What goes into a classic, timeless suit? Japanese designer Yuki Igarashi weighs in

What goes into a classic, timeless suit? Japanese designer Yuki Igarashi weighs in In India for trunk demonstrates at Chennai and Mumbai with fashion entrepreneur Osman Abdul Razak, Japanese menswear designer Yuki Igarashi takes us through comfort, craftsmanship and how to pick the perfect suit.

Key points

• Yuki (second from left) and Osman with their teams in Chennai Photo Credit: Special Arrangement.
• After a stint at Japanese clothing chain Beams, Yuki established Lecteur almost a decade ago, with salons now in Tokyo and Kobe.
• After one-on-one client meet-ups, suits will be produced at Lecteur's salons in Japan and will then be shipped back to India, at Chennai and Mumbai.
• There are subtle details, none of which stand out in your face and yet it is comfortable enough to wear all day.
• A wide spectrum of customers, he notes, gravitates towards a finely-tailored suit.

When Osman Abdul Razak was being fitted for a suit by Yuki Igarashi, founder of Japan-based menswear brand Lecteur, he recalls being struck by how neatly Yuki's pins were arranged on his pin cushion, a couple of years ago.

"As an onlooker there, I couldn't support but analyse this precision. I was informed that the pins were produced from katana steel, the material famously applied in the swords of samurais. Even the way the pins pierce through fabric felt different, " notes the fashion entrepreneur and Savile-row certified bespoke tailor from Chennai.

Seeing Yuki's precision translate into his designs and garments obtained Osman thinking; not just concerning how he could take a garment of his through multiple iterations for that perfect fit, but additionally how he could provide India a taste of the Japanese tailoring and design philosophy.

Maison Madras, an experience space curated by Osman and located above his atelier on KNK Road welcomed Yuki and his team from Lecteur earlier this week, for a made-to-measure trunk show, before heading to Mumbai for a similar trunk show as a part of a week-long visit to India.

After a stint at Japanese clothing chain Beams, Yuki established Lecteur almost a decade ago, with salons now in Tokyo and Kobe. "We spotlight our work with Japanese craftsmen; for plenty of, it has become hard to continue working in this field and we believe it is our responsibility to honour our culture. I additionally believe that our clients should know where their clothes are coming from, and what goes into making it, " he states.

Delving into their tailoring, and what sets their signature house pattern, LC 10 apart, the designer speaks regarding how the focus is simple to produce comfort wear and yet, stay quiet, classic and timeless.

"There are subtle details, none of which stand out in your face and yet it is comfortable enough to wear all day. Plenty of residents say suits are tiring, that it feels hard to even take off the jacket by themselves. We do not want to put individuals off from wearing suits so we came up with this, " he states.

For context, a wide spectrum of customers, he notes, gravitates towards a finely-tailored suit. "For plenty of clients, wearing a suit isn't necessarily a statement. They look for a more sophisticated, quieter way of wearing suits as part of their everyday wardrobe and I think it is significant to design menswear in a way that facilitates this as well." Suits by Lecteur Photo Credit: Special Arrangement.

In the age of being spoiled with options for clothes that are ready-to-wear, the designer acknowledges a slow and steady shift, especially among youngsters, to go back to the classic way of dressing. "When they look at classic, or the gentlemanly way of dressing, they feel excited and inspired to look sophisticated. They want to experiment with classic silhouettes; this is often influenced by them rediscovering their own roots or even being inspired by how their grandparents applied to dress, " he augurs.

After one-on-one client meet-ups, suits will be produced at Lecteur's salons in Japan and will then be shipped back to India, at Chennai and Mumbai. "Much like what I follow at my atelier, Yuki additionally meets with clients, and the focus here is process-driven. When we sit down and have a conversation with a client, we seek to understand their lifestyle, body type and other factors that can influence the design and tailoring in the best way feasible, " Osman explains, making a case for a more personalised approach to menswear.

Shoulder styles, canvas construction, lapels and more. What does one keep in mind while getting their first made-to-measure or bespoke suit created? Yuki recommends that one skips scrutinising the particularly minute details and instead, focusses on "following a feeling". "How does the suit create you feel. Does it feel good? Rather than dressing up to obtain praised, wear something that you personally gravitate towards, " he states.

Taken together, the developments around what goes into a classic, timeless suit? Japanese designer Yuki Igarashi weighs point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.