AIKO IS A MODERN CONCEPT BASED AROUND REINVENTING THE CLASSIC "SWEATSHIRT". THE FIRST COLLECTION LAUNCHED IN NEW YORK DURING FASHION WEEK FOR SPRING 2010 AND WILL BE AVAILABLE IN STORES INTERNATIONALLY THIS COMING FEBRUARY. LED BY CREATIVE DIRECTOR CYNTHIA MITTWEG ALONG WITH CO-DESIGNER AMANDA BLAKE, AIKO CURRENTLY CONSISTS OF 15 STYLES ALL OF WHICH ARE MADE WITH THE SAME LUSH FABRIC USING DIFFERENT TREATMENTS, SILHOUETTES, AND EMBELLISHMENTS. THE SWEATSHIRT, TYPICALLY VIEWED AS SOMETHING VERY CASUAL OR HOMEY HAS NOW TAKEN ON NEW FORM. THE LOOKS ARE DESIGN DRIVEN AND YET COMFORTABLE ALLOWING FOR DAY INTO NIGHT.
" I'VE ALWAYS FELT THAT A COMBINATION OF COMFORTABLE AND CLEVER MAKES FOR AN INTERESTING PALETTE. NORMA KAMALI WAS A DEFINITE INFLUENCE HAVING MASTERMINDED BEAUTIFUL MULTI FUNCTIONAL FASHION PIECES USING THE LESS OBVIOUS FABRICS IN SUCH AN EXTRAORDINARY WAY. "
CYNTHIA'S LIFE HAS BEEN FILLED WITH MUSIC, ART, AND FASHION. PRIOR TO LAUNCHING AIKO, CYNTHIA HAD ENJOYED A SUCCESSFUL CAREER WITH HER INDEPENDENT BAND. SHE HAS ALSO BEEN PAINTING FROM THE EARLIEST PART OF HER LIFE AND HER ART HAS BEEN COLLECTED BY NUMEROUS ART ENTHUSIASTS.
" AIKO WAS FIRST BORN AS A SMALL MUSIC PROJECT I HAD STARTED ON MY OWN AFTER HAVING PARTED WAYS WITH MY BAND. IT WAS AN EXPERIMENT SURROUNDING THE IDEA OF A CHARACTER I HAD IMAGINED. AIKO WHICH IN ESSENCE IS THE JAPANESE TRANSLATION FOR "LOVELY CHILD" HAS BEEN SOMETHING I HAVE HELD DEAR, I AM THRILLED TO SEE IT GROW INTO THIS EXTENSION OF FASHION. MUSIC, ART, FASHION, AND FILM ARE ALL INTERCONNECTED AND WE SEE IT MORE NOW THAN EVER. "
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