Keep it long, treasure it long.

Combining functionality and beauty

This stand-collar down vest offers a sleek silhouette that minimizes bulk and a light, comfortable feel. It uses down sourced domestically in Japan as a byproduct of waterfowl raised for meat, with cleaning also performed within Japan. This ensures reliable quality with minimal down odor. It's a versatile piece for fall and winter, perfect for seasonal transitions, as indoor wear during winter, or as an inner layer during colder periods.

From duck farming to every step of production, all done domestically

The down used in the Stand Collar Down Vest is "Japan Duck" down. It comes from Cherry Valley ducks raised on trusted farms within Japan. These ducks are carefully reared for high-quality meat production, with a rearing period approximately twice as long as cheaper ducks raised overseas. Consequently, Japan Duck is characterized by large, well-developed feathers of superior quality, offering excellent warmth retention and elasticity. They are raised freely in clean water, on clean flooring, in environments with good sunlight and ventilation, and fed without the use of chemicals. This quality is only possible because every step, from breeding to down cleaning, is done entirely within Japan.

The long stand-up neck design keeps your neck warm, eliminating the need for a scarf. The front features a double closure with a zipper and hook-and-eye fasteners, ensuring the front panel closes securely. This design minimizes wind penetration, trapping warm air inside the vest. Even paired with a thin knit top, it provides ample warmth. The collar is designed to look stylish whether worn up or down, embodying our wish for you to enjoy wearing it in your own way, regardless of gender or clothing style. The body width is also designed with an exquisite silhouette and sizing, making it unisex and suitable for everyone from petite women to men.

Water and Climate Essential for Premium Down

Kawada Feather's factory is located in Meiwacho, Mie Prefecture. To the west of the factory lies the Odaigahara Mountains, renowned for having some of Japan's highest rainfall. The massive amounts of rain falling on these mountains seep deep underground. Over a thousand years, this water washes away minerals soluble in water, emerging as low-hardness soft water containing almost no minerals. This water flows into the Ise Plain, where the factory is situated. Furthermore, dry winds blow down year-round after bringing rain to the mountains of the Odaigahara range. For thoroughly cleaning the fine details of down feathers, the water flowing through the Ise Plain and the dry, low-humidity climate are indispensable. The fusion of nature's blessings and Kawada Feather's proud technology enables the supply of high-quality down feathers.

Approaching Down Feathers with Sincerity

KWD (Kee-Daw-Dee), a brand born in 2021 from Kawada Feather, a specialized down manufacturer. Since its founding in 1891, Kawada Feather has long been involved in creating products that utilize the unique properties of feathers, such as quill pens, feather dusters, and hamaya arrows. In the 1970s, they studied down expertise in America and were among the first in Japan to begin producing down jackets. Today, based at its factory in Meiwacho, Mie Prefecture, it remains Japan's top-tier down-specialized manufacturer, continuously dedicated to improving feather quality.

One of Kawada Feather's defining characteristics is its commitment to making feathers visible. Since feathers are opaque, they are a material where quality can be easily misrepresented. Consequently, the mixing of inferior feathers has become increasingly common in recent years. Issues like falsified product labeling and the inclusion of unclean, heavily soiled down have become serious problems. Driven by these circumstances, the company launched KWD (K-W-D) to let customers experience the superior quality of its own down. This commitment to sincerity in every step of down processing is the source of the reassurance found in KWD products.

Furthermore, the company takes its responsibility as a feather manufacturer seriously and is also focusing on initiatives to protect feathers for the future. In the current situation where short-term reared young birds are increasing and high-quality feathers are decreasing globally, the company's solution is "continuing to produce clean feathers" and "circulating high-quality feathers." They collect used feather products, re-select the scarce high-quality feathers, clean and restore them, and transform them back into new products. The company actively operates this long-term circulation system within its own factories, leveraging the inherent properties of down that can last over 100 years.

Circulating down is not merely about reusing material; it also significantly reduces the carbon dioxide emissions generated during disposal, making it a major effort to lessen environmental impact. This manufacturer is characterized by its sincere approach to every aspect, transparency backed by technology, and its ongoing commitment to passing on high-quality down to future generations.