Stitching the Distance

By: Carl Haynes

Crumble or Create. Divided by distance and stuck in the woes of the Covid-19 pandemic, this Japanese mother/daughter duo chose to create. Face mask culture was at an all time high as the pandemic reged on. This inspired Rio Yokohama (early 30’s) to design her own models. She sent these designs all the way across the pond to her mother, a veteren seamstress, in London. Her mother worked vigorously to produce the mask for Rio. Rio saw how well she and her mother worked together. This gave her the courage to tackle another project, pants. Thus the  “You Feel Me” clothing brand was born. 

The duo's pants have yet to drop, but when launched they will be featured on “things. dsn” (pronounced “things design”). Speaking of duos, the models used to showcase Rio’s design are a pair of twins Joseph and Joshua Oxley. The two can be seen rocking these pants in the video below. 

Fashion is where Rio’s heart truly lies. She hopes that her brand will flourish, so that she can focus on it fully. While interviewing her, I was able to really see the passion in her eyes. She believes in her vision, growth and process. She wants to stay true to her brand. Rio doesn’t feel pressure to create clothes that are tending or will make the most money. Her clothes come purely from what she feels is right at that moment. She thinks working with her mother is “priceless” because they get to create art together. I totally agree. To view Rio and her Mother’s creations check out her instagram page @riorioo1022 or @youfeelme_official.