“THE story of the APC Quilts is a reflection of APC’s history,” explains Jamaican fashion designer Jessica Ogden, who is despondent at having missed the opening of her mother Annabella Proudlock’s art exhibition, which is currently on at the Bolivar Gallery, Kingston, Jamaica, but delighted at the prospect of journeying to Tokyo (she leaves today) where Isetan Shinjuku — one of the most influential stores in Japan — will host some 20 quilt designs. The exhibition, curated by Ogden, Jean Touitou and the APC team, has its own dedicated space within Isetan’s flagship store in Shinjuku. An edit of 20 existing quilt designs has been reissued. The limited availability of the original fabrics means the remaking of the quilts is challenging both mathematically and from a design point of view.

It’s a first and exclusive to Isetan! Ogden will incorporate accessories and objects made from quilted fabrics such as an i-Phone holder, panniers, a vanity case and a cat cushion! All items are for sale and are sure to become instant collectables.

APC’s Founder and Creative Director Jean Touitou’s introduction to the fashion industry was by way of Kenzo Takada and his creative team in the early 80s. Touitou was drawn to this group and soon he began working at Kenzo, doing everything from packing boxes to bookkeeping. During his time there he was given swatches of fabric that his mother fortuitously made into a number of quilts.

Years after Touitou had established APC he was contemplating the bolts of fabric that were gradually building up in his warehouse. Every APC fabric (whether it be a shirt, dress or skirt) has been designed and woven especially for APC – the design team is quite fastidious about this and never buy fabrics off-the-shelf. It was inevitable that small amounts of surplus fabric would build up over APC’s 25-year history.

Separately, as APC grew, Touitou began to collaborate with other individuals from designers to musicians and other creatives. One such individual was Ogden. Ogden started her eponymous ready-to-wear label in the late-90s receiving critical and commercial acclaim. She would often rework garments out of vintage quilts sourced from the USA and the UK and her name would soon become synonymous with patchwork.

In the early 2000s, Touitou struck up a working relationship and friendship with Ogden that continues to this date.

It seemed a natural outcome that Touitou would ask Ogden to design and produce quilts, but this time out of APC fabrics. Ogden used the quilts and reference books of Touitou’s mother as inspiration, as well as drawing on her own skills and experience in this area. The objective was that the quilts would incorporate the history of APC and also begin a programme of reappropriating the unused fabrics. The ’70s craft movement in America and also more formal Amish techniques are inherent in the designs. The first group of seven quilts was produced in limited runs of 30 each and launched in late-2010. There has since been a total of seven rounds of quilt groups.

Fans of the APC might recognise the fabric of their favourite APC garment within the patchwork of a quilt. By its nature each quilt comes steeped with its own history and meaning and are limited in their quantity as the surplus fabrics gradually deplete. Due to the popularity of the programme, one-off commissions have been produced as well as collaborations with other retailers; more recently, quilted cushions and baby quilts have also been added to the collection.

Coinciding with the Isetan launch, all the APC quilted products will now feature their very own label, APC QUILTS, clearly identifying its burgeoning popularity.

Editor’s Note: The APC Quilts For Isetan runs from October 23-29.