Nissan creating a section of beautiful kimonos. YOKOHAMA, Japan – As the only Japanese team on the Formula E grid, this week’s Tokyo E-Prix holds special importance to Nissan. So, to mark its inaugural home race, Nissan Formula E Team has collaborated with Japanese-British fashion brand JU-NNA 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, 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 hots up. The collection, designed by JU-NNA, will be displayed at the Tokyo E-Prix on race day.
Hailing from Kyoto and fresh from a successful show at London Fashion Week, which featured on the pages of Vogue & Elle among others, JU-NNA’s work focuses on fusing conventional Japanese techniques with contemporary and modern design. To bring the kimonos to life, JU-NNA designers worked alongside sustainable artisans in Japan to handcraft each unique piece.
Not only are the kimono 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, having invested in certified climate-protecting projects in all race markets to offset emissions from every season of electric racing.