A new capsule collection from Patina Hotels & Resorts channels Japan's traditional sashiko embroidery into contemporary fashion. It comes from a collaboration between Sashiko Gals, an artisan collective based in Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, that is expanding the possibilities of sashiko, and KUON, a brand that elevates the value found in Japanese tradition and antique textiles into modern fashion.
As a global collaboration under the Patina brand, the collection launches at Patina Osaka and Patina Maldives on September 16 (Wednesday), 2026, with availability also planned at Patina Tianjin, set to open this autumn.
Where Sashiko Craftsmanship, Contemporary Creativity, and Patina's Sensibility Resonate
The collaboration reflects a shared intention among all three parties: to honor inherited culture and craftsmanship while carrying their appeal into the future through a contemporary sensibility.
Sashiko Gals traces its roots to the Otsuchi Sashiko Project, launched in 2011 in Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, to support recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake. To present the sashiko skills built up over many years as a value the artisans themselves could carry forward, and to expand their possibilities further, the group relaunched as "Sashiko Gals" in 2024 with cooperation from Moonshot Inc., which operates KUON. Women in their 40s to 80s now draw on this craftsmanship to create their work.
Sashiko Gals and Arata Fujiwara
This meeting of Sashiko Gals, who protect Japan's traditional sashiko while broadening its possibilities through a contemporary sensibility, KUON, which reinterprets inherited culture from its own distinct perspective, and Patina, which regards culture as something to be experienced, shared, and carried into the future, has brought the creativity and design cultivated by all three into a new form of expression through a contemporary lens.
Arata Fujiwara, founder and creative director of both KUON and Sashiko Gals, commented on the collaboration with Patina:
"This collaboration came together through the fusion of Sashiko Gals' exceptional craftsmanship, KUON's creativity, and the experience of connecting people and culture that Patina Osaka holds dear. Through products that bring traditional sashiko techniques into modern lifestyles, I hope people will connect with the local stories and the artisans' feelings woven into them. I hope that the honest excitement and empathy of thinking 'this is cool,' 'this looks fun,' or 'I want to try this' will lead to a renewed interest in Japanese craftsmanship and culture, and become a bridge connecting people to each other, to places, and to culture."
The collaboration embodies Patina's vision of "Transformative Luxury," creating meaningful encounters with people, places, and culture.
A Capsule Collection Created Exclusively for Patina
Sashiko Gals x KUON x Patina triple-name logo
Building on items already offered by Sashiko Gals x KUON, the collection features a sashiko color palette designed specially for Patina. Shades evoking Patina's world -- white, blue, coral, yellow, and tan -- are worked into the sashiko threads, each stitch carefully finished by Sashiko Gals' artisans. The pieces also carry a triple-name logo for Sashiko Gals x KUON x Patina. The lineup comprises two items: a bucket hat in white and grey, and a sacoche in black. Since the sashiko stitching varies slightly on every piece, each item carries its own individual character, and every piece reflects the handiwork of its maker, careful design, and the respect for craft shared by all three parties.
Sashiko Gals x KUON x Patina Collaboration Bucket Hat
Product Overview
On sale from September 16 (Wednesday), 2026
Bucket Hat (White)
Product: Sashiko Gals x KUON x Patina Collaboration Bucket Hat
Price: ¥25,300 each (tax included)
Colors: White, Grey (2 colors)
Size: One size
Sacoche (Black)
Product: Sashiko Gals x KUON x Patina Collaboration Sacoche
Price: ¥16,500 (tax included)
Color: Black
Available At
Patina Osaka
Patina Maldives
Patina Tianjin (available after opening this autumn)
Sales end dates vary by item depending on stock availability. Sales periods and details are subject to change without notice. Listed prices include consumption tax and service charge.
About Sashiko Gals
Sashiko Gals is an artisan collective based in Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, carrying on the sashiko techniques passed down in the Tohoku region. Building on the skills developed through the Otsuchi Sashiko Project, which began after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, the group launched in 2024 with cooperation from Moonshot Inc., which operates KUON.
Women in their 40s to 80s now draw on years of craftsmanship to stitch sashiko, piece by piece, into clothing and a range of items. Beyond preserving traditional technique -- including giving new expression and value to items no longer in use -- the group is opening up new possibilities for sashiko through encounters with fashion and culture.
About KUON
Launched in 2016, KUON is a Japanese design house. The brand's name comes from the Japanese word "kuon" (久遠), and it pursues a beauty that transcends time by drawing on the history and culture held within secondhand clothing and antique textiles from around the world.
Guided by the idea that "new things grow old, but beautiful things stay beautiful forever," KUON reconstructs traditional materials and techniques, including sashiko and boro, into contemporary design. By fusing Japanese aesthetic sensibility with cultures passed down around the world through its own distinct perspective, the brand proposes a new kind of making where "cool" and "social good" coexist.
About Patina Osaka
Set between the ruins of Naniwa Palace and the historic Osaka Castle, Patina Osaka invites mindful explorers to experience transformative luxury redefined through the lens of conscious living and creative expression. Rising 20 stories above Osaka, the "city of water," this sanctuary stands as a symbol of sustainable beauty, where weathered copper, carefully selected timber, and abundant flowing water speak to guests of the passage of time while honoring both the earth and art. The hotel's 221 thoughtfully designed guest rooms reflect kisetsukan, the Japanese aesthetic of cherishing the seasons, in spaces attuned to nature's rhythms. Guests can experience P72, a restaurant serving micro-seasonal cuisine with seasonal ingredients that tell the stories of local artisans and the land's blessings, along with a listening room where sound pioneer Devon Turnbull (OJAS) has meticulously crafted speakers that turn music into meditation. With its focus on heartfelt luxury and art, Patina Osaka is a sustainable, refined hotel for people who seek not just a stay, but personal growth. It was named "World's Best Hotel" (ranked No. 1 in the world) and "No. 1 City Hotel in Asia" in the Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards 2026. Following Patina Maldives, Fari Islands, Patina Osaka is the brand's second hotel and its first urban property -- a place where a creative perspective opens the mind and leaves its mark on life.
For more information, visit Patina Osaka.
Instagram: @patinaosaka | LinkedIn: @patinahotels
