Sanyo Shokai has unveiled a new brand, AUREME, set to launch in the Autumn/Winter 2026 season. Positioned as part of the company’s mid-term growth strategy, the label is designed to expand distribution beyond traditional department stores, focusing on fashion buildings and e-commerce channels, with plans to open around ten stores within five years.

Courtesy of AUREME
On April 21, a live exhibition was held at the Science Museum Tokyo, where the debut Autumn/Winter 2026 collection was presented for the first time. Under the direction of Misako Kushibe, the collection explored the concept of “everyday wear for the future—like air itself,” introducing high-value daily wear that merges functionality with fashion through a runway presentation featuring twelve models.

Clothing That Feels Like Air

The name AUREME derives from “AURA” and “ME,” expressing the idea of clothing that quietly enhances individual presence. Rather than following trends, the brand focuses on the relationship between air, body, and materiality, articulating what it defines as a “quiet avant-garde.”

Courtesy of AUREME
Its philosophy begins with an awareness of the body as something constantly exposed to increasingly harsh environmental conditions. From this premise, AUREME proposes garments as a “second skin”—hybrid wear that combines functionality and comfort while remaining fluid and adaptable to everyday life.

A System of Three Layers

The collection is structured around three categories: FUNCTION, DAILY USE, and COMFORTABLE.

FUNCTION integrates high-spec performance with a mode-driven aesthetic. DAILY USE emphasizes material quality, comfort, and subtle playfulness. COMFORTABLE focuses on softness, natural materials, and ease, incorporating features such as UV protection, temperature regulation, and breathable construction.

Courtesy of AUREME
What distinguishes these garments is not their technical features alone, but how those functions are embedded within everyday movement and sensation. Techniques such as seam sealing, ergonomic pattern design, anti-wrinkle and antibacterial treatments are integrated quietly—supporting the body without overtly declaring their presence.

A Runway Inside a Modernist Structure

The choice of venue added another layer of meaning.

Opened in 1964, the Science Museum Tokyo is a modernist building designed by Kiyoo Matsushita and Takashi Hirayama, known for its star-shaped plan—resembling either a starfish or the Chinese character for “heaven.”

Photo by ©FASHION HEADLINE

The show took place in a triangular exhibition hall, where models walked along each edge in a clockwise rhythm. Large speakers installed around a central column amplified the sound of footsteps, creating a dynamic interplay between space, movement, and atmosphere.

Within this architectural context—symbolic of technology and the future—AUREME’s concept of “everyday wear for the future” was expressed spatially rather than solely through garments.

A Neutral Approach to the Body

Although centered on womenswear, AUREME deliberately avoids defining gender boundaries. Its target is described simply as “anyone who seeks comfort,” proposing a neutral aesthetic that transcends age and gender.

Courtesy of AUREME
This neutrality extends beyond the notion of genderless fashion. It reflects a broader attitude toward adaptability—responding to changing bodies, climates, and lifestyles. The garments are not designed for a specific identity, but for the shifting conditions of contemporary life.

Circulation as a Core Concept

At the heart of AUREME lies the keyword “Circulation.” The brand frames the human body, seasons, nature, air, and water as interconnected systems, advocating for a continuous, unbroken cycle as a new aesthetic standard.

Courtesy of AUREME
This philosophy is also embedded in its operational structure. A paid repair program encourages long-term wear, while collaborations with the environmental organization more trees direct a portion of sales toward forest conservation. Clothing, in this context, becomes part of a broader ecological cycle rather than a disposable commodity.

A Quiet Form of Expression

Creative director Misako Kushibe brings extensive experience across design, product development, and brand direction. Her approach does not rely on strong visual codes, but instead seeks to draw out a sense of quiet strength within the wearer.

Courtesy of AUREME
The looks presented at the exhibition reflected this balance—technical yet soft, structured yet fluid, protective yet understated. It is within this equilibrium that AUREME’s vision of the future begins to take shape.

Beyond a New Brand

For Sanyo Shokai, AUREME represents more than a new label. It signals a shift in distribution strategy and a reconfiguration of its brand portfolio, targeting new customer segments through fashion buildings and digital platforms.

Courtesy of AUREME
Yet beyond these strategic objectives, what emerges is a careful attempt to translate an abstract idea—“everyday wear for the future”—into tangible form. The result is not a statement piece, but a subtle recalibration of how clothing exists within daily life.