Interviewed by Haruko Kohno
Photos courtesy of Renran
Photos by Kazuki Hioki
The way one’s tears gently fall on the sleeves of a garment is called sode shigure in Japanese, or literally, “sleeve-rain.” This word came to mind as I tried on a beautiful mohair cardigan with acrylic beads attached to the cuffs from the knitwear brand Renran. Looking at the subtle movement of the beads touching the yarn just slightly conjured a range of emotions.
Renran was launched by designer Megumi Kasuya in 2023 with two main lines of business: made-to-order knitwear with poetic touches as such, and vintage knitwear that are re-crafted with a more contemporary feel.
As a child, Megumi learned how to knit from her grandmother, and by junior high, she was sewing clothes using a sewing machine. After studying design at the Bunka Fashion College, she worked in apparel for a while, and then moved onto the textile industry. There she was involved in the production of threads, where she experimented with properties such as thickness, texture, and color. She recalls how focusing strictly on materials was an exciting phase in her career.
But soon after, Megumi gave birth to her child, which coincided with the Covid-19 outbreak. “I was navigating motherhood for the first time, unable to go anywhere. I felt this urge to connect with society. I was also just saying good bye to my twenties and so career-wise, I hadn’t built enough confidence yet. Honestly, I wish I had stayed in the work force a bit longer.”
Having to take a pause in her career, Megumi spent her days at home redesigning old knitwear. Posting some of this online brought about an unexpected turning point.
One day, a friend who had lost her father asked Megumi if she could repurpose one of his sweaters that he had left behind. At first, Megumi wasn’t sure about it but when she held the Aran sweater in her hands, she felt that she was able to retrace the gentleman’s life and even feel the 1970s vibe. She undid the yellowed ribbed collar and replaced it with some popcorn stitches. Her friend was very happy with the lighter, more contemporary design that suited her taste.
“Doing this for my friend made me realize that perhaps nobody else was providing this kind of service. I came to think that knitwear can be regarded as valuable as jewelry and repurposed so that it can be handed down through many generations,” Megumi explains.
“Renran means ‘lily of the valley,’ and it’s read ‘ling-lan’ in Chinese. My grandmother grew up in China and she still recalls some Chinese words. This was one word she taught me. In the language of flowers, ‘ling-lan’ means the ‘return of happiness.’ My grandmother used to undo and reknit my grandfather’s sweaters so that she could wear them. I named my business Renran with the hope that I too can help revive knitwear that are left in limbo in one’s closet.”
Apart from receiving individual requests, Megumi goes thrifting for vintage knitwear, particularly those with damage and stains. Typically, Megumi’s designs include slits, twists and other tricks that add a distinct feminine touch to otherwise bulky knitwear.
“I like to show a little skin around the collarbone and wrists; body parts that don’t change much in size as you age. My designs are not targeted solely to young customers. My body will change too, of course, as I get older. To the best of my capability, I try to design garments that women can feel good about themselves for many years to come.”
One of her most eye-catching remake tricks is where she separates one segment of a sweater, flips it over, and reattaches it so that the backside is now at the front. “I’m sure this part of the sweater was a bit surprised; I mean, after decades of being hidden in the back, it’s suddenly at the front! But I really wanted to show this pattern because it was so pretty.” The resulting sweater has the effect of a positive-negative pattern that creates a kind of visual rhythm.
As a rule, Megumi never uses scissors or a serger to cut off and finish seams. She creates one loose end, and from there, unravels the piece slowly by hand. By doing so she says she can see the particular knitting style of the knitter. Then, she either uses the reclaimed yarn and “returns” it to the piece, or uses a new, whiter kind of yarn.
The made-to-order pieces, on the other hand, include cardigans and vests with beads as mentioned earlier, mittens with decorative holes, versatile triangular pieces, lipstick cases, and so forth. These are showcased and as orders come in, the production is outsourced to fellow knitters.
“I arrived at this working style after going through my own struggles as a working woman. At one point, I wasn’t able to find a connection with society. But somewhere in the back of my mind there was this feeling that I could still put some of my skills to use. People think knitting is just a hobby but there’s a lot of time and care put into a work and that’s all worth paying for. When I started recruiting knitters, I got a huge response which shows how there are others who feel the same way. I’m now blessed with a wonderful group of knitters who work on commission. I hope that we will soon be able to call ourselves a team and say, ‘this is the work that we do.’”
Megumi knits stitch by stitch, slowly but surely. At times she takes a break, unravels, and starts over again. Her patters are one of a kind. Megumi’s knitting style seems to echo her own life journey.
“I know this sounds a bit abstract but I want to create work for women who are, or aspire to be, independent. I want to make clothes for people who choose what they wear not for how they want to be seen, but for expressing what they like and want. I want to make clothes that encourage individuals to say, ‘it’s okay to be me.’”
Megumi Kasuya
Director and designer of Renran. Megumi breathes new life into old knitwear, while also creating original knitwear that can be worn for a long time. Her interest in utilizing discarded yarn stems from her experience of working in the textile industry. Currently, Megumi has an office in the corporate support center “Idetachi Tokyo,” where she is learning how to build the foundation of her business.
Website: https://renran.theshop.jp
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renran_knitwear/
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Renran’s knitwear will be showcased at SCOPE Art Show (December 3-8. 2024) in Miami, inside the Open Editions shop.
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