PROFILE
Born in 1973 in Tokyo. Fashion director. After working as a buyer for a select shop, he went independent and helped launch “L’ECHOPPE.” In 2022, he opened the select shop “BOUTIQUE” in Kita-Aoyama. He oversees the direction and collaborations for multiple domestic and international brands.
Instagram:@keijikaneko
PROFILE
Born in 1975. Joined "BROWNS" in London and started his career as a buyer. After returning to Japan in 2002, he became independent and established Daisuke Gemma Office in 2007. Involved in creative direction, store direction, interior design, music, and everything related to fashion. In 2021, he launched Case Study and is currently challenging new genres, and in 2023, he will join rush production and start DJing in earnest.
Instagram:@daisukeg
“Creating things through the lens of ”mistakes.”
—When did Mr. Kaneko and Mr. Genma first meet?
Kaneko: It might have been nearly 20 years ago.
Genma: We ended up working together on a certain project. That’s when we first met, wasn’t it?
—If we have different senses of fashion, then the cultures we’ve been exposed to are probably different, too, right?
Genma: That’s true, but we actually share similar values. We’re both fans of the basics, yet we also have a taste for the quirky—that’s where we’re alike. When he was a buyer, Mr. Kaneko would travel to Argentina or source espadrilles in Barcelona—he sources items through channels that are different from other buyers.
Kaneko: The project we worked on together a long time ago ended up falling through, but we ended up working together again on a different project afterward. Since then, we’ve kept in touch from time to time, and we often talk about clothes.
Genma: Oh, right—I was the one who sent the LINE message.
Kaneko: It’s actually pretty fun (lol). Since we’re both in completely different fields, we look at things from different perspectives, so talking with each other feels refreshing.
—What kind of conversations do you have, specifically?
Genma: When I spread out the deadstock denim at “BOUTIQUE,” I found a pair where the tab on the back was digging into my butt really badly.
Kaneko: Genma-kun picks up on things that most people wouldn't even notice.
Genma: "This is digging in really deep—isn't that a little crazy?" I know it's totally silly (laughs). But isn't life a little brighter when you can enjoy things like that?
Kaneko: We also talked about error coins, didn't we?
Genma: It's what you'd call a "B-grade" item, but isn't it incredibly rare?
—Finally, I’m starting to see how this ties into this installment of *ERRA* (laughs).
Kaneko: It really gets me excited when I find things like that. A few years ago, at a certain denim brand’s flagship store, I came across a second-grade item with tabs on both pockets.
Genma: That's amazing.
Kaneko: I stumbled upon it. I think this would have been possible back in the day, but I got really excited, thinking, “In this day and age, an error like this?!” (laughs). With that in mind, as I delved into the history of clothing, I thought it would be interesting to create designs through the lens of “mistakes”—and that’s how was born.
