Without texture, things become soulless. It’s why film photos feel more alive than digital ones, why ridged crisps beat smooth ones, and why an old Barbour jacket is infinitely more appealing than a modern one. Texture is shorthand for character – and we think the world is better for having as much in it as possible.
In Japan, there’s a word for this way of looking at the world: wabi-sabi – a general acceptance that things don’t need to be perfect to be valuable. In fact, they’re often better when they’re not. A chipped egg cup doesn’t get thrown away – it gets kept, used, and increasingly appreciated as it picks up more texture through wear.
A similar mindset runs through a new collaboration between Japanese artist and graphic designer Yuri Uenishi and DESCENTE ALLTERRAIN. The collection takes cues from Uenishi’s solo exhibition Now Printing, shown at Ginza Graphic Gallery in 2024, which itself was built from fragments of everyday life she’s been collecting since 2006.
Those images are now embedded into a DESCENTE ALLTERRAIN capsule collection of graphic tees, shorts, and caps, where the line between artwork and clothing becomes blurry. Each piece displays printed textures drawn from Uenishi’s visual language, ranging from unidentifiable patterns to close-up images of mountain ranges.
The campaign imagery also leans into that same blurred distinction. Shot less like a fashion campaign and more like an exhibition, garments are draped over a series of intriguing objects—each with, of course, its own distinct texture.
In a world where outdoor gear is often stripped back to the point of invisibility, there’s something refreshing about this release. It’s loud, interesting, and unlike much else we’ve seen. The only question is whether you wear these pieces or frame them for your wall – though if you buy into wabi-sabi, the answer should be obvious.
Find out more about DESCENTE ALL TERRAIN Graphic Capsule Collection by Yuri Uenishi at DESCENTE
