Dezeen Magazine

Nendo twists traditional details to enliven simple white shirts

Japanese studio Nendo has created a collection of shirts with integrated accessories for men and a range fastened with cufflinks for women.

Fuse and Cuff Links by Nendo

Nendo's two shirt collections are included in the by|n range, designed by the Tokyo-based studio for Japan's Seibu department stores.

Fuse and Cuff Links by Nendo

The men's Fuse collection includes five different designs, described by Nendo as "a men's shirt collection born from the concept of gently fusing things found around shirts into the shirt itself".

Fuse and Cuff Links by Nendo

"Things 'fused' include accessories like neckties and sweaters worn with shirts, as well as products often found close to shirts such as glasses and pens," said the studio. "We made an effort to include details that would seem ordinary at first glance, but bring surprise when viewed more closely."

Fuse and Cuff Links by Nendo

The first shirt in the collection gives the appearance of wearing a tie with the garment. Made in the same colour and fabric, a knot is attached to the collar and the shirt's placket is designed to look like the tail.

Fuse and Cuff Links by Nendo

Another design echoes the way that tips of a shirt collar tuck into the top of a sweater, with a neckline picked out with stitching overlapping the ends – creating the illusion of two garments rather than one.

Fuse and Cuff Links by Nendo

The breast pocket on the third shirt is open at the bottom for the wearer to store his glasses over. A cloth for wiping the lenses clean is sewn in behind.

Fuse and Cuff Links by Nendo

Two shirts are patterned with motifs taken from markings from stationery implements, much like the Draftsmen series of watches that also feature in the by|n collection and can be purchased from Dezeen Watch Store.

Fuse and Cuff Links by Nendo

A faint striped design is modelled on extended ruler increments and a subtle check is based on graph paper.

Fuse and Cuff Links by Nendo

For the women's collection, Nendo was influenced by the accessories typically used to fasten the cuffs of men's dress shirts but adapted the idea for the plackets.



Fuse and Cuff Links by Nendo

"Rather than doubling the fabric, then fastening it, our shirts fasten by gathering the fabric from front and back, bringing a unique three-dimensionality to the placket and collar," said the studio.

Fuse and Cuff Links by Nendo

The Cufflinks series includes four designs, with the first using the colourful fastenings at the top of a simple shirt.

Fuse and Cuff Links by Nendo

For the second, the bottom of a long shirt doubles back like a dress shirt cuff and is joined at the side in a similar fashion.

Fuse and Cuff Links by Nendo

A wavy placket formed by offsetting the cufflinks creates a detail on another garment.

Fuse and Cuff Links by Nendo

The final design has a turtle-neck collar designed to look like a cuff, with the fastening to one side and more buttons along the yoke.

Fuse and Cuff Links by Nendo

"Options include a variety of buttons in different colours, so that wearers can change the 'cufflinks' colours according to their mood – bringing one of the traditional pleasures of wearing cufflinks to these shirts, too," said the studio.

Fuse and Cuff Links by Nendo

Nendo's by|n range includes umbrellas that can stand on their own when not in use and moulded-paper pendant lamps, which are all displayed at retail concessions also created by the studio in the department stores around Japan.