Nissan creates custom kimonos for Formula E rivals ahead of its home E-Prix in Tokyo

Team Principal Tommaso Volpe invites competitors to ‘get comfortable, but not too comfortable’

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 fashion designer Jun Nakamura 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 Jun Nakamura, 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, Nakamura’s work focuses on fusing conventional Japanese techniques with contemporary and modern design. To bring the kimonos to life, Nakamura 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.

Jun Nakamura, fashion designer and founder of JU-NNA, said: “The kimono is very important to Japanese culture, so to be asked to design kimonos for such an iconic Japanese brand like Nissan is very exciting. My connection with kimonos started from a young age, my family owned a kimono company and my father would wear one to work. With this special collection we aim to show the hospitality of Japan, so I have designed kimonos inspired by the team colours and cars.”

Tommaso Volpe, managing director and team principal, said, “We’re proud to partner with such an exciting fashion designer like Jun to welcome our fellow teams in a truly authentic way. With our heart and soul hailing from Japan, the first race in Tokyo is a hugely important moment for the team. After two consecutive podiums our confidence is high, so that’s why we’re inviting our competitors to get comfortable, but not too comfortable, at our home E-Prix.”