and I really felt empathy for the background and quality of the fabrics. I suddenly thought that it would be a good fit for "Steven Alan," so the next time I went to New York, I told Steven about it. He said, 'Yeah, it's not bad,' and became interested.

By chance, Akita-san heard from Steven that a pop-up store featuring organic products was scheduled to be held in New York in February of the following year. The coincidence of the Japanese proposal and the current trends in the U.S. led to the realization of a production using organic cotton. Steven said, "If we are going to go to the trouble of doing this, let's not just change the material, but let's also make a proper name tag to show it off," Akita said.

The result is a collection of nine items that includes the brand's iconic B.D. shirt, plus slacks and caps. Among them are a few with a modern twist, such as drop-shoulder pullover tops and slacks with a balloon silhouette. This is a different approach from the classic, basic organic cotton products often seen in Japan.

I felt that, as Steven Alan, the designer's aesthetic sense and fashion sense had to be included. Even so, I always had this image of how wonderful it would be if products with this kind of gentle texture were quietly placed in a corner of a Steven Alan store. In fact, many of the customers who buy Steven Alan products in Japan are very interested in this kind of worldview. I guess you could say they have a high sense of beauty. For example, they have their own ideas about the shampoo they use, such as, "I prefer this shampoo instead of this one," or "If I drink tea, I want to use this tea leaf. I thought that people like that would be able to understand our organic philosophy. I would be happy if they could relate to the quality of our products and our way of thinking, rather than just thinking that wearing organic clothes is cool or trendy.

These products have been stripped down to the bare essentials in both manufacturing and design. They are "after-effect" collections that do not have a strong impact, but can be used for a long time, and the more time passes, the more one can appreciate their quality. As the cycle of fashion becomes faster and faster, and more and more clothes are consumed, these simple designs are quietly telling fashionistas what true richness is.