Origins

Ikigai Atelier was born during the pandemic. Passion for fashion sewing and couture led us to reinvent ourselves following the teachings of Ikigai. Our house of fashion was named in honour of this japanese philosophy.

Ikigai

A philosophy

Ikigai is very much in fashion today, many equate it with a Venn diagram popularized by Andrés Zuzunaga. Even if this diagram gives some representation of the concept, it does not relay its true meaning in Japonese culture

The philosophy of Ikigai was founded by Mieki Kamiya (1914 – 1979), a Japanese psychiatrist who treated leprosy patients at Nagashima Aiseien Sanatorium

Japanese people believe that the sum of small joys in everyday life results in more fulfilling life as a whole. Ikigai is what allows you to look forward to the future even if you’re miserable right now.

Essentially, ikigai is the reason why you get up in the morning

Ikigai atelier was born out of this very philosophy. The act of creating clothing is what bring us joy and fulfillment.