A new generation of vintage buyers who find new value in vintage clothing.

Despite graduating from a prestigious school called "Voices," Mr. Saisu says, "I was never interested in American casual wear in the first place. His first taste for fashion came from fashion and European daily clothing, and the first vintage clothing he bought was "International," made by the British company Babur.

When we were in high school, the most popular magazine was "Men's Non-No. It was the heyday of fashion. . But I wanted to work in fashion, and I thought I could study at a long-established store. However, I wanted to work in the fashion industry, and I thought that I could learn a lot at a store that was considered to be a long-established store, so I joined "Voices" in 2004, but at first I didn't even know the difference between "501," "505," and "517" (of Levi's) (laugh). However, I thought that as long as I belonged to a well-established company, I had to produce results, so I gradually learned a lot of things.

Two years after joining the prestigious store, at the age of 21, he was allowed to accompany the store on a buying trip to the U.S. His vitality and curiosity far exceeded that of ordinary people, not to mention his unusual career history. During his stay in Los Angeles, he deepened exchanges with local strong Mexicans and rapidly absorbed not only fashion but also indigenous American youth culture.

. I was still interested in domestic brands while dealing with vintage clothing. However, I began to realize that the original clothing, so to speak, that these brands were sampling was generally American vintage clothing, and I got hooked on the depth of it. In particular, military clothing has clear rules such as age and model numbers, so I thought that even if I knew nothing about it, I could master it by making myself study. Later, when I started to go shopping, my interest was spurred even more, and I learned about denim and workwear, etc., which are on the high street. However, during my purchasing trips, I also went to ghettos where Japanese people would normally never go, so as I got to know the gangs over there and met bad Mexicans, my style gradually became influenced by theirs (laughs).

As he says, "Arms Clothing Store" has American apparel from the '80s to the '90s, as if they were equivalent in value to special vintage items that are so-called "treasures. From prewar military wear, to more recent items from Polo Ralph Lauren and Double RL, to official apparel from the In-N-Out hamburger chain, the store has everything you would expect to find in an American clothing store. All of these items are based on his own experienced selection, which may be somewhat difficult to accept for veteran fans of the past who enjoy vintage clothing in a cut-and-dried way.

. Of course, I love vintage, and I'd like to enrich it as much as possible. Of course, I love vintage, and I would like to enrich it as much as possible, but I just prioritize what I feel is interesting at the moment. I think there are many people in the same business who have a fixed route for purchasing items, but I have decided not to have a fixed route. If there is a place of interest that I have never been to, I think it is a good way to learn by taking a peek while sightseeing, and I buy what I encounter along the way. Therefore, if you only want to look at vintage clothing, you might be better off in another store (laughs). (Laughs) We want to do things in our own way, while also respecting the sensibilities of our employees.

Such a "relaxed stance" may be the reason why they are the new generation. I remember hearing someone say that fashion goes through a 10-year cycle, because every 10 years, a counter occurs, and the next generation that overturns the common sense of the previous generation moves the new era. While I have no intention of singling out Mr. Saisu as a symbol of this, I believe that his sense of loosening the rigid values once and for all is a style that is unique to him and his generation.

. I am just a shopaholic. I have always loved shopping since I was a child, and I have continued to buy what I wanted, which led me to my current job as a buyer, and I think I have acquired knowledge through the act of buying. However, I don't have such a grandiose desire to propose something new to the current vintage clothing industry. On the other hand, I do think that it is the right thing for a store to do. For the younger generation, if it is something old that they don't know, it is vintage, even if it is from the '90s.

There is a buyer who has never had his own store, but only a wholesale store, a showroom by appointment only, and pop-up stores at select stores, etc. He has made many hits. We visited Mr. Akamine's secret room, known to those in the know as "Okinawan Pickers.

Mr. Akamine, who is also known by the store name "Okinawan Pickers," is 30 years old and hails from Okinawa Prefecture. He says that he has a strong passion for US military goods, especially US military items, which he bought while in high school.

I have been involved in the apparel industry since I was about 20 years old, but back then I dealt only in new clothing. However, I am originally from Okinawa, and when I was a student, there were still quite a few stores that handled items disposed of by the U.S. military, so at that time it was easier for me to get used clothing at reasonable prices. Military items were cheaper, especially the "L2-B" for 5,000 yen. In other words, the entrance to vintage clothing itself was US military.

Although Mr. Akamine dares not to have his own store, but rather a wholesale store and a showroom by appointment only, he has produced a series of hit items in just a few years since becoming independent, thanks to his solid selection of items to sell. It is said that Mr. Akamine was also responsible for the breakthrough of digital camouflage for urban areas, commonly known as the "T pattern," which was dropped at the test sample stage.

I had one goal in mind, which was to become independent at the age of 30. However, when I thought about what I could do on my own, the only thing I could compete with was secondhand clothing (laughs). Unlike new clothes, used clothes have many definite elements such as age and changes in details. In other words, it is a category in which it is easy to arm oneself with theories. However, it is only natural that we cannot compete with our seniors if we pick items on the same footing, and above all, I think it is unbecoming of me to do so. I think one of the results of my efforts to pick new items from my unique perspective was the "T pattern.

For Akamine, the interaction with a generation for whom vintage means secondhand clothing of visible origin, a logic too commonplace for secondhand clothing lovers, does not apply at all, is another driving force for him to continue buying.

. a generation that recognizes it as a mere piece of design, and that specs and poop don't apply to them. As I get older, I realize that for them, there is no difference whether it is from the '40s or the so-called "regular" '90s. So, of course, vintage and military are still important to me, but now I think it is necessary to look at the market as a whole from a more bird's eye view.

Furthermore, Akamine continues, "suggestiveness" is essential to follow up both the old-time enthusiast and the newcomer through the medium of secondhand clothing.

I think it is quite difficult, if not impossible, to make a new proposal that is not a rehash of the vintage of the royal road, since our predecessors have already done all the digging. On the other hand, however, I believe that it is essential to make proposals in this business, so it is difficult to find the right balance between the two. In such a situation, military clothing is a category in which it is possible to collect a large number of models, and in which it is easy to make proposals. I feel as if I am a strong partner in this category, which is the one in which I excel. Of course, the customer's opinion is important, but if I don't compete with what I like, it is no fun for me.

No matter how much strength one has in the military, it is not always possible to come across rare models that have not yet been seen before anyone else. Furthermore, even if one has been in the industry for a long time, it is hard to imagine how difficult it would be to find one's own channels and dealers immediately after becoming independent. However, Mr. Akamine did not apprentice himself to anyone, and he entered this world unarmed, so to speak.

I was young," he said. I gave up everything that could have been worth money, including my Harley, my Rolex, and my vintage clothing, and I took a risk and jumped into this business. (Laughs). I believe that, in addition to knowledge and experience, luck is the most important factor when it comes to buying. When it happens, it happens, and when it doesn't, it doesn't happen at all. In the end, it's all about luck (laughs).

Akamine now spends about one-third of his time carefully digging in all over the U.S., without limiting himself to western or eastern areas. In the future, "I would like to try buying in Europe to broaden my horizons," he said.