New Zeta Gundam haori coats fuse mechs with 100 years of Japanese craftsmanship
A new collaboration has been announced by the official Gundam-themed apparel brand STRICT-G, which fuses the world of the classic anime series Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam with the traditional craft of a historic textile manufacturer.
A pair of “haori,” or traditional Japanese short coats, are being released to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the anime series.
The new haori are a collaboration with Miyata Orimono, a cotton textile manufacturer from Fukuoka Prefecture with a history stretching back over a century to its founding in 1913.
The company handles the entire production process, from weaving to sewing, in-house in Japan.
This new collection features two different haori, each themed around an iconic mobile suit from Zeta Gundam, and each crafted from a different, symbolic, traditional woven cotton fabric known as “momen.”
- Zeta Gundam Haori
This haori features a dynamic, brush-painting-style illustration of the Zeta Gundam on its back and is made from a fabric with a “Dragonfly” (tonbo) pattern.
In Japan, the dragonfly is known as the “victory bug” because it only flies forward, and it was beloved by samurai as a symbol of a “never retreat” spirit and victory.
- Hyaku Shiki Haori
This haori is made from a fabric with a “Wheat Threshing” (mugiuchi) pattern, which represents the joy and gratitude of a bountiful harvest and is considered a symbol of good fortune.
It features an illustration of the golden Hyaku Shiki mobile suit on its back.
Both haori are a unique fusion of modern pop culture with a traditional Japanese craft.
Each of the two haori is priced at ¥26,400 (approx. $179 USD/£132 GBP).
Pre-orders for the new collection began on Friday, the 19th of September, at 1:00 PM Japan Standard Time on the “STRICT-G Online Store” within the Premium Bandai website.
A general in-store release is scheduled to follow at the four physical STRICT-G retail locations starting tomorrow, Saturday, the 20th of September.
The stores are located at DiverCity Tokyo Plaza in Odaiba, Tokyo Solamachi, the NEOPASA Shizuoka Expressway service area, and the Taga Expressway service area.
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