Kei Ninomiya

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Kei Ninomiya is a Japanese fashion designer renowned for his avant-garde, meticulously crafted, and often monochromatic collections, particularly under his label Noir Kei Ninomiya. He is a protégé of Rei Kawakubo and a key figure within the Comme des Garçons family. 

Ninomiya's focuses on construction and technique and is a master of innovative construction. He famously avoids traditional sewing techniques, instead employing a range of intricate methods to assemble his garments such as weaving, riveting, knitting, crochet, and often making garments from modular building blocks. Despite the rigorous construction his designs are characterized by a more romantic and sometimes ethereal quality.

His garments often take on sculptural, almost armor-like forms. He plays with volume, texture, and light to create dramatic silhouettes that move independently of the body, yet also embrace it in unexpected ways. His work is often described as wearable art. 

While his aesthetic is often futuristic and conceptual, he frequently draws inspiration from natural forms (like flowers or insects) and geometric patterns. He translates these organic and mathematical structures into textile manipulations. 

Noir Kei Ninomiya maintains a niche, high-fashion appeal. His collections are less about mass-market trends and more about artistic expression, pushing the boundaries of what fashion can be. He rarely gives interviews, preferring his work to speak for itself. 

Kei Ninomiya in the Rebel Archive collection