ABOUT

MICHAIL GKINIS AOYAMA

LOVE of JAPANESE TEXTILES

Michail Gkinis has been naturally infiltrated into the Japanese culture. During the last 15 years of living in Japan he is inspired by the Japanese aesthetics like wabi sabi the kimono culture and architecture. He discovers the skills of craftsmen from all over Japan and transforms those ideas from tradition into modernity with his European sensibility.

The WEARABLE ART STOLE is a modern hybrid expression of the Ancient Greek way of wrapping clothes fused with high tech innovative Japanese textiles and artisanal methods of making.

CONCEPT

BE CREATIVE ! WEARABLE ART

is a modern hybrid expression of the Ancient Greek way of wrapping clothes and Japanese KIMONO. It can wore in multiple ways. It is fused with high tech innovative Japanese textiles and artisanal methods of making. Tradition and modernity. elegance and casual. hard and soft. men and women. MICHAIL GKINIS makes WEARABLE ART STOLE, which is the magical tool to balance the contrasts. (your life.)

INSPIRATION

INDUSTRIAL & NATURE
LIGHT & SHADOW
WABI SABI & GORGEOUS
JAPAN & GREECE

The Japanese black-and-white movie directed by Kenji Mizoguchi, Junichiro Tanizaki’s “Shadow Praise”, and Japanese architecture, which I watched in my home country when I was adolescent, are the core of the current creation engine.

DIVERSITY

There are many ways to see in one thing. The same thing looks different if you look at it from a different angle. It may be the solution of the problem we are all facing now.

 

MICHAIL GKINIS AOYAMA　BRAND MISSION

      1. Our mission is to continue the innovative cultural heritage of the Japanese textile industryand to spread the splendor of the Japanese fabrics to the world.

      2. To achieve this we encourage people to enjoy a creative and rich life with clothing that brings out their “individuality” and confidence.

    TARGET

    Inspired by freedom we speak to an audience that is genderless living without the restriction of the times and loves art.

    VARIATION

    The WEARABLE ART stole have all registered design and their variations are:
    Coat / stole
    Plain Cornice / stole
    Angel / stole
    Tshirt / stole
    Hybrid poncho / stole

    THOUGHTS

    Born in Greece, I came to Japan after studying in London for 10 years because of Japanese fabrics. When I first came to Japan as an intern when I was a student, I would like to know about genuine fabric processing, become obsessed with the charm of Japanese fabrics, make things with those Japanese fabrics, and become a tool that can bring out the individuality and confidence of the wearer. .. That was the reason I started. Until now, I have met many Japanese craftsmen who make soulful things, and I have been able to create unique products by combining existing technologies with new ideas under the slogan “Making only one in the world.” I am.

    However, in the last 10 years, I often witnessed the sad situation that a wonderful machine shop suddenly quit the business and the processing factory and knit factory disappeared, and I felt impatient. Looking at the situation, they said to themselves, “I want to sell [stalls = clothes] that embody the splendor of Japanese fabrics to the world and revitalize the Japanese textile industry. I want to maintain and inherit Japanese technology.” A strong feeling was born. Many of the people who have inherited the technology now are elderly, and if these people disappear, the history, the people involved, the thoughts, and the technology will disappear.

    We will prove the wonderfulness of Japanese fabrics to the world and explain the excellence of the technology. I think that it will be one of the forces that will revitalize the Japanese manufacturing world and enable the maintenance and succession of Japanese technology. Why am I a Greek so attracted to Japanese fabrics? I can explain it. I would appreciate it if you could support this feeling.

    MICHAIL GKINIS AOYAMA

    MICHAIL GKINIS / YUKO GKINIS AOYAMA

    Designer

    MICHAIL GKINIS
    I am a designer / artist that create art and beauty through clothing. What I am good at is to fused contrasts and balance the opposite. I love hand painting at the the top of every creation to make it more personal and bring emotional values to the wearer as an one of kind product. I am fascinated by the Japanese aesthetics ( Wabi-Sabi ) and the beauty of imperfection . To achieve that I work closely with Japanese textiles artisan to modernize traditional methods of making clothes.

    MICHAIL GKINIS AOYAMA is a hybrid creative unit based in Tokyo. Michail was born in Greece educated in fashion in London and lives in Japan since 2006 fascinated by the beauty of Japanese textiles. YUKO GKINIS AOYAMA is the producer that communicates our message to the world.

    Our logo is inspired by the contrast of industrial and natural elements that represents Japan and Greece. Michail is done with a new way of handwritten Ancient Greek letter fonts and Gkinis Aoyama in a more clean and modern way.

    Our mission is to create a bridge between two different cultures. To make people creative and confident through the beauty of our creation. To achieve that we continue enhancing the innovative heritage of the Japanese textile industry.

    WEARABLE ART FOR THOSE WHO LOVE ART
    Wear-feel-think-act better

    Our interest is to bring out the confidence and creativity of the individuals.
    To inspire them and introduce them the beauty of Japanese textiles.
    We create the WEARABLE ART STOLE (scarf-cape) that transforms into forms of clothing like coat-blouson- vest – fillet – ONE PIECE dress -parka -stole-with the passion to modernize the Japanese tradition with my European/Greek artistic sensibility. Registered designs in Japan and Europe of Plain Cornice/ Stole ,Coat/Stole, Shirt/Stole, T-shirt/Stole.

    Our designs are inspired by the Japanese aesthetics of Wabi-Sabi the beauty of the light & shadows and meaningful elements of architecture.
    We use materials and process of making that can be done only in Japan.
    We call our technique FUTURISTIC CRAFTSMANSHIP and is the fusion of
    JAPANESE TECHNOLOGY X JAPANESE CRAFTSMANSHIP X ART

    In order to communicate our message directly to our believers we opened in 2020 the MICHAIL GKINIS AOYAMA atelier /shop whith the concept to create a community of like minded people that love art.

    COMPANY PROFILE

    MICHAIL LTD.

    〒158-0091　4-5-9-1A TODOROKI SETAGAYA-KU TOKYO
    TEL +81-(0)3-6809-8540　FAX +81-(0)3-6809-8541

    MICHAIL GKINIS
    YUKO GKINIS AOYAMA

    FOUNDED：2nd May 2008