As the only Japanese team on the Formula E grid, this week’s Tokyo E-Prix holds special importance for Nissan.
So, to mark its inaugural home race, the Nissan Formula E Team has collaborated with Japanese fashion designer Jun Nakamura to create bespoke kimonos inspired by all 11 teams that compete in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
Staying true to the Japanese ideal of omotenashi, the intrinsic, deep-rooted belief that guests should be wholeheartedly welcomed, the Nissan Formula E Team will gift every one of its 10 competitors a kimono inspired by each team’s colours, inviting them to ‘get comfortable, but not too comfortable’, as the fight for championship points heats up. The collection, designed by Jun Nakamura, will be displayed at the Tokyo E-Prix on race day.
Hailing from Kyoto and fresh from a successful show at London Fashion Week, Nakamura’s work focuses on fusing conventional Japanese techniques with contemporary and modern design. Nakamura worked alongside sustainable artisans in Japan to handcraft each unique piece.
Not only are the kimonos’ designs inspired by Formula E teams, the choice of using the traditional Japanese garment was a deliberate one, as kimonos are almost entirely “zero-waste” products containing a whole bolt of fabric without cutting.
This is a parallel that can be drawn to the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, which in 2020 became the first global sport to be certified with a net zero carbon footprint from inception.
Iconic Japanese brand
Jun Nakamura said: “The kimono is very important to Japanese culture, so to be asked to design kimonos for such an iconic Japanese brand like Nissan is very exciting. With this special collection, we aim to show the hospitality of Japan, so I have designed kimonos inspired by the team colours and cars.”
Tommaso Volpe, managing director and team principal of the Nissan Formula E team, said: “We’re proud to partner with such an exciting fashion designer like Jun to welcome our fellow teams in a truly authentic way.
“With our heart and soul hailing from Japan, the first race in Tokyo is hugely important for the team. After two consecutive podiums, our confidence is high, so that’s why we’re inviting our competitors to get comfortable, but not too comfortable, at our home E-Prix.”