A New Medium: The Inaugural K-Way® Collaboration.
In the spring of 2020, Engineered Garments launched its first collaboration with K-Way®. When head designer Daiki Suzuki—a long-time surfing associate of Gaku—approached him to create the textile artwork, it marked Gaku’s debut in textile design.
Embracing his long-held interest in the medium, Gaku developed a sophisticated photo-collage pattern. The artwork is a visual diary of Gaku’s prior projects: featuring surf sessions at Long Beach, the industrial pulse of Long Island City, and the architecture of Hell’s Kitchen.
In a signature EG twist, Gaku overlaid a semi-transparent Black Watch tartan across the monochrome imagery, seamlessly blending urban photography with traditional menswear heritage.
In the spring of 2020, Engineered Garments launched its first collaboration with K-Way®. When head designer Daiki Suzuki—a long-time surfing associate of Gaku—approached him to create the textile artwork, it marked Gaku’s debut in textile design.
Embracing his long-held interest in the medium, Gaku developed a sophisticated photo-collage pattern. The artwork is a visual diary of Gaku’s prior projects: featuring surf sessions at Long Beach, the industrial pulse of Long Island City, and the architecture of Hell’s Kitchen.
In a signature EG twist, Gaku overlaid a semi-transparent Black Watch tartan across the monochrome imagery, seamlessly blending urban photography with traditional menswear heritage.
Brand: Nepenthes America, Engineered Garments
Artist: Manabu Gaku Inada
Year: 2021
Artist: Manabu Gaku Inada
Year: 2021
Nylon Zip-Up Jacket
Initial prototype: Sublimation print on K-Way® signature 100% functional nylon. A study in merging urban aesthetics with heritage performance fabrics.
Nylon Zip-Up Jacket
Conceptual Blueprint. Before the final composition takes shape, the following thumbnail sketches and key elements serve as the project’s visual blueprint. These initial studies outline the structural relationship between the urban motifs and the traditional tartan overlay.
Utility blazer
LEFT: Bucket Hat. RIGHT: Dungarees
Holster Bag
