We are pleased to announce that FASCINATE will begin handling "kolor".
Based in Tokyo, kolor has been renowned for its unique material selection and "docking" technique, which involves sewing garments of different characteristics into a single piece. Welcoming a new creative director in the 2026 Spring/Summer season, the brand has reached a significant milestone.

Here, we will introduce the essence of the brand, the individuality built by founder Junichi Abe, and the latest collection "The Waves" (2026 Autumn/Winter) directed by the newly appointed Taro Horiuchi.

What is kolor? — A Japanese Brand Renowned for "Materials" and "Docking"

kolor was established in 2004.
Designed by Junichi Abe, the brand presented its first collection in Tokyo for the following 2005 Spring/Summer season. From the 2012 Autumn/Winter season, the brand moved its presentation venue to Paris Men's Fashion Week, becoming increasingly recognized internationally.

The reliability of Japanese textile manufacturing, Western tailoring, and the casualness of everyday wear.
kolor is a brand that has successfully balanced these three elements within a single garment.

While many brands have moved towards a minimalist direction by subtracting elements, kolor has instead continued with an "additive" approach to creation.
Boldly combining fabrics with different textures and origins, yet brilliantly establishing them as a single piece of clothing. Supporting this skill is Abe's background as a pattern maker.

The Meaning Behind the Brand Name "kolor"

The name originates from the English word "color".
However, the spelling is not identical; the initial letter was changed from "c" to "k" to create "kolor". It was conceived together with the design company GRAPH, driven by Abe's intention to make it easier to register as a trademark and to create a name that "sounds familiar but doesn't evoke anything specific."

The "k" in the logo features a slightly distorted element.
Slipping a small catch into a familiar shape — this sensibility is also deeply connected to how the clothes themselves are constructed.

Design Through Deconstruction, Reconstruction, and Docking

When discussing kolor, "docking" is an essential keyword.
It is a technique of combining clothing parts with different origins into a single piece, distinct from simple patchwork where fabrics are merely sewn together.

For instance, inserting military MA-1 details into a portion of a wool or TR fabric jacket.
The joints and hems are intentionally left raw, retaining a subtle distortion within a refined appearance. This idea of "adding" lies at the very core of kolor's identity.

In addition to the main line, there is the second line "kolor BEACON," launched in the 2013 Spring/Summer season.
It focuses on easy-to-wear everyday clothes that inherit the silhouettes of the main line while simplifying the construction. It is also a line that expresses the brand's humor, featuring katakana logos and playful graphics.

Founding Designer Junichi Abe — From a Kimono Shop Upbringing to Independent Pattern Maker

Junichi Abe was born in 1965 to a kimono shop family in Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture.
It was a shop that had been running since his grandfather's generation, and he spent his childhood surrounded by kimono fabrics and traditional Japanese colors. His mother had also studied at Bunka Fashion College, creating an atmosphere familiar with dressmaking at home.

He grew up being told that he would "eventually take over the kimono shop," but his path changed when he encountered designer brand clothing during high school.
After graduation, he briefly moved to London. However, advised that "if you want to study fashion, Bunka Fashion College is the best," he returned to Japan after a year and enrolled in the school.

After graduating, he joined Y's (Yohji Yamamoto) and subsequently Comme des Garçons.
He worked as a pattern maker at both, and during his time at Comme des Garçons, he crafted the patterns for Junya Watanabe's debut collection. In 1994, he launched the brand "PPCM" with friends from his student days, and after about 10 years, started his own brand, kolor, in 2004. His wife is Chitose Abe, the designer behind "sacai".

Abe sometimes describes his color usage as "like Japanese wagashi sweets."
Using calm earth tones or gray as a base, he adds pops of vivid colors in completely different tones. This color scheme, which overlaps with his upbringing in a kimono shop, is a defining characteristic instantly recognizable as kolor.

To realize intricate designs, the brand is also known for partnering with domestic factories to carry out multiple processes, from fabric manufacturing to sewing.

Although sometimes called the "Magician of Materials," the brand's true appeal lies not in aiming for eccentricity itself, but in its dedication to working from the very foundation of the clothing, such as yarn selection and knit construction.

A Historic Transition — Taro Horiuchi as the New Creative Director

At the milestone of its 20th anniversary, kolor made an unprecedented decision for a Japanese brand.
Founder Junichi Abe stepped down as the main designer after the 2025 Autumn/Winter season, and Taro Horiuchi took over as the new creative director from the 2026 Spring/Summer season. Even after stepping down, Abe remains with the team, offering support from behind the scenes.

While it is not uncommon overseas to pass the baton to a creator with such a different background while the founder is still active, it is quite rare in Japan.
The "additive" Abe and the "subtractive" Horiuchi. Given the significant difference in their styles, there were initial voices of concern.

Taro Horiuchi as a Creator

Taro Horiuchi was born in Tokyo in 1982.
He moved to the UK at the age of 15 and studied photography at Kingston University in London, before proceeding to the fashion department of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp in 2003, completing his master's degree in 2007.

He debuted his eponymous brand "TARO HORIUCHI" in the 2010 Spring/Summer season.
In 2012, he received the Newcomer's Award and Shiseido Incentive Award at the 30th Mainichi Fashion Grand Prix. That same year, the Grand Prix was awarded to Junichi Abe.

In the 2018 Autumn/Winter season, he launched the men's brand "th products," advocating "universality in daily life."
It is known for its structural craftsmanship that thoroughly pursues details such as the stiffness of the interlining and the depth of the pockets.

Outside of his own brands, he has accumulated experience in diverse fields beyond clothing, including supervising "MUJI Labo," designing for "DESCENTE ALLTERRAIN," and creating airline uniforms.

Where "Subtraction" Meets "Addition"

Their first point of contact dates back to 2007 in Paris.
While Horiuchi, then a student in Antwerp, was helping set up an exhibition for a senior designer, Abe was preparing the venue right next door. He later learned that it was Abe's very first Paris collection for kolor.

After a period of no interaction, they reunited at the Mainichi Fashion Grand Prix in 2012.
Sparked by Abe receiving the Grand Prix and Horiuchi receiving the Newcomer's Award, they became acquaintances who occasionally dined together. The topic of succession reportedly arose during one of those dinners.

Although Horiuchi possesses an aesthetic of subtraction, he mentioned he had no hesitation in taking on the role because he had been extensively exposed to "additive" expressions during his educational journey.
What Horiuchi aims to add to kolor is layering interpretations of themes, cultures, and backgrounds onto the technique and humor established by Abe.

During Abe's era, kolor intentionally refrained from setting season themes, assembling the whole based on the perfection of each individual garment.
In contrast, Horiuchi builds collections from mood boards gathering inspirations. True to his words, "I am more of a director than a designer," he is advancing the brand to its next stage, as if transferring the essence of kolor into a new vessel.

2026 Autumn/Winter Collection "The Waves" — The Stormy Sea and the Light Beyond

The theme for the 2026 Autumn/Winter collection, Horiuchi's second season, is "The Waves."
The foundation is the film "The Lighthouse," directed by Robert Eggers. Set on an isolated island in the 1890s, it depicts lighthouse keepers swallowed by the raging winter sea and the gleaming light of the lighthouse. The figure of the new kolor, in the midst of transformation, is superimposed onto this narrative.

The music playing at the venue was composed by Cornelius, featuring AI-generated vocals.
It was originally the track that graced the finale of Junichi Abe's last show (2025 Autumn/Winter), born from Horiuchi recommending Cornelius when consulted about the music. Horiuchi has continued to use this as the venue BGM since his debut collection, demonstrating that heritage is also expressed through sound.

Inspiration from the Film "The Lighthouse"

The first pieces to appear were clothes evoking a will to survive and the accumulation of time.
The milled coat appears to be layered, but it is actually a single unlined piece integrating the details of a vest and a shirt.

The shirts feature intense wrinkles as if exposed to sea breezes, and combined with unraveling knits, they present an expression like fabric washed ashore from a shipwreck.
According to Horiuchi, the aim is "warm clothing to brave the wind and rain by the cold seaside." Such well-worn textures are meticulously backed by function and logic.

While retaining the catches inherited from Abe—unexpected combinations of materials, colors, and parts—Horiuchi's tranquility has deeply permeated the designs.
A pattern maker with over 20 years at the brand noted that while Horiuchi's lines are straighter than Abe's drawn curves, the finished garment takes on a rounded shape. The drape that seemingly effortlessly contours to the body is born from the accumulation of precise, straight lines.

Materials and Colors that Illuminated the Show

The core of the collection lies in individual pieces connecting garments of different origins.
Dismantled military wear is integrated into refined jackets, and knits are layered like capes over glossy materials.

This season, a stance of blurring gender boundaries was also prominent.
Men wear women's clothing, and vice versa—Horiuchi's perspective brings a fluid freedom to kolor's garments.

Stories also dwell in the finer details.
The undulating shape seen in the peplum blouson represents the ebb and flow of the waves themselves. The cape-like sleeves suggest a figure weathering a storm, while simultaneously evoking a transformation akin to shedding an old shell.

The color palette shifted from heavy, sunken dark tones to hues gradually embracing light.
Appearing towards the finale were golden shining denim, a coat with fish-shaped ornaments on the collar, and a vivid yellow fisherman-style duffle coat. Starting in darkness, with illuminating light visible ahead—the composition traces this narrative arc through color itself.

kolor × EYEVAN Sunglasses

The newly restructured kolor has also unveiled sunglasses created in their inaugural collaboration with eyewear brand EYEVAN.
Available in three colors under the theme "Intersection of Different Timelines," the central motif of "time" permeating the collection extends beautifully to the eyewear.

Relaxed Silhouettes and Styling Suggestions

kolor is a brand that frequently incorporates relaxed shapes with dropped shoulders in tops and outerwear.
To balance this, bottoms are often paired with tapered designs that narrow below the knee or cropped lengths showing the ankles, neatly harmonizing the upper volume. This top-and-bottom combination forms the foundation of the signature kolor aesthetic.

Since many pieces feature striking highlights in their docking or color schemes, making that garment the focal point and keeping the rest simple brings a sophisticated calm.
The fact that a single piece can effortlessly complete an outfit makes it highly approachable to incorporate.

Even with the same garment, the appearance changes depending on height and body type.
For items you are interested in, we highly recommend trying them on to verify the perfect balance.

The Joy of Selecting by Color

When choosing kolor, color serves as a major guiding element.
Using calm tones as a base, colors are shifted between the outer and lining, or unexpected accent hues are introduced. A rhythm instantly recognizable as kolor is masterfully embedded in the color schemes.

Simply adding a single piece of kolor to a minimalist outfit brings profound depth to the entire look.
Since many garments feature docking or color schemes as the main attraction, keeping paired items understated and styling them neatly will result in a highly cohesive finish.

Handling Inquiries at FASCINATE

At FASCINATE, we are thrilled to begin handling the kolor collections introduced here.
Items scheduled for arrival, timing, and size availability will be provided in-store or through inquiries. If you have any items of interest, please feel free to consult with us.

Handling will be available at two store locations: FASCINATE KYOTO in Kyoto, and FASCINATE_THE R in Shinsaibashi, Osaka.
You can actually take the items in your hands to experience the feel of the materials, the silhouettes, and the intricate color schemes. Please be sure to visit our stores.

For those living far away or who wish to know the arrival status early, you can also utilize our online store or direct your inquiries to each store.

The new kolor, stepping forward with Taro Horiuchi layering a fresh perspective onto the robust foundation built by Junichi Abe.
Please view the garments marking this remarkable first step at FASCINATE.