The Beauty in the Invisible

The Real McCoy’s is a Japanese apparel brand based in Kobe that works well outside the philosophies we associate with most of today’s clothing manufacturing. Their production processes are much closer to the ideals of the Arts & Crafts movement, rather than the post-modern processes that rely on heavily standardized materials running through machinery at a high level of automation. 

The Real McCoy’s primarily draws its design inspiration from American clothing from the late 1800s into the middle of the 20th century. During this time, textile machinery was powered first by steam and then by electricity. While they incorporated increasing levels of automation over time, these machines were still primarily manually controlled and required skilled operators. Because The Real McCoy’s still uses many of these machines and processes, the hand of the worker and the emphasis on materiality are apparent in every garment that leaves their doors. As William Morris suggested, the use of machinery itself does not limit artistry, but it is the worker’s degree of control over the machinery that has the greatest impact on the final product.