Kei Ninomiya, Japanese designer, graduated in French literature in Kyoto before moving to Belgium to study at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. A school that has seen the greatest names in contemporary fashion, such as Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, Walter Van Beirendonck, and Marina Yee. A breeding ground for the world of fashion that will see him evolve until his departure for “Comme des Garçons,” as a designer of patterns.
Seeing his universe develop under the guidance of Rei Kawakubo, founder of the world-famous Japanese label and mentor of the young designer, he launched his own brand “Noir Kei Ninomiya” in 2012 and presented his first collection at the Fashion Week in 2019 to the delight of fans of the first hour.
His work develops on a base of black to which he adds white, gray, and touches of color. He reinvents the design process by removing as many seams as possible, preferring to assemble laser-cut pieces and thus responding to his watchword: comfort!
Passionate above all about the structure and volumes of the garment, Kei Ninomiya likes to propose unexpected pieces, which he first develops with paper until he arrives at an origami folding that will satisfy him. But don’t imagine his studio with walls covered in images and inspirations; the designer prefers to focus on how to wear his creations.
His artistic collections never cease to appeal to his ever-evolving inventiveness as an echo of today’s society to arouse new emotions that have found a sounding board in the world of Icelandic singer Björk.
Thomas Durin