Kiichiro Asakawa

Kiichiro Asakawa is founder and creative director of Ssstein, a Tokyo-based label known for its restrained silhouettes, material exploration, and understated approach to tailoring.

After winning the Fashion Prize of Tokyo 2025, Asakawa accelerated Ssstein's international expansion, presenting in Paris before making his official Paris Fashion Week Men's calendar debut for Autumn/Winter 2026. He was named an LVMH Prize semi-finalist in 2026, cementing his spot among a wave of Japanese designers reframing traditional craft and vintage references into subtle, trend-defying unisex garments on the global stage.

Today, Ssstein maintains a strong presence with 100 premier global stockists, including Restir in Tokyo, L'Eclaireur in Paris, 10 Corso Como in Milan, and Andreas Murkudis in Berlin.

Asakawa’s design methodology is self taught and developed through an unconventional path. After university, he spent six years working a range of roles, spanning sales, buying, PR and product planning at a select shop specialising in new and vintage garments. In 2016, he established Carol, a Tokyo boutique dedicated to vintage pieces and curated international labels. Deconstructing and altering vintage denim for Carol's clientele directly informed his design process and led to the creation of his brand.