YAMMA

We are happy to introduce clothing from YAMMA because they realise a sustainable way of design and production, which is what MONO Shop staffs believe in. We also wear and cherish YAMMA's clothes ourselves, so we are quite confident that you will also be satisfied with YAMMA's simple yet functional clothing for a long time.

Fashion brand YAMMA uses Aizu cotton, a strong, comfortable and breathable traditionally crafted Japanese textile. The design is timeless, the production sustainable and no-waste thanks to their made-to-order system using local fabric, local seamstresses and tailors since their start in 2008.

About YAMMA

Start of the brand

YAMMA is a brand established by the designer, Nana Yamasaki in Tokyo, 2008.

The owner and the designer Ms. Nana Yamazaki used to be a student of contemporary art and stage design including costumes, but when she became a mother, in order to secure some time to spend with her child using her skills, she came up with an idea to start up a fashion brand of her own.

There was a reason for her starting at first with art and stage design and not with fashion designing, despite her love for fashion.

There were so many things around the fashion industry that she just could not bear: the endless chase after the trend, the shock of seeing something you bought at regular price being sold at a bargain price, or the sadness of seeing things no one bought left on the shelf.

Soon she realized, “maybe I should think of a way so that those things I cannot bear won’t happen, a way to make things in unconventional method.” She came up with an idea to start an industrial revolution in the fashion world.

In January 2008, when she felt confident to start the business with the chosen grandmas, she established her company, “YAMMA SANGYO,” with its flagship brand, named “YAMMA.”

The word “SANGYO” means “industry” in English. The reason why she had put the word in her company name was because she wanted to keep her first inspiration: to start an industrial revolution.

YAMMA’s “special ordering session”

YAMMA’s pronominal “special ordering session”-style dressmaking began, in 2009.

YAMMA’s clothes get to the customer approximately six months after placing the order. For that reason, Yamasaki takes into account and makes sure that the design of her products would be universal, something that can be worn for a long time and comfortably, regardless of the wearer’s age, and something that never goes out of style.

One of the first goals, reducing of waste, has been achieved, all thanks to the understanding and patience of customers.

Prior to shipping, all YAMMA clothes are sent to the studio in Tokyo, where each of them is hand-washed and sun-dried by the staff as a part of quality inspection.

Only the so-called “B-grade” products, which had problems such as mis-weaved, damaged or unevenly dyed spots on the fabric, are left behind.

Those B-grade products are also eventually sold at proper prices as “imperfect products,” in sample sales or other events held several times a year.

YAMMA's concept

“Things we can do together; between you, us and them.”

YAMMA aspires to support decency in manufacturing by stepping in between the makers and users.

YAMMA's cloths

“Long-cherished things become long-cherished experience.”

Long story short, what Yamasaki aims to create as a designer can be defined simply as “things that can be used for a long time.”

Of course, there is naturally the matter of aesthetics: it should be beautiful when worn. However, it is equally important for her to achieve the long-lasting validity both design- and material-wise.

About Aizu Momen

Among all the cotton textile in Japan, Aizu Momen is the one that has the strongest of regional colors, and characteristic that agrees with the locality of Aizu, which on its own is a very unique region.

Developed by the people of Aizu who were born and raised in the typical of the basin climate: the hot summer and heavy snow during the winter, Aizu Momen is equipped with a superb temperature adjustment function. It keeps the cool with high ventilation during the summer and helps keeping the body temperature during the winter by almost immediately becoming the same warmth as the body when worn. In fact, unlike the cotton lawn, it never feels cold when touched but gives unbelievable warmth for a 100%-cotton textile. It is an excellent piece of fabric that can be worn literally throughout the year.

Moreover, the recent dyeing process employs high-fastness (meaning, 'doesn't fade easily') method in order to keep the beautiful stripe patterns, allowing the original condition to last longer.

It is washable in an ordinary household washing machine (even winter clothes, which you may find convenient), and is a stress-free material that can be used without much care.

The raw cotton is imported from America, while spinning and reeling works are done in Japan. All dyeing process is done in our factory, in very time-consuming manners and with impressive results.

All the hard work is summarized into the unique patterns of Aizu Momen, which is achieved by layering and placing the yarns in various colors side by side. There is no other way but the hard way we take, to achieve those patterns.

Cotton is generally known to shrink easily. YAMMA ships out all merchandize after handwashing them. Don’t be surprised to see your purchases all wrinkled when delivered. Rest assured that our product will not shrink after the first wash at home.