Daiki Suzuki is was born in Japan and moved to the United States of America in 1989, where he gained his first role in the fashion industry as a purchaser in Boston, where he was tasked with bringing genuine American outdoor clothing back to Japan.
Launching his own label in 1999 called Engineered Garments, he was driven by a desire to make his own products. Rather than being an amalgam of Suzuki’s Japanese background in an American setting, Engineered Garments sell clothes that are based on a more personal interpretation, Suzuki describing each and every garment being born out of “Clothes I have seen, worn, bought and grown up with … I approach my work with my personal experiences only”.
Starting out with a cult following based mainly in Japan, Engineered Garments now sits proudly as an international brand that is popular around the world. Never one to rest on his laurels however, Suzuki also joined the Woolrich Mills label in 2006, with a task to update the brand. Perhaps ironic that a Japanese designer was brought in to do this with the label being such a bastion of the traditional American look, but Suzuki did just that and was rewarded for his efforts with a GQ/CFDA Designer of the Year award in 2008.
Daiki Suzuki’s style is difficult to categorise, his work at Engineered Garments led the work-wear movement, modern, often odd designs with a utilitarian sensibility, whilst his work at Woolrich Mills are characterised by the traditional all-American chic, infused with an invigorating edge of character and heritage. Suzuki’s designs can be found around the world, and he continues to design and innovate from his New York City base, his many fans and admirers eagerly awaiting his next collection.
Website: www.engineeredgarments.jp
Facebook: www.facebook.com/engineeredgarments
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