Six years after launching his Kotomori brand, designer Amos Kotomori said he was getting a little tired of using a sumi brush to create the original art that comprise his signature prints.
“I looked over and saw a bottle of Wite-Out,” he said, and the familiar office correcting fluid became the inspiration and tool for his “Larsen Waves” print, named after American textile designer Jack Lenor Larsen.
Kotomori used the Wite-Out to draw on clear plastic, then merged the image on a computer with one of his watercolors to complete the design.
He will launch his 11-piece anniversary men’s collection during a free event from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Oct. 15 at Neiman Marcus, Ala Moana Center.
Kotomori is not one to shy away from a good idea, and though also enamored of the idea of Welsh woolen fishermen’s sweaters, he said, “I don’t know how to knit or crochet.” He worked around his lack of such expertise by creating a loose woven pattern from ribbons and photographing it to make his visually textured print, reproduced on smooth cotton and silk.
He also sought out weavers to create a pattern that could be reproduced on fabric to mimic woven cloth, all in an effort to add interest to men’s wardrobes, adding a touch of luxury that fits in with today’s fast-paced, casual lifestyle.
“Most dressing today is uniform,” he said. “Most men know the safest color for them is blue, but men are exploring color by discovering tonality, mixing gray with brown, burgundy and ruby.
“They’re learning fashion is not superficial, that it’s about being noticed in the way you want to be seen and what you want to project to the world.”