Toshikiyo Hirata, the founder of the iconic Japanese jeans brand Kapital, has died, as reported by international press.
Hirata had decided to found his brand after he visited The US in the 1980s, when he visited the country to teach karate, where he discovered American denim from the 1950s.
After he returned to Japan, he studied and learned the most important techniques of denim-making techniques in Kojima, the city known to be the capital of denim, hence he took inspiration for the brand’s name he created later on.
He started his denim factory in 1984 replicating the quality of mid-century American-made denim, then right after, in 1985 Hirata formally founded the Kapital brand.
The clothing brand was appreciated renowned for its denim, workwear, and Americana-inspired garments, and has developed a cult following for its eclectic and handicraft work and limited-production denim.
Toshikiyo’s son Kiro Hirata joined the brand in 2002 to assist in contemporary fashion and marketing appeal for the brand. From then on, the brand combined its expertise in high quality denim manufacturing and started branching out into more niche areas of the fashion industry, and carved out a reputation for eclectic artisan designs.
The brand further began experimenting with natural and synthetic dyes, cut and sew garments, hand overstitching, bandanas, as well as creating a complete collection that, in addition to denim bottoms, also offered tops, outerwear, footwear, and accessories.
Kapital has also developed and got contaminated with contemporary inspiration taken from streetwear and different cultural clashes, while always keeping in close connection with denim and tailor made craftsmanship using, for instance, specific sashiko repairing techniques.
Hirata had never planned to become a fashion designer, yet his love for denim, craftsmanship, quality and detail set the basis for his son Kiro to make the brand expand and grow and also include a sub-brand Kapital-Kountry offering pre-distressed products with strong and unique personality.