Prison fashion designed by inmates is a sell out

JAIL-THEMED accessories made by Japanese prison inmates have sold out after being snapped up by trendy young fashionistas.

ON TREND Bar manager Mariko Yoshida wearing a made in jail apron ON TREND: Bar manager Mariko Yoshida wearing a "made-in-jail" apron

Prisoners at Hakodate Juvenile Prison on the island of Hokkaido have designed cotton aprons, tote bags and pouches controversially emblazoned with the character for ‘jail’.

Shoji Nakajima, a prison official, said: “We thought [the logo] would turn people off - but that turned out to be the big appeal. Young people especially seem to like it."

All items in the range are cut, sewn and assembled by inmates and orders are flooding in on the association’s Internet shopping site, where all products are currently sold out.

Aprons with the bold black and white logo designed by a prison official sell for about £6.

Bar manager Mariko Yoshida, 52, says the striking design has caught the attention of many of her customers in Tokyo’s bustling entertainment district of Shinjuku.

“Our customers have said the design is cool - despite what the logo means.”

“They often ask where they can find them and they’re good quality too.”

Mr Nakajima added that under Japan’s criminal law the production is part of compulsory prison labour and not for profit.

“Inmates are not allowed to work overtime," he said. “And the prison cannot hire additional staff.”

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