After graduating from CSM and going onto work as an assistant designer for Margaret Howell in the early 2000’s, Kentaro Tamai founded ASEEDONCLOUD in 2009. Conceptually, Tamai draws inspiration from the lifestyles of various working-class occupations, inserts that appearance into the design profile, and creates full representations of that background. The materials utilized are in unison with the professions Tamai chooses to highlight, with a range of natural and organic fabrics that fit right in line with the patternmaking. The primary collection focuses on the duties above, while the sub-label, Handwerker, employs a unique weave to its 3-5 piece collection and applies a similar concept as well.
HANDWERKER
Handwerker takes the literal meaning of the German word (artisan) and applies it to the ethos of its designs. Its collections are small, and the central subject matter is workwear born from the occupations that Tamai has grown fond of through photography. Previous seasons have included pieces for professions like chefs, pressmen, editor, and plasterers. The fabric used is carefully selected and features various details that will wear in well with daily work and life. The brand continues to work with a canvas factory in the Okayama prefecture, which has been operating since the Meiji era and specializes in Unsai weave—a twill weave with a soft, flexible look. Ultimately, allowing each piece to carry a functional design and natural color progression into the years of upcoming wear.
