Japan · Designer · Disorder
Daily wear with a feel of disorder — the Tokyo brand that won the 2018 LVMH Prize by turning basics into playful, conversation-starting pieces.
doublet starts with the most ordinary thing — a hoodie, a tee, a pair of sneakers — and then does something wrong on purpose. Founded in Tokyo in 2012 by Masayuki Ino and pattern maker Takashi Murakami, the brand takes "basic and standard products" and injects what it calls "a feeling of strangeness in everyday wear." The result is clothing that makes you look twice, laugh once, and then realize the craft behind the joke is deadly serious.
The timeline: from Gunma to the LVMH stage
- 1979
- Masayuki Ino born in Gunma prefecture, Japan.
- ~2005–2012
- Ino works at MIHARAYASUHIRO for roughly 7 years as a shoes and accessories head designer — learning craft before building his own language. Source: LVMH Prize
- 2012
- Establishes doublet with pattern maker Takashi Murakami (not the artist) in Tokyo. Note: some press states 2011; 2012 is the most-verified year across LVMH, Rakuten FWT, and Tokyo Fashion Award.
- 2013 S/S
- Debut via exhibition of the Spring/Summer 2013 collection.
- 2013
- Wins Grand Prix (Professional category) of the 2013 Tokyo New Designer Fashion Grand Prix.
- 2017
- Wins Tokyo Fashion Award 2017; presents first individual runway show in Tokyo; exhibits at Paris showroom for two consecutive seasons.
- June 2018
- Wins the 2018 LVMH Prize — the first Japanese and first Asian designer to do so. Receives €300,000 + one year of mentorship. Jury included Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Jacobs, Nicolas Ghesquière, and more.
- FW 2020
- Officially begins participating in Paris Fashion Week. The AW20 "Family Restaurant" presentation gains global attention.
- Nov 2022
- Marc Jacobs × doublet capsule collection launches — Japan-exclusive, featuring repurposed car seatbelts and hand-sewn balloon straps.
- Jan 2026
- doublet × ASICS GEL-Quantum 360 "Tyrannosaurus Rex" releases — 3D printing + dinosaur-head illusion on a running silhouette.
Design DNA: how to spot doublet
The brand principle is "daily wear with a feel of disorder" (違和感のある日常着). Every collection starts from basics — then introduces one deliberate, smart "wrongness" that turns the garment into a conversation piece. Ino's influences range from Jun Takahashi and Walter Van Beirendonck to David Lynch and Andy Warhol, with a deep pull from Japanese TV comedy and skate/BMX subculture.
Basics, rewritten
Standard items with unexpected substitutions — replacing parts of basic garments with ideas that shouldn't be there, but work.
Blunt graphic concepts
Bold slogans and graphics used as social commentary or deadpan jokes — like "SALE" tees critiquing discount culture.
Surreal object-logic
Cardboard-look coats, banana-peel hoodies, dreamcatcher sweaters — everyday objects turned into wearable garments.
Craft + tech tricks
3D printing, algorithmic patterning, upcycled fibers — technical precision that's both obvious and playful.
Signature pieces to know
These are the items that define doublet's language — where the weird becomes real and the craft justifies the joke.
Peelable Banana Hoodie
3D-modeled banana shape transformed into a 2D pattern by Synflux's algorithm. No armholes — the zip mimics peeling a banana. Made from upcycled banana stalk fiber fleece. ¥94,600.
"Undead Stock" SALE Tees
2018 S/S concept born from Ino's discomfort with discount culture — shirts printed with "SALE" and sealed so they couldn't be tried on before buying.
"Made For Disposal" PLA Tee
A slogan-forward long-sleeve made from 100% polylactide — a biodegradable polymer. The concept made literal. Made in Japan.
ASICS GEL-Quantum 360 T-Rex
3D-printed reptilian textures + polyurethane elements create a dinosaur-head illusion on a running shoe. Teeth-and-gums sole colorway. $260.
Materials & construction: where the weird becomes real
doublet doesn't just look inventive — the construction backs it up. Upcycled agricultural waste, algorithmic patterning, biodegradable polymers, and 3D printing techniques show up across collections, always in service of the concept.
Biodegradable PLA: the "Made For Disposal" tee uses 100% polylactide jersey — a material designed to break down.
3D printing: the ASICS collab uses 3D-printed textures and polyurethane molded elements to create a dinosaur-head illusion on a running silhouette.
FAQ
The brand name reflects the partnership between designer Masayuki Ino and pattern maker Takashi Murakami — a "doublet" as in a pair working together. The name is stylized in lowercase.
Tokyo, Japan. The brand operates from the quiet Setagaya district and has been based in Tokyo since its founding in 2012.
doublet sits at designer level — it's an LVMH Prize winner, stocked at Dover Street Market and SSENSE, with prices ranging from ~¥47,000 for tees to ~¥94,600 for hoodies and $2,000+ for outerwear. The value comes from originality, textile experimentation, and craft.
Best options: the official online store at shop.doublet-jp.com, or check the brand's official stockist list on doublet-jp.com/store — which includes multiple Dover Street Market locations and top Japanese boutiques.
Apparel typically uses letter sizes (S, M, L, XL); accessories often use OS/ONE. Sneaker collabs follow the partner's sizing (e.g., ASICS uses standard US sizing). No unified official size chart has been published — check individual retailer guides for measurements.
Specific pieces demonstrate sustainability: upcycled banana stalk fibers (Synflux collab), biodegradable PLA jerseys, repurposed car seatbelts, and upcycled suits (Yofuku no Aoyama collab). However, no verified full supply chain audit or ESG report has been published under the brand's name.
Collaborations: humor meets craft
When doublet collaborates, the result is never a logo swap — it's a mutual amplification of strangeness. From dinosaur sneakers with ASICS to balloon straps on Marc Jacobs bags, each partnership extends doublet's "object becomes clothing" logic into new territory.
Other notable collaborations: Marc Jacobs × doublet (Nov 2022, Japan-exclusive — repurposed seatbelt straps + hand-sewn balloon details, ¥78,100–¥106,700); doublet × Colantotte (July 2024 — magnetic necklaces with medical device certification, tied to Paris men's fashion week theme "THE CURE"); doublet × Yofuku no Aoyama (Feb 2022 — upcycled suits); doublet × ASICS GEL-Kayano 20 (2024 — cardboard shoe box–inspired design).
Where to buy + authenticity
- Official online store: shop.doublet-jp.com
- Official stockist list: doublet-jp.com/store — includes Dover Street Market (multiple locations), leading Japanese boutiques, and global partners.
- Trusted multi-brand retailers: SSENSE, Dover Street Market, and other stockists listed on the official site.
- Overseas buyers: Greybird Store — a Tokyo + San Francisco–based retailer that ships doublet directly to the US with import duties covered.
- For collaborations: check the official dealer list published with each collab release (e.g., Colantotte listed specific global dealers including 10 Corso Como Seoul, Antonioli Milano, and DSM Beijing/Singapore).
- Social: Instagram @__doublet__ · Website doublet-jp.com
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