When CFDA Member Gabriela Hearst unveiled her Fall-Winter 2018 lineup at Café Altro Paradiso on Tuesday, she did so with the additional help of a new international collaborator. The collection, for which she researched female Victorian coal miners as well as World War I and II factory workers, featured a capsule of 11 looks using textiles from Nakaden Keori Co.

Hearst traveled to Japan to meet with the Bishu-based woven and knitted textile company, which was founded in 1931 and prides itself on bringing together old-world textile craftsmanship with the most innovative technology.

“My trip to Japan is like going home as I try to go once a year,” Hearst said. “This one was very special because I brought my daughters for the first time. They fell in love just like me. It was a trip to remember.”

Working with Nakaden Keori was inspiring in more ways than one.

“Nakaden is synonymous of everything I love about Japan – ultimate quality and design, and a love for tradition and innovation at the same time,” she said. “I get inspired by high quality materials like the Nakaden cashmeres and wools that propel my imagination for the design of the silhouettes. I also enjoyed the process of designing our own pine stripe.”

The introduction came via a partnership between Japan Fashion Week Organization (JFWO) and the CFDA, which will fuel fabric innovation in American fashion by bringing together CFDA designers with Japanese textile manufacturers.

As Hearst put it, “Innovation is very important. My team and I, we put a lot of focus into finding the best ingredients. I believe a true luxury collection needs to start on quality of its sourced materials. Nakaden offered that to us. It was an absolute pleasure to work with them.”