PROFILE
Born in 1983 on Awaji Island, Hyogo Prefecture. After working in public relations at Brooks Brothers, he went independent. In 2015, he launched *Neat*, a brand specializing in pants. He currently manages the PR agency “Nishinoya” and handles PR for more than 20 brands both in Japan and abroad. He has an unconventional background as a former elementary school teacher.
Instagram:@dddddaishi
"Essential" means checking the answers.
—What comes to mind when you hear the word “essential,” Mr. Nishino?
Westfield: Hmm, this is really tough… I’ve done countless interviews over the years, and my answers have always come out perfectly—so perfectly, in fact, that people have even suspected I was using AI. But right now, I’m actually pretty stumped (laughs).
— (lol). In Japanese, this would mean “absolutely essential”—what do you think?
Westfield: If that’s the case… there’s also the theory that “there’s nothing essential” for me, right?
—Is that what you’re saying?
Westfield: There are all sorts of things that are indispensable in life, but when it comes specifically to clothes and everyday items, I’ve had quite a few experiences where I thought something was essential at the time, only to realize 10 years later that it wasn’t. For example, New Balance sneakers are a perfect example of that.
—You used to appear in the media as an avid fan of New Balance.
Westfield: Oh, right. I absolutely loved the “993” and wore them every day—I even had three pairs each in black and navy in my collection. I was so enthusiastic about them that I even said, “I’ll rotate them every 10 years and keep wearing them until I’m 70!” But now I hardly ever wear them, and I’m starting to think it might be okay to let them go.
—Since people change over time, I suppose it’s only natural that they might change their religious beliefs.
Westfield: I haven’t gotten rid of them yet because I might want to wear them again someday, but I wonder if that day will ever come. Put another way, perhaps the things that are truly essential to me are the ones I never want to part with. What’s more, you can’t tell the moment you acquire something whether it will become an essential—it might take a year, or it might take ten years—but before you know it, you realize you’ve kept it. In that sense, I think “essentials are like a test with the answers revealed later.”
Just by looking at the clothes scattered here and there in Nishino’s studio, you can get a good sense of his current mood. It seems vintage Vans are the dominant choice on his feet.
—That’s quite a memorable quote. Could you tell us about Mr. Nishino’s particular standards when it comes to selecting items?
Westfield: When it comes to fashion, the fundamentals haven’t changed since way back. I discovered vintage clothing after reading fashion magazines like *Boon*, and started working part-time at a vintage shop during college. Back then, I was into the casual West Coast style, even in the U.S. Brands like *Vans*, *Hanten*, and *Op*. From there, my interest expanded to East Coast traditional styles like *Brooks Brothers*. My style has evolved over time, incorporating elements of high fashion and European classics, but it’s still rooted in American traditional style.
—In a media interview, Mr. Nishino said, “I don’t want to try too hard; I’m aiming for a casual, understated look, like an ordinary American guy.”
Westfield: My ideal style is like Mr. Hayashi from . It’s a minimalist combination—just a shirt and jeans—that’s stripped down to the bare essentials. He doesn’t try to look cool, yet he looks incredibly cool. But that’s largely due to Mr. Hayashi’s own natural charisma and great sense of style; if I tried to copy him right now, it wouldn’t turn out the same. So, to get closer to that look, in my case, I’m adding elements instead.
—You’ll see that even the OOTDs (Outfit of the Day) posted daily on Instagram, which may seem like they’re put together haphazardly, are actually the result of an exquisite balance.
Westfield: That’s actually really hard. It’s because I’m doing calculations just to make it look like I’m not calculating at all. I’m embarrassed if people around me figure that out, so I avoid wearing any designer clothes. That said, I do think functional-beauty designs—where “details that serve a practical purpose can also be seen as design elements”—are perfectly fine.
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