Production of Summer Crew Uniforms for the Cruise Train Seven Stars in Kyushu
Seven Stars in Kyushu, the JR Kyushu cruise train admired by travellers around the world. Foo Tokyo was entrusted with producing the summer uniforms worn by its crew.
This is the third time we have been involved in shaping the world of Seven Stars in Kyushu. The first was the supervision and production of the blankets that accompany guests during quiet hours in their cabins; the second was the onboard loungewear created for the train's renewal.
This time our work was the uniform the crew wears through the summer months. It was produced under the direction of Eiji Mitooka of Don Design Associates, in partnership with makers across Kyushu.
Clothing worn by the crew who carry the journey needs more than a beautiful appearance. It has to remain comfortable across long shifts, allow easy movement, and stand up to daily care. Drawing on what the brand has always valued — genuine comfort against the skin, and unhurried making — we set out to realise a uniform with the dignity that Seven Stars in Kyushu deserves.
You can read about our earlier work with Seven Stars in Kyushu here:
Design and Supervision of Onboard Loungewear
Supervision and Production of VIP Guest Room Blankets
Kurume Kasuri: Wearing the Aesthetics of Kyushu
One of the summer uniform pieces, the kasuri shirt, uses Kurume kasuri — a traditional craft passed down in the south of Fukuoka Prefecture for more than 220 years.
The fabric comes from Shimogawa Orimono, a weaving house in Yame, Fukuoka. Yarn is dyed before weaving in the traditional manner, and the cloth is woven carefully on Toyoda looms that have been in use for a century. The result is the depth of colour particular to indigo dyeing, and a soft, lived-in handle.
The crew of Seven Stars in Kyushu are also guides to the region the train travels through. This uniform grew out of a wish to convey the culture and craft rooted in that region through what the crew wear.
A White Shirt Made for Summer
The white shirt combines fine cotton with high-performance polyester in the warp, and a stretch polyester in the weft.
Perspiration is drawn up and released quickly, keeping the shirt cool and dry through summer. A high-density construction gives it a crisp appearance while retaining enough stretch to move in, and it is straightforward to care for day to day.
Rather than the polyurethane usually found in stretch fabrics, the stretch here comes from the structure of the material itself, so that the silhouette and the comfort both last.
Jacket, Trousers and Haori
The jacket, trousers and haori use a circular-knit fabric that is light and easy to move in, placing less strain on the body across a long shift and supporting the crew's movements while they are working.
A three-layer construction — face, bonding and back — delivers both stretch and recovery, holding a clean silhouette without restricting the wearer.
A quick-drying polyester base keeps the fabric dry against the skin. Both the white and the black cloth are used undyed, which reduces the energy required in dyeing and reflects our attention to making that can be sustained.
