[Kitsune] MAEKAKE by Yeaaah! Studio

This MAEKAKE features [Space Shiba] designed by a French artist Stéphane Casier of Yeaaah! Studio, known for his playful designs inspired by Japanese pop culture. 

[Artist Statement]

I’ve always loved masks!

As a kid, I watched American super hero cartoons such as Batman or Spider-man, but also many Super Sentai and tokusatsu series like Liveman, Jetman, or Jiraya. So, masked heroes have had a huge influence on me! 

Also, there is a character named Nejishiki-kun in my favorite manga, Dr. Slump by Akira Toriyama. He is always wearing a kitsune mask. One day, another character takes Nejishiki-kun’s mask off and we find out that his face looks exactly like his mask. That’s a very funny gag! 

Back in 2017, I wanted to do a wrestling-related design so I took inspiration from an illustration of the Masked Tiger series and created a fake hero called "Great Kitsune". It’s a wrestler wearing a kitsune mask and he has a daughter named Ina Kitsune (after Inari goddess) that is wearing the same mask. 

In December 2022, Japanese mask maker HIROMITSU made an actual wooden Great Kitsune mask for me, based on my illustration. It was such an amazing gift! 

Now this mask is featured on such a traditional item that is maekake, I’m very happy!

Stéphane Casier (France)
Stéphane Casier is a French illustrator born in 1983. After graduating from art school, he worked several years as a freelance illustrator and collaborated with companies such as Reebok, Warner Music, or Hoppy. For a few years now he’s been focusing on his personal works that he sells online on various products (t-shirts, posters...) through his brand Yeaaah! Studio. Stéphane’s style is strongly inspired by Japanese pop culture which he got into at an early age thanks to manga and anime.

website: www.yeaaah-studio.com
instagram: @yeaaahstudio

Maekake is a traditional apron that has been used since the Edo period.
It serves to protect the body by tightening the hip bones.
Our maekake aprons are woven using a 100-year-old Toyota-made shuttle loom.

Materials: 100% Cotton
Dimensions: Apron – 67 cm x 47 cm (including fringe) / Belt – 260cm (suitable for waist sizes up to 95cm) 

Instructions for Care:

• Do not use bleach or fabric softener.
• Do not tumble dry.
• Do not wash in warm water.
• Wash separately from whites as the dye may transfer onto other fabrics. May shrink slightly after wash due to the nature of the fabric.