Ay Style

●Apparel Brand "Ay"

With the mission of "weaving Culture," Ay is a cultural brand that revisits traditional heritage, unravels its essence, and adds new value to share with the world. The brand primarily focuses on clothing upcycled from "Meisen" kimonos, a traditional craft from Isesaki City, Gunma Prefecture. Collaborating with artisans and factories across Japan, Ay expresses new forms of tradition through its products. Additionally, the brand has developed and launched an original textile called "Ainonuno," which digitally archives Meisen patterns.

Online store : https://shop.ay.style/

●CEO Aya Murakami

Born in 1998 in Isesaki City, Gunma Prefecture, Aya Murakami began her journey abroad at the age of 15, studying in the United States. She later pursued a degree in Policy Management at Keio University, focusing on practical approaches to social change through education. In 2019, during her second year at university, she founded a brand in the Democratic Republic of Congo that created employment by utilizing local materials to produce apparel for the Japanese market. In 2020, she launched a brand dedicated to upcycling Meisen kimonos to promote her hometown’s culture. She collaborates with traditional artisans and local factories to develop innovative products while engaging in product and design development to address corporate challenges.