Japanese influencers Amiaya on their Weekend Max Mara Treasures of Japan campaign

Japanese influencers Amiaya bring their unique aesthetic to the Weekend Max Mara Treasures of
Japan campaign. They tell Zaneta Cheng what their Japanese heritage means to them and how they’re interpreting the Kyoto Pasticcino bag for global audiences

“We love the belief in fashion that Weekend Max Mara transmits,” say Amiaya, the Tokyo-born twin sisters, Instagram sensations, models and DJs who have been chosen by the Italian brand to be the faces of the Pasticcino Bag World Tour Treasures of Japan campaign.

Japan has long been looked to as a bubbling hub of creativity, with its centuries-long history and ancient traditions sitting comfortably alongside its cutting- edge innovation. This is what has brought Weekend Max Mara to Kyoto for its most recent Pasticcino bag. The Pasticcino Bag World Tour Treasures of Japan collection is part of a cross-seasonal project that produces special-edition bags celebrating the craft of a city through partnerships with with local artisans. Past collections were inspired by Paris and Venice.

Paying homage to Japanese heritage, Weekend Max Mara worked with Kawashima Selkon Textiles, a fabric manufacturer based in Kyoto that has been operating since 1843 and is known for its ability to combine traditional techniques with the latest in textile technology, to create six patterns for the Pasticcino bag, each in two sizes.

The bags are woven to the quality of the silks used to create the finest obi, kimono and other luxurious interior fabrics. There is a selection of pastel pinks with delicate floral patterns that symbolise fertility and life. There are richer, robust colours of matte gold, rust and caramel in patterns of flowers and birds, as well as bouquets of peonies, roses and buttercups. One design is a revisitation of a 1905 motif drawn from the country’s imperial history. Even the bag’s signature Boule clasps have been tasked to the craftsmen of the Bottega Nakamori-Kumihimo, who have been handcrafting obijime and haori cords for four generations since 1927.

Joining the celebration of Japan’s centuries-old tradition in textiles and kimono, Amiaya are the confluence of Tokyo’s trend-setting fashion scene while embodying Kyoto’s tradition, interpreting the East for the West and bringing elements of the West to the East.

What do you like the most about the Weekend Max Mara Pasticcino collection?

The combination of patterns, materials, colours and the design of the Boules at the clasp. The size range and the fact that the bag can be used as a clutch or [with a] strap are also some of the things we like most about the collection. We also love the rounded silhouette. It fits well on the arm and the gamaguchi design and its volume are very striking.

How did you envision this collaboration when you were first approached?

By combining our signature style with the personality of the Pasticcino bag, we wanted to express a new worldview that resonates with traditional elements, modern and innovative elements, as well as Japanese and Tokyo culture through our identity.

What were your first impressions of the Treasures of Japan bag?

We were so excited to see the elegant, delicate and meticulously detailed Japanese craftsmanship. We
could only admire the beautiful design. The combination of the lovely rounded silhouette of the Pasticcino bag and the traditional Japanese kimono pattern is very fresh.

Are you yourselves influenced by your country’s traditional crafts?

Yes, there are many! We’re interested in traditional crafts like textiles, dyed goods, ceramics and incense products. There are so many beautiful and wonderful things that broaden our senses and values.

As the face of the Treasures of Japan campaign, how does it feel to represent a bag that draws from your country’s heritage of craftsmanship?

These bags are inspired by Japan’s proud tradition of craftsmanship, which has influenced many people around the world. We would like to propose that the inspiration from these bags can inspire anew. We wanted to express ourselves through this campaign in such a way that we can create new values while carrying on the culture.

How did you work in this idea that you’re talking about during the creative process? How does it translate in the campaign?

We thought it was very important for this project to express our individuality. We were conscious of the importance of hair, make-up and styling as well as the sense of synchronisation and balance that only twins can have, the facial expressions and the atmosphere that only twins can create when posing. We were also conscious of the fact that the various facial expressions contribute to express our desire, to convey the joy of free expression and the diversity of beauty and individuality through fashion.

What elements of the world of Weekend Max Mara did you want to convey in your images?

It is an image that expresses a playful view of the world, valuing free and open silhouettes, comfortable fashion, colour palette, patterns and various inspirations while keeping its identity of elegance.

What makes for strong images and how does social media work to bring fashion campaigns and collaborations such as this to life?

We think they’re very important to appealing to the world today. We’re very happy to be able to communicate our thoughts and feelings through social media and to have people around the world see and hear our expressions through audio and visual media.

We’d like to send out messages so that people can feel the temperature of the thoughts of the creators and all the people involved in this campaign so that we can weave a thread that connects the campaign from its creation to the moment when people are actually holding the product in their hands.

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