tao, established in 1981 by designer Tao Kurihara, a former protégé of Junya Watanabe, is a women’s diffusion line known for eccentric basics with an artful twist. Drawing from Japanese Lolita subculture and international kitsch—like matryoshka dolls, vintage handkerchiefs, and school uniforms—Kurihara infuses dark humor into playful, contemporary designs.