Japanese brands

The Pleated Dress by ZUCCa

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Exclusive curation: contemporary elegance from Japan


Today we introduce a piece of contemporary elegance: The Pleated Dress – by Zucca.

Innovative and evolving style, paired with functionality and versatility, mixes well in this beautiful dress. A piece to wear for the Christmas festivities. But you’ll always find an occasion to put it on afterwards. Undoubtedly, it will be one of the classics in your capsule wardrobe.

Discover The Pleated Dress


The design point
The silhouette is simple, boxy and stylish. V neckline along front and back. Sleeveless with dropped shoulders. Two side slip pockets, under-knee length. Relaxed fit, a side slit makes the movement comfortable.

Three different fabrics with distinct textures are sewn together and then pleated. Indeed the design plays with juxtaposition in a refined and modern manner. Moreover, the hand of the fabric is soft and glossy.

The Pleated dress by Zucca



About the texture
The difference in texture is created by stitching three types of fabrics, such as velour, satin and crepe. And after, pleating them.
This particular technique makes the dress really special.

About the colour
Dark brown tending to bronze. It is a warm hue with a slightly shiny effect which gives a natural glow to your outfits.

The pleated dress by Zucca
The Pleated Dress – by ZUCCa


Coordination ideas
Although it is a unique dress, both colour and shape are basic. So you can use it as a one-piece. When the weather is cold, we suggest wearing a long-sleeved basic top underneath, also tights or leggings. Instead, for a party or a dinner at the restaurant, you can combine it with a jacket or long cardigan to create an elegant style.

Advice and care
This item is pleated by heat and pressure. The pleating could gradually disappear by repeating wearing and washing. Please acknowledge it beforehand. Also, when wearing and storing, do not apply pressure for a long time.

Easy-care material. You can wash it by hand at home.

The Pleated Dress is a statement piece. It reminds us that good design is made to last.
And you can enjoy it in your everyday life.

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Why Japanese Fashion

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The Point on style & Japanese aesthetic


Making the point on style by examining the international fashion panorama, helps answer the recurring question we often hear: why Japanese fashion?

Why is Japanese fashion design relevant in today’s global fashion landscape?

What is our prerequisite


On an international scale, we look for brands who have something to say, offer good design and a consistent expression of their vision. Also, we keep in mind the shift brought about by the pandemic: a return to the essence. So we curate a capsule selection of meaningful pieces.
“Less but better” means that there’s a reason for every garment we choose. So, every garment we choose serves a purpose.

A glimpse of the international fashion panorama


We are quite perplexed about the designers’ proposals we have seen lately. We noticed that many brands have lowered the bar offering poor quality and meaningless design, also labelled “sustainable,” which makes us laugh. Although some brands show beautiful dreamy lines, these have no context in our lifestyle, at least for now. So, we’ll keep an eye on them for the future.

The Italian situation, specifically, requires a deep analysis.
In short, after the demolition of Italian craftsmanship and after production was dislocated to other countries, Italian fashion is not at its best. Many brands have no soul or remain stagnant, offering no evolution. Many successful brands primarily sell the vision of a ‘sexy woman,’ which feels overly rooted in the status quo. We want to see something beyond the ‘sexy doll’ stereotype.

Why Japanese Fashion - an image of Japanese style by Plantation1982
Plantation1982


What leaves us perplexed is the direction that many international brands, considered the cool ones, are pursuing. If they aim to design a modern style, they repurpose a Japanese aesthetic. And so, the Instagram images are beautiful, but when you analyse the clothing design, the patterns, it’s clear where the inspiration comes from. In the end, there’s a common thread connecting brands from Italy, the U.K., North Europe or US. Despite their significant followings, they all reveal the same specific characteristics that strongly resonate with Japanese fashion design.

By the way, what we find somehow interesting is that those brands sell even to Japanese stores. In other words, the Japanese buy their own aesthetic made by someone else. If a Japanese buyer would illuminate us on this, we would be grateful.

Why Japanese fashion? Embracing original designs


In conclusion, why Japanese fashion?
Nippon offered a wealth of unconventional and advanced fashion design. What we notice as a commonality between Italian and Japanese cultures is the obsessive attention to detail and style. While drawing inspiration from Italian, European or international brands in general is acceptable, we do not expect them to replicate exaclty the same Japanese designs.

So, why Japanese fashion? Instead of opting for international brands with a Japanese aesthetic, we choose the original ones.

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