KUON Made the Perfect Summer Shirt Out of Vintage Military Tents
Japanese brand KUON is famed for its penchant for upcycled post-military apparel. Tastemaking boutique Wism serves up cutting-edge clothing alongside streetwear style. Together, the pair have concocted idealized summer sets — matching shirts, shorts, and a matching pouch — that can be worn together to make hot weather style impossibly simple.
Part of the new "KUON atelier" collection, Wism's exclusive items are laid-back but detail-packed. Take the shirt-jacket — "shacket" for those in the know — as an example. It's cut from cotton poplin dense enough to hold a sheen but lightweight enough for the ides of summer, a useful multi-season layering piece that's imbued with pockets deep enough for the average 17oz bottle. It also features a hidden key pocket within its left pocket for hands-free storage.
Complementary shorts are made from vintage Polish army tents, windproof and waterproof but loose enough to be breathable. The nature of textile upcycling ensures that each pair is unique, though the cool-hued shorts are especially desirable due to the scarcity of vintage navy officer tents. Of course, the olive color is no less special and even makes for a better showcase of the marks imported from the fabrics' original usage.
Finally, KUON has recreated useful personal effects bags, a staple of militaries of yore. These tiny toteables are made of both the same poplin as the shirt and the vintage tent textile. Inside, they boast inner divides between the pockets so that the user can sort their stash between wet and dry goods. In a sense, the bags are indicative of KUON's overarching approach to design, with one foot in the past and another in the present as the brand updates timeless silhouettes with contemporary craft.
Check out WISM's website for more information on the forthcoming drop, which goes live online and in-store on June 5.