press · updated october 2026

ARAI — garments designed, cut and sewn by Osamu Arai in Berlin.

Short bio (may be quoted)

ARAI is the Berlin studio of Osamu Arai (新井 修, b. 1982, Maebashi, Gunma). Born into a family of silkworm farmers in the region that once wove Japan's kimono silk, he trained as a pattern maker in Japan and Sydney before settling in Berlin in 2011. Every ARAI piece is designed, cut and sewn by Arai himself, in cloth he chooses bolt by bolt — judo-uniform sashiko cotton from a mill in Gifu, linen from a workshop in Łódź, natural indigo cotton from a couple in Kiryū — garments made to be worn for years. ARAI has shown in Berlin and Gunma since 2005; in July 2026 the collection 産靈 Musuhi was presented at Kissabō during Berlin Fashion Week, inside a working tea house — worn and seen up close, over cups of tea.

In his own words (may be quoted)

Ever since I was a child, wearing clothes I loved would brighten my heart and make ordinary days feel enjoyable. That is part of why I wanted to make clothes. I want the people who wear what I make to feel the way I felt as a child. Making clothes with that feeling — that is ARAI.

幼い頃から好きな服を着ていると心が明るくなったり日常が楽しくなったりしたのが服を作りたいと思ったきっかけでもあります。私が作った服を着てくれた人が自分が幼い頃感じたような気持ちを感じてもらいたい、そんな気持ちで服作りをしているのがARAIです。

Facts

Brand mark

Images (editorial use — credit "ARAI — Osamu Arai · photo: [photographer]")

higher-resolution files & interview requests — contact@arai-studio.com