3j Workshop Shirt Section:
3j Workshop launched it’s first collection with great success in Summer 2004. Created by designer Victor Tanisaka, the concept for the line was to do very special item embroidered shirts done with traditional menswear stripe shirtings. 3j Workshop is owned by the Levite family and Ofer Oz, under the Johnny Was umbrella, which also owns the JW Los Angeles label that Victor designs as well.
For 3j workshop, just making beautiful shirts isn’t enough. Victor pays special attention to the detail and the cut of the shirt. “It’s always important to not just embellish a shirt with pretty embroideries, but to design shirts with a cut that flatters the body”. He manipulates the striped fabric to compliment the body by cutting them on angles in certain places, and vertical in others. Other special details include the trademark striped ribbon locker loop at the back of the neck and down the right side of the shirt.
The embroidery ideas are unlimited. From Asian art, Persian blankets to Art Nouveau paintings or Spanish tiles, Victor doesn’t limit his ideas for where to get inspiration. “The one thing that the shirt must have is it’s own identity. And in that identity, it must convey beauty and originality”, says Victor. “I approach the design of each shirt like I would a piece of art. A piece that the wearer can identify him or herself in, and that they feel unique and special wearing.”
For Fall 2005, Victor introduced exciting new blazer jackets to the collection. These were again inspired by traditional menswear fabrics. In this case it was Cotton Glen Plaids and Herringbones. Victor embroidered the jackets with beautiful florals, birds, poetry, and other motifs. He paid the same attention to detail with the jackets that was given to the shirts by using Rhinestone trimmed antique glass buttons, and frayed seams and edges to convey a deconstructed look. And for Fall 2006, 3j Workshop plans on introducing pants to the collection.
The collection was originally launched for women only, but for Spring 2006, 3j workshop is introducing Men’s shirts. It’s always been a dream of Victor’s to design a men’s line and this became the perfect avenue to launch one since the shirts can be easily translated from womenswear to menswear. They will start with just the shirts, and then in Fall 2006, blazers and pants will be introduced.
Kitmeout - Today's Fashion Online
