Founder and designer, Cote Mer
Norio Sato
Norio Sato leads the Tokyo label COTE MER. After a teenage surf trip to California he began importing vintage clothing with an American friend, work that grew into custom pieces and then the brand, named for California's coast. COTE MER returned to Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo in March 2026, its first show there since spring/summer 2018.
Houses
Founder and designer
Cote Mer
Their runway, measured
37 looks in 1 showNext to every runway we track, Norio Sato's looks are less tonal, more colour-blocked, more textured and shinier.
Colours
- Black21%
- Charcoal · 1.6× the average19%
- Ivory / cream · 1.5× the average9%
- Beige / camel6%
- Chocolate brown5%
- Grey5%
- Tan5%
- Coral / peach · 3.5× the average5%
Share of garment area across their looks; × is against every runway.
Colour and surface
- Lightness40/100about average · all runways 39/100
- Colour saturation13.5about average · all runways 12.6
- Neutrals57%about average · all runways 60%
- Warm hues67%about average · all runways 70%
- Tonal looks5%less tonal · all runways 33%
- Colour-blockingΔE 51more colour-blocked · all runways ΔE 35
- Surface texture9.55more textured · all runways 5.06
- Sheen0.200shinier · all runways 0.065
What sets them apart
Shapes, fabrics and details they use far more often than other designers, with a glimpse of the looks: one from each collection that wore it most.
- Upcycled / deadstock (visible)90.8×Material
- Patchwork print42.5×Pattern
- Toile / scenic print35.2×Pattern
- Cargo trousers31.9×Garment
- Combat boots21.8×Footwear
- Jacquard / brocade19.9×Material
- Heritage / traditional dress17.3×Style
- Patchwork16.7×Detail
Silhouettes
- Straight / tubular 68%1.7×
- Boxy 62%5.2×
- Oversized 62%2.2×
- High-rise 22%
- Inverted triangle / strong shoulder 11%42% less
Materials
- Upcycled / deadstock (visible) 78%90.8×
- Jacquard / brocade 70%19.9×
- Silk / satin 59%2.5×
- Jersey 51%3.4×
- Leather 43%4.4×
Details
- Patchwork 95%16.7×
- Utility pockets 38%2.7×
- Lacing / ties 32%2.0×
- Embroidery 30%3.7×
- Piping / contrast stitching 30%1.9×
Patterns
- Patchwork print 81%42.5×
- Floral 27%3.2×
- Toile / scenic print 19%35.2×
- Text / slogan 11%9.9×
- Graphic / logo 11%4.9×
Mood
- Edgy 84%5.4×
- Nostalgic 41%2.7×
- Playful 38%2.2×
- Powerful 32%2.2×
- Relaxed 19%44% less
Era references
- 1990s 3%64% less
From the AI tags on 37 of their looks. A designer is credited with a house's shows while they lead it; ×: how much more often than across all 25,892 measured looks.
