Keeping in theme with the idea of dressing effortlessly and interestingly...
It's been hard tracking down info about this brand, because even in Japan, it's a really, really, REALLY small, niche brand with not a lot of info online.
What I do know is that Drawings in Dialogue is a tiny brand that releases (released?) small seasonal collections consisting of a few, simple pieces, like t-shirts and hats, heavily inspired by painting.
(notice the paint smudges on the trim of the hat)
The line is mostly unisex, with sizing varying between season. The designer, a painter, designs clothes inspired by his life as an artist. He cites life in the studio as being particularly inspiring when designing, creating, and detailing his clothes. The line, from what I understand, is intended to be effortless and casual, the kind of clothes an artist may wear in the studio or to grab lunch, without worrying about getting them dirty or worn. Most pieces reference paintings or painting itself. This shirt, for example, was from a collection inspired by the Renaissance (think of a master artist's signature on canvas):
All of the garments are sourced, designed, and crafted domestically in Japan.
Not content to simply reference elements of painting in his designs, the designer (whose name I do not know) often adds hand-painted details to the collections, like on the trim of the hat and on this t-shirt:
more shirts:
From what I've gathered, 'drawings in dialogue' refers to the dialogue between the artist and their art. There's a lot to be said about this concept but this isn't a theory class so no need to get too far into it. However, it's worth considering the value of the painted details and the versatility of the garments so as to deepen one's appreciation of the line.
Forgive me for rambling, it's all part of having a BA in English flaxy
DiD pants, coat, and cardigan:
Sweater
This brings me to the reason I made this post. I bought a pair of Drawings in Dialogue pants months ago on a whim (same ones as in the first picture in this post), knowing nothing about them but hoping they were light enough for the summer. They are the exact opposite.
The quality is incredibly high, but being a hefty cotton/hemp, they're not gonna get much wear for a while. I have them listed for sale, but I think I'm going to keep them after all. There's just a great sense of personality I don't usually get from random y!JP buys.
Many detailed pictures below
The pants have a firm, weighty hand to them. The textile itself is medium-weight and soft, but the construction itself is dense and insulating. All of the paint appliques are real paint. The front of the pants have three small patches that act as tiny pockets. The pants feature a straight leg cuff with a hem sewn inside the leg. Slash pockets on the front, and a single rear pocket on the right side. I'm impressed with the quality, considering how small the brand is. I know very little about these pants except that they're from the FW '10 collection. This collection is also where the hat comes from, I believe. Most of the pieces feature paint splatter details. This collection in particular references the clothing-for-the-studio concept. The cardigan, coat, and pants in the earlier picture are from FW '11, I think, and that collection features less tarnished pieces, recalling the artist outside of their studio, perhaps researching subjects or out to lunch.
To reiterate, I know very, very little about Drawings in Dialogue. The collections are sparse and quality and the designer is inspired by his primary career as a painter. I have no clue if the line is still around, where to buy it, who stocks it, or even the name of the designer. Regardless, I'm satisfied to let the pieces speak for themselves until I find out more information.