Maison Kitsuné: 3 Reasons for International Success

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Paris, London, Tokyo, Bangkok, New York, Vancouver… In just 20 years, Maison Kitsuné has managed to establish its Art de vivre around the world. Charming fashion enthusiasts, music lovers, and coffee aficionados alike, the French-Japanese brand stands out with its unique universe, composed of three distinctive yet complementary pillars. Between collaborations with other major brands, support for international artists, and roasting workshops, we take a look back at the enchanting world of the house, which ensures continuous growth.

What is the Art de vivre of Maison Kitsuné?

More than just a brand, Maison Kitsuné offers a whole Art de vivre, enriched by various inspirations and influences. To better understand its DNA, a glance at its logo reveals many clues. Knowing that “Kitsuné” means “fox” in Japanese, it is no surprise that this animal is found as the totem animal of the house. This canid, characterized by its ability to change appearance and thus have multiple faces, perfectly illustrates the composition of Maison Kitsuné.

Indeed, the house stands out with its three-pronged activity, with first, ready-to-wear under the name of Maison Kitsuné. Then, the label named Kitsuné Musique. And finally, Café Kitsuné. An exploration of creation under different spectrums that has developed over the years since the creation of the house in 2002 by Gildas Loaëc and Masaya Kuroki.

The unique DNA of this house is a direct reflection of French culture and Gildas Loaëc’s love for music, combined with Masaya Kuroki’s knowledge of fashion and Japanese culture.

Founded in 2002, after a beautiful artistic encounter between the two founders alongside Daft Punk (of which Gildas Loaëc was the manager and artistic director), the duo aimed to combine their visions and knowledge to create the concept of Maison Kitsuné.

How did the French-Japanese brand develop internationally?

This brand, designed for the Japanese with a special affection for Paris, has over the years conquered the entire world. Demonstrating a healthy organic growth from the outset, Maison Kitsuné now counts physical points of sale in Europe (France, England), Asia (Japan, Middle East, Oceania…), and North America (USA, Canada). 38 boutiques, including 3 archive stores, as well as corners in prestigious locations like Le Bon Marché, showcase the duo’s creations. This DNA has grown even more with Café Kitsuné, currently present in 9 countries.

Among the three branches of activities, ready-to-wear is the one that brings in the most revenue for the house.

Why is the Maison Kitsuné ready-to-wear line so successful?

The idea behind the ready-to-wear branch of Maison Kitsuné was, as the creators emphasize, not to create novelty, but to work on timeless basics with a focus on the quality of materials and the craftsmanship of the pieces, made in France, Italy, the UK, and Japan.

The wardrobe offered by the independent Parisian fashion house highlights timeless pieces that remain trendy, featuring solid colors or subtle graphic patterns that can captivate us for years. The house’s logo is part of these minimalist pieces, adopting various silhouettes and becoming a strong emblem.

The creations are thoughtfully designed around a connection between Tokyo and Paris, and have been developed over the years by various artistic directors. The house has also embraced a creative studio approach, like other houses, to highlight Guest Designers for a season. Currently, the Brit Marcus Clayton brings his vision to the Maison, with a first collection made for Spring-Summer 2023.

What role do collaborations play in the brand’s success and visibility?

Maison Kitsuné also distinguishes itself through numerous collaborations that complement its personal range. Collaborations showcase a shared vision between two brands or between two branches of the house. Indeed, a collaboration with Café Kitsuné has resulted in a collection of pieces, including hoodies, caps, shoes, tote bags, and even candles and stickers. Casio has also joined the collection, creating a watch in collaboration.

On the brand side, Maison Kitsuné has creatively partnered with various brand universes. Such as Native Union for tech-focused products, a pair of glasses with Khromis, shoes with ATP Atelier, and ready-to-wear alongside Kajsa, And Wander, or even Barbour with their iconic khaki quilted jacket that has partnered with the little fox.

Recently, the brand unveiled a new collection alongside And Wander. The Maison had already made its mark alongside the Japanese label with a range of technical clothing. Here, the winter theme envelops the pieces with a vintage Chalet DNA. For this new creative chapter, the brand invited guests, including Loïc Prigent, around a high-end Japanese meal to offer them a deep dive into the Art de vivre of Maison Kitsuné.

How is music inseparable from the DNA of Maison Kitsuné?

Let’s now explore the melody of Maison Kitsuné, or rather the melodies, as the label has propelled numerous artists and has also distinguished itself through its compilations.

Music is inseparable from the house. Indeed, it is through this medium that the house came to life. If we go back to the early 2000s, Gildas Loaëc, then working alongside Daft Punk for about ten years, met Masaya Kuroki, who had just finished studying architecture, and was going on tour in Japan with them to assist with translation. Their shared desires for creation, fashion, and music

Paris, London, Tokyo, Bangkok, New York, Vancouver… In just 20 years, Maison Kitsuné has managed to establish its Art of Living around the world. Attracting fashion enthusiasts, music lovers, and coffee aficionados alike, the Franco-Japanese brand stands out with its unique universe, composed of three distinct yet complementary pillars. Through collaborations with other major brands, support for international artists, and roasting workshops, we revisit the enchanting world of the house, which ensures constant growth.

What is the Art of Living at Maison Kitsuné?

Much more than just a brand, Maison Kitsuné offers a whole Art of Living, enriched by various inspirations and influences. To better understand its DNA, a glance at its logo reveals numerous clues. Knowing that “Kitsuné” means “fox” in Japanese, it is no surprise that this creature serves as the totem animal of the house. This canid, characterized by its ability to change appearance and thus have multiple faces, perfectly illustrates the composition of Maison Kitsuné.

Indeed, the house distinguishes itself through its three-pronged activity, with, on one hand, the ready-to-wear under the name Maison Kitsuné. Then, the label called Kitsuné Musique. And finally, Café Kitsuné. An exploration of creation under different spectrums that has developed over the years since the house was founded in 2002 by Gildas Loaëc and Masaya Kuroki.

The unique DNA of this house reflects the French culture and the love of music of Gildas Loaëc, combined with the knowledge of Japanese fashion and culture of Masaya Kuroki.

Founded in 2002, after a beautiful artistic encounter between the two founders alongside Daft Punk (of which Gildas Loaëc was the manager and art director), the duo sought to combine their visions and knowledge to create the concept of Maison Kitsuné.

How has the Franco-Japanese brand developed internationally?

This brand, designed for the Japanese with a particular affection for Paris, has over the years conquered the entire world. Demonstrating healthy organic growth from the start of its activity, Maison Kitsuné now has physical sales points in Europe (France, England), Asia (Japan, Middle East, Oceania…), and North America (USA, Canada). 38 boutiques, including 3 archive boutiques, as well as corners in prestigious locations like Le Bon Marché, highlight the creations of the duo. A DNA that has further developed with Café Kitsuné, currently present in 9 countries.

Among the three branches of activity, ready-to-wear is the one that generates the most revenue for the house.

Why is the Maison Kitsuné ready-to-wear range so successful?

The idea behind the ready-to-wear branch of Maison Kitsuné was, as the creators emphasize, not to create novelty but to work on timeless basics with a strong emphasis on the quality of materials and the craftsmanship of the pieces, made in France, Italy, the UK, and Japan.

The wardrobe offered by this independent Parisian fashion house highlights timeless pieces, which remain trendy, with solid colors or some playful graphic patterns that can charm us for years. The house’s logo plays a part in these minimalist pieces by adopting various silhouettes and becoming a strong emblem.

The creations are thoughtfully crafted around a link between Tokyo and Paris, and have been created over the years by various artistic directors. The house has also worked with a creative studio approach, like other houses, to highlight Guest Designers for a season. It is now the British Marcus Clayton who brings his vision to the Maison, with a first collection made for Spring-Summer 2023.

What role do collaborations play in the brand’s success and visibility?

Maison Kitsuné also stands out through numerous collaborations that complement its personal range. The collaborations shed light on a shared vision between two brands, or between two branches of the house. Indeed, a collaboration with its Café Kitsuné resulted in a collection of items, including hoodies, caps, shoes, tote bags, and even candles and stickers. Casio also joined the collection, creating a watch in collaboration.

On the brand side, Maison Kitsuné has creatively partnered with varied brand universes. Like Native Union for tech-focused products, a pair of glasses with Khromis, shoes with ATP Atelier, and ready-to-wear alongside Kajsa, And Wander, or even Barbour with their iconic khaki quilted jacket that has partnered with the little fox.

Recently, the brand unveiled a new collection alongside And Wander. The Maison had already showcased alongside the Japanese label with a range of technical clothing. Here, the winter theme envelops the pieces with a vintage Chalet DNA. On the occasion of this new creative chapter, the brand invited guests, including Loïc Prigent, to a high-end Japanese meal to offer them a dive into the Art of Living at Maison Kitsuné.

How is music inseparable from the DNA of Maison Kitsuné?

Now let’s discover the melody of Maison Kitsuné, or rather the melodies, as the label has propelled numerous artists and also distinguished itself through its compilations.

Music is inseparable from the house. Indeed, it is through this milieu that the house came to life. If we turn back to the early 2000s, Gildas Loaëc, working alongside Daft Punk for about ten years, meets Masaya Kuroki, who has just finished architecture studies, and joins them on a tour in Japan to assist with translation. Their shared desires for creation, fashion, and music matured, and thus the adventure began.

The founders saw music as a gateway to fashion and to introduce their ready-to-wear brand. Their collaboration with Daft Punk, along with Gildas Loaëc’s experience in the field, enabled them to create a reliable label structure that allowed them, on one hand, to nurture artists. And on the other, to create a musical universe unique to Maison Kitsuné.

The artistic fiber has also developed with the spotlight on works by artists rooted in graphic design, painting, photography, typography, and other practices.

How has the Kitsuné Musique label established itself over the years?

The Kitsuné Musique label has thus bet on young promising artists and supported them on the international stage. Among the gems revealed, we can mention the group Parcels that debuted on the label and remarkably stood out in the scene. Also, Two Doors Cinema Club was supported for about ten years by Kitsuné Musique.

The label also organizes mix parties to spotlight local artists and furthermore offers an artist residency in the bar space of its Café Kitsuné in Brooklyn.

Today, the label represents artists from around the world, and showcases them through compilations that have shaped the label’s DNA. These compilations are created around a style or a nationality of artists to introduce different talents. They are notably played in the Café Kitsuné to extend the immersion into the house’s universe.

How has Maison Kitsuné become a favorite spot for coffee lovers?

Cafés and restaurants from fashion houses are on the rise. Like the Yves Saint Laurent coffee cup, that of Café Kitsuné is photographed from every angle. With locations in Europe, Asia, America, and the Middle East, Café Kitsuné offers places with a refined atmosphere, where the decor reflects both the house’s universe and the architecture of the country where the location is situated.

How has Café Kitsuné become a recognized barista destination?

Café Kitsuné is not just a simple brand café. The locations cultivate a true love and expertise for coffee. The house has created its own coffee blend to offer a break with flavors that reflect its image and invite you to fully immerse in its Art of Living. Some locations, including one in Paris, even offer roasting workshops to introduce you to the art of slow coffee, Latte Art, or even Japanese manual brewing.

The cafés also offer a menu of pastries, ice creams, sandwiches, and other dishes that reflect both French culture and that of the country in which they are located.

These places blend calm and conviviality, but also a festive spirit, with events organized regularly.

As you have understood, Maison Kitsuné is much more than a ready-to-wear brand; it is a whole universe, or more precisely, a complete Art of Living where creation is the central focus.

Photos: Pinterest