AYA DESIGN - The Architecture of Stillness

Based in Tokyo, designer and researcher Aya moves fluidly between disciplines - fashion, management, and academia - leading AYA DESIGN, a brand rooted in both philosophy and craftsmanship. Speaking to COLABO, Aya shares her journey from Japan’s textile heartlands to London Fashion Week, where design becomes a language of harmony, history, and the human spirit.

Introduction & Background

Tell us a bit about yourself — your label, what you do, where you're based.

Normally, I'm based in Tokyo and work as a 'slasher', juggling three roles: designer, manager, and researcher. I move across these different fields with a broad perspective, engaging in the pragmatic social implementation of my design research. AYA DESIGN is the brand under AYA.inc, the company I run. The design work is done by a team led by me at our Tokyo office, and our samples are produced at our own factory in Gifu.

What first sparked your interest in fashion? Was it a memory, a person, or something you discovered creatively?

Growing up, I was surrounded by concept art from 80s cars, architecture, and films, thanks to my father's influence. My interest in fashion was sparked by photobooks of Japanese fashion designers who were active in the 80s. As a teenager, I was drawn to street culture like hip-hop, techno, and skateboarding, and I was active as a DJ and track-maker within that community. Although I am Japanese, I was strongly influenced by the life energy and creativity born from Black counter-culture. Gradually, my interest deepened towards Eastern art and African art.

How did your journey into fashion begin — did you study it formally, or take a different route into the industry?

As a student, I specialised in design and pattern making. After graduation, I started my career as a designer for an apparel brand. After that, I took a generalist position at the Li & Fung trading group, and then gained experience in the Planning and Production Department at Comme des Garçons. Later, I went independent and established AYA.inc. . Even after completing my MFA, I continue to belong to several research institutions, engage in design research, and present research papers at academic conferences.

Brand Identity & Design Philosophy

How did you start your brand, and what’s the story or meaning behind the name and your pieces? 

At AYA.inc, we operate with textiles as our foundation, working on multiple designs across various fields. While crossing over into different industries, I felt that the fashion industry was lagging behind other sectors in addressing social issues. Therefore, as part of my research theme—'Social design for regional industries declining due to segmentation'—we established a sewing factory in Gifu Prefecture, an area that once thrived on the textile industry but has since declined. We built an integrated system covering everything from design to sewing. We launched the AYA DESIGN factory brand project and are participating in London Fashion Week to tackle regional revitalisation issues caused by regional and occupational disparities and depopulation.

'AYA' means 'twill' in Japanese, but it also evokes the idea of 'interweaving' relationships between people. AYA DESIGN is an organic project for the diversifying 'new human'. It is based on the perspectivist architectural design once suggested by the Bauhaus, integrated with our unique Eastern aesthetics. It’s a unique design process, influenced multifaceted by Formalism and Modernist architecture, complexly embedding logic and elimination. The fashion we express is a 'form' intended to promote organic harmony with nature and diverse human cultures, and to support people in attaining freedom.

The composition of this 'form' lies in our Japanese narrative. Long ago, the Japanese people believed in the presence of gods (kami) in the vastness of nature. As an island nation with immature shipbuilding technology, Japan traded without interference from central powers and has a history of flexibly adapting and accepting diverse cultures, including art and religion. The Eastern philosophy that was accepted eventually evolved into Zen, and even today, an aesthetic of 'stillness' (sei) and multiculturalism lies latent within the Japanese people. This unique Japanese concept is projected onto our work.

What’s your unique design point — whether that’s sustainability, genderless fashion, size adaptability, or something else — and why is that important to you? Do you design with a specific person in mind?

My focus, as the brand name suggests, is 'design'. As a graduate school researcher myself, I conduct daily design research from a broad perspective, covering areas like the Art of Science, architecture, and urban planning. I also present at academic conferences. A key source of inspiration is the Bauhaus. I translate a modern, basic design process, based on architectural design forms, into fashion design. This collection holds a viewpoint hoping for the further development of fashion design through this new approach. Our pieces use recycled materials and are designed with sizing and specifications that are genderless and can be worn across generations. Also, since we have our own factory, we can flexibly customise or collaborate on sizes, colours, specifications, and repairs according to customer or store needs.

Inspiration & Process

Tell us about your most recent collection — what ideas or stories inspired it, and how did it come together?

We drew inspiration from Gilles Deleuze's 'Causes and Reasons of Desert Islands', expressing the similarities between Eastern and Western philosophy through our own interpretation. The desert island we express is a metaphor for the primal self. This collection tells a story, a series of 'movements'—from the experience of 'stillness' (sei) found through Zazen meditation, to returning to the primal self, and finally reaching creative activity.

The modern tea room (chashitsu) seen in the photos and video is a spiritual space, a 'margin', for the self to define its own position. We likened this primal self—which emerges after pausing from the hustle and bustle of the city, steadying one's breathing in that spiritual space, and experiencing 'stillness'—to a 'desert island'. On this desert island, there are no other people or man-made objects. Nor are there seeds of discrimination or conflict, such as hierarchy or race. There is only the self, nature, optimal breathing, the five senses, and rhythm. By obtaining this large 'margin', we projected onto the persona an organic and elegant style that can freely accept diverse cultures.

We feel a strong sense of crisis regarding the homogenisation of humanity caused by over-reliance on evolving AI and technology, and the discrimination and conflict that still remain. In response, we envision an organic future where people coexist with technology yet engage in primitive creative activities with their own hands, mutually rejoicing in and sharing their own evolution. This collection is an elegant dress code with 'margin', making manifest a Japanese aesthetic where modern, primitive, and multiculturalism quietly coexist. While based on traditional tailoring characterised by strong forms, its greatest feature is the calculated balance of the overall silhouette, carefully selected after repeated verification against vast historical materials of ethnic costumes from around the world. This sense of balance, this quiet diversity, is precisely the persona of the 'new human' that AYA DESIGN suggests—one that has organically accepted diversification. While considering the wearer's balance, we have minimally applied Japanese-style avant-garde expressions such as cut-offs, cutting, styling, and shaping (zōkei).

What does your creative process look like — from concept to garment? Do you sketch, experiment, drape, or collaborate in any particular way? Where do you draw inspiration from e.g personal experience? 

It all starts with thorough 'plot' creation. It begins by carefully observing the trends of modern people and constructing a persona. We organise complex and vast amounts of information, such as themes and design sources, using the KJ Method, and use 3D CAD to creatively visualise the concept, right down to the background architecture. Once the concept art is drawn, we move on to prototyping. I won't disclose the prototyping method, but we emphasise form creation through pattern making, using a technique close to our origins.

What do you want people to feel or understand when they wear or see your work?

It's a return to the origins, to an era without discrimination or conflict based on hierarchy or race. It's about enjoying resources from nature and reclaiming humanity's original tolerant and free spirit, all while coexisting with technology.

Industry Experience & Challenges

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced as a designer — and how do you work through them?

Since I am both a designer and a manager, there are always challenges and difficulties. Among them, I especially struggle to carve out time for myself, and I still haven't been able to overcome that. As long as creation continues, I can't stop.

Do you find it difficult to balance creativity with the commercial side of fashion? Is that something you're aiming to explore or resist?

Because our purpose is clear, maintaining balance is a constant challenge. I also feel uneasy about the atmosphere of competitions lately, which evaluate works based on how they reflect the current narrative. My brand and I are not competitors in a national award race, but those around us demand an easy-to-understand 'Japaneseness'. However, I believe the focus shouldn't be on expressing 'Japaneseness', but rather, it's more natural to focus on and resonate with the people who receive the pure vision from the narrative as a service. In Japan, almost no one wears traditional Japanese clothing (wasō) as everyday wear. I'm the same. It's true that our consciousness as Japanese people might be superficial, but people's choices are the will of the times. 'Mode' (high fashion) is Western culture. Consciously expressing 'Japaneseness' in that context loses its reality. It can't be helped since it's our first collection, but in the future, I want to focus more on pursuing Western culture.

Have there been any proud or defining moments in your journey so far — a collection, shoot, or response that’s stayed with you?

Participating in London Fashion Week this time was very memorable. We also received a huge response after the presentation. I believe that presenting from the countryside, not based in Tokyo, was a big step forward for regional industry.

Collaboration & Creative Teams

When you organise a shoot, how do you go about building your team? Do you have regular collaborators or reach out to new creatives? 

Starting this time, we brought on Mr. Shintaro Yamada, who directs for various brands at Tokyo and Paris Fashion Weeks, as our creative director. We then formed a seasoned creative team, including stylists and photographers active in Paris, for the shoot. I strive to build a team with deep experience and sensitivity, one that can visualise the designer's vision that cannot be fully verbalised.

How does a shoot typically come together — who leads the creative direction, and how collaborative is the process?

I communicated the story I envisioned, and we proceeded collaboratively, from planning the Japanese garden and tea room to their construction. On set, a mix of tension and relaxation coexisted, and we moved forward while respecting each team member's experience and individuality. It culminated in a creation with intricate details and a strong narrative.

What has helped you get your work seen and used in shoots — and how could COLABO play a bigger role in that visibility?

Building connections one by one is crucial. We hope that our philosophy and efforts will permeate, even just a little, in foreign lands.

Vision, Influence & Aspirations

Is there a dream brand/designer you’d love to collaborate with?

Right now, there isn't anyone specific, but I'd like to collaborate if it happens naturally. I am interested in different industries, like architecture. However, establishing the brand is the priority for now.

What’s next for you — any upcoming collections, shows, or ideas you're currently exploring?

We are preparing for our first runway show next year. We are gathering information from all fields to faithfully reproduce our vision.

And finally — is there anything you wish people asked more often about your work, or something you'd like to share that doesn’t usually come up?

This interview itself is a valuable experience. I'm just an ordinary person from my hometown, and I don't actively share things about myself. I have absolutely no interest in being special or pretending to be better than I am, and I don't use social media at all. However, creation can send a message. I sincerely hope that as many people as possible can find the message from me that defies words within my work.