Ask MURO x poor_k x illllllllllluss about adidas Originals by UNITED ARROWS & SONS.
UNITED ARROWS & SONS has collaborated with adidas Originals to release "adidas Originals by UNITED ARROWS & SONS", a collection focusing on New York hip-hop of the 1980s. By the way, 80's hip-hop fashion, which has been the focus of attention several times in the past, is no longer a revival but a culture that loops forever, and I feel that it continues to evolve toward the future. Once again, what is the appeal of 80's hip-hop? We asked MURO, the King of Diggin, and three collectors of 80's hip-hop items, poor_k and illllllllllllluss, who knew what it was like back then, to appear on the show and talk about the appeal of the culture and fashion.
Japan's world-renowned "King of Diggin'" is not only a DJ, but also an MC and producer. He is not only a DJ, but also an MC and a producer, and has helped to bring various aspects of American black culture, including fashion and music, to Japan.
poor_k
In the late 80's, he was shocked by the sudden arrival of hip-hop culture in Japan. However, as a high school student at the time, he could not afford to buy many items of clothing, so he is still a collector who is persistently digging for these items. I am still a collector who digs up these items on an irregular basis,@yobrospro.onlineWe are sharing the vintage of such an era at
Illllllllllllluss.
Monster collector of Dapper Dan and other hip-hop items from the 80s. He is also in charge of music for ILLROMAN BRO, a project with painter Zhu Ben.
The vest shown here is Mr. MURO's own personal item, a boot item he purchased back in the 80s. It would be interesting to see similar items in the future Louis Vuitton collection.
We look back on those days in the 80's with fond memories.
80's hip-hop, after all, is the root of hip-hop as we know it today, and it seems to be reemerging in today's world with increasing power as the months go by. By the way, who was the first hip-hop artist from the 80's that influenced you in terms of fashion?
MURO (M)I was Grandmaster Flash, which was kind of like early 80's heavy metal, but with a lot of different things mixed in, and it was interesting. No one in any genre dressed like that, so it was shocking in every way.
poor_k(K): I started a little later, but I think it was RUN-DMC. I liked DC brands in the 80s, but then POPEYE, which I was reading at the time, started running a black-and-white feature on "adidas," and that's when I first heard about RUN-DMC and its culture, including "adidas" sneakers, set-ups, and "Kangol" hats. I learned about RUN-DMC and its sneakers, set-ups, Kangol hats, and culture.
MegaAt that time, there were a lot of "adidas" and "Fila" set-ups. For break dancers, there were also "Puma" set-ups. There were also a lot of shoes.
Illllllllllllluss (hereafter, i)I'm kind of a latecomer, going back to the 90's. In the 80's, I was most impressed with the tracksuits and fatshoes and gold chains. I love hip-hop, and as I dug into it, as well as records, I became more and more interested in fashion.
I remember Mr. MURO doing this kind of style on time in the late 80's.
MegaThat's right (laughs). I even went to New York to make purchases.
What kind of item will be the leather jacket with a strong impact that was displayed at "United Arrows & Sons" this time?
IThere was a tailor shop called "Dapper Dan" in Harlem, New York. The name of the store was "Dapper Dan Boutique," and it opened in 1982. However, it was very difficult for blacks to do business with real leather at that time, so they went to stores such as Gucci and Fendi to buy leather bags and other items at the request of customers, which were then disassembled and made into clothing.
Later, "Dapper Dan" mastered the technique of silkscreening. On the top floor of a three-story building with the store on the ground floor, the fabric was silk-screened onto real leather with paint that was labeled "ravenous. So the monograms were clearly different in color from those of "Gucci" and "Fendi" at the time. They tailored them to fit their customers, so the price of making one piece of clothing was not cheap. At that time, the people who tailored them were gangsters, hustlers, people who were successful in rap and business as a sign of status, and people who admired those rappers wore them.
How did you purchase those jackets and clothes back then, Mr. MURO?
MegaThere were far fewer places to buy. There was not much information at that time, and the places where I went to buy were not safe places. In Japan, there was a branch of "Outer Limits" called "Clip" between Ueno and Okachimachi. There were other stores, but the people selling them were wearing them, so I went to Ueno. I also asked them directly. Certain acquaintances of mine had introduced it in "Treasure Island" at the time, so I would contact them and say, "I want this! I would call them and they would have it hidden in a room in their apartment, and they would say, "When you get to this area, call me! And so on. Eventually, we would meet up at a coffee shop in Shinjuku and order. I would go with a DJ named GO, who was working with me at the time, and ask him, "I have this fabric and this fabric, can you put your name on the back? I asked him if he could put his name on the back, and we made the jerseys together. I asked if I could put my name on the back of the jersey, and we made it together. I would then go back to the coffee shop to pick up the jerseys that had been made overseas (laughs).
I think it's very 80's to be able to make your own custom-made items. Moreover, the fact that there is a whiff of a bootleg feel to it is also exciting.
IThe people who actually sewed were usually blacks working there, so the stitches were pretty wobbly and not straight or out of alignment (laughs).
Mike Tyson also went to buy one after the match, so the one knock was entrusted to "Dapper Dan" (laughs).
pThe "Dapper Dan" is now a tremendously priced item, but even back then it was expensive. According to what Pete Nys, a member of 3rd bass, told me via Instagram direct mail, the real low end of the price range was $500 and the high end was several thousand dollars. Speaking of which, as for the setup, not only Run-DMC's [adidas], but various rappers were wearing their favorite sports brands and rapping about their sneakers and clothes.
II have a 12" called "MY FILA". I also have a 12-inch called "ADI DI AS" (laughs).
It is a happy fact that hip-hop culture has been recognized.
Dapper Dan, which was on display at United Arrows & Sons, has officially launched its latest collection in the form of a collaboration between the New York Harlem-based tailor and Gucci for the fall/winter 2018 season, despite various controversies. This year also marked the opening of Gucci's Dapper Dan atelier in Harlem. 30 years ago, the luxury brand was sampled (!?) and used as a platform for local hip-hop. The tailor who contributed to the local hip-hop scene by sampling (?!) luxury brands 30 years ago has now been recognized for his achievements and is once again in the limelight. Hip-hop music continues to captivate young people all over the world, regardless of skin color, and it is an interesting trend from the street side that European luxury brands, which are known for their uptight image, are beginning to incorporate this culture. From the street side, it is an interesting trend and a pleasant fact.
In fact, the appointment of Virgil Abloh, a black designer who has lived and breathed hip-hop culture, as the men's artistic director of Louis Vuitton is one such example, and the collection launched by adidas Originals by United Arrows & Sons is another. The collection launched by "adidas Originals by UNITED ARROWS & SONS" is another example of this trend. Through fashion, he conveys an identity born from the counter and the street.
What was your favorite piece from the adidas Originals by United Arrows & Sons collection?
pI love the "RIVALRY LO" that was chosen as the collaboration model, and I collect so many of them, but this one is the best. They were the basic sneaker of the late 80's, and were loved by various genres of music. I also like "adidas" sweatshirts, and I was surprised to hear that the new product was a knit, thinking it was a sweatshirt. The picture of Manhattan is also reminiscent of the products of that time, and I really felt that the products have evolved with the times.
MegaI'm already wearing a jersey set-up. I used to wear it myself in the past, and I really like the red line. I see that the three lines are made of faux suede.
II remember a picture of Mr. MURO wearing a red "Kangol" with a tracksuit setup and Gumby at the time (laughs). I like "SUPERSTAR" so I am planning to buy the updated "ULTRA STAR" and go home. I also like the subtle graffiti on the back of the tongue. It was a great collection, with all the items grabbing our hearts with a "kink".
pI still find the 80's hip-hop stuff too strong an impact. I think that's why I'm still chasing after it even now at the age of 47.
It's good to see a revival of something from the past and new things being born with that culture in tow. And I think this is true not only for fashion but also for music.
Mega It's the same with music: the sound of the 80's, when live sound was replaced by hammering, has become popular again in the past few years, and the sound of the 90's has become popular in some ways. My Japanese break has gone from boot to official (laughs). (Laughs). As I have been doing this for a long time, I have come to enjoy this situation, and I am looking forward to seeing what will happen in the future.
adidas Originals by UNITED ARROWS & SONS
The lineup includes tracksuits and sweatshirt setups with three lines, stadium jackets with large patches, and "SUPERSTAR," which was featured in a RUN DMC song, updated to "ULTRA STAR. The lineup also includes knitwear with retro graphics by WANTO, a Tokyo-based graffiti artist, and other items that will appeal to 80's hip-hop enthusiasts.
