FEATURE｜Virgil Normal, a local hero who never misses his core.
In a good mood. VIRGIL NORMAL × WISLOM × Dickies
Virgil Normal , a local hero who never misses his core.
Silver Lake is home to many creative people with an independent spirit, and is one of Los Angeles' newest cultural centers. In this new cultural center, Charlie Stanton and Shelley Kurata opened Virgil Normal four years ago. Virgil Normal, which is the focus of much attention in the industry and is visited by every Japanese fashion professional who goes to Los Angeles, has been working with WISLOM™, which makes clothes from its own textiles, under the proposal of Freaks Store, and Dickies™, one of America's leading workwear brands, under the proposal of Freaks Store. The capsule collection was released in collaboration with Dickies, one of America's leading workwear brands. We spoke with the local hero of Silver Lake, who seemed to be relaxed even before the event held at Freaks Store Shibuya (* already closed).
Fashion Journalist. Just like Bill Cunningham wore....
(left) Shirley Kurata, (right) Charlie Staunton
This is a capsule collection. Can you tell us what kind of content you have created?
Charlie Staunton ("Charlie")The materials used by With ROM are just great, aren't they? We used a twill material for this collaboration, and it turned out both casual and chic, and I think it's just right for the coming warm season. The tropical look would be nice, too.
Shirley Kurata ("Shirley")Some people find it difficult to wear regular "Dickies" because the fabric is stiff. However, this one inherits the good qualities of "Dickies," but is made of a softer fabric, so it is comfortable to wear.
What was the reason for using Dickies?
Charlie.It is purely a workwear brand and an essential brand in the streetwear and skateboarding scene. I think this collaboration has been a new adventure for Withrom and Dickies. I think the designs are suitable for a wide range of occasions, from clubbing to formal occasions such as weddings in churches.
Fans of Dickies must be delighted with this development.
Charlie.Dickies is definitely one of the best workwear brands, and most factory workers in the U.S. wear Dickies. Also, skaters have been wearing them for a long time. They buy two new pairs, wear one out until it's worn out, and then press the other one properly and wear it stylishly.
What is the appeal of the jackets and pants in this issue?
Shirley.As for the jacket, it's based on French workwear, and the three-button design allows it to be worn like a coat, which is nice, isn't it?
Charlie.（I imagined the kind of look that (fashion journalist) Bill Cunningham used to wear.
Shirley.Pants with pleats. We love pleated pants! But usually, Dickies pants don't have pleats. In the past, oversized pants were the norm in Los Angeles, so I designed these pants with pleats so that they can be worn loose.
It's like the '90s, when you wear size 40 Dickies pants.
Shirley.Right. These are pleated and loose-fitting, so you don't have to go out of your way to buy a bigger size. Also, the pockets on the knees were not included in the past because there were no cell phones. But nowadays, pockets are convenient, so we added them.
The store court is nice.
Shirley.It can be dressed up or dressed down while retaining an industrial air. We have taken workwear to the next level.
Charlie.I took a cue from American mechanic jackets. The body width is designed to be wide, like a trench coat. The image is from the 80's. Black store coats were often worn by skaters back then.
Shirley is a stylist, how do you think I should wear this store coat?
Shirley.You can dress it up with a button-down shirt, or dress it down with a T-shirt for a more casual look. The collaboration shirts are also softer than the regular "Dickies" shirts, so they are more comfortable to wear. The design is based on a uniform shirt, but I also have dress shirts in mind.
As for the graphics on the T-shirts, did the two of you work on them?
Shirley.Yes, I did. We have two tuxedo cats, Honey and Alexander, and I made a funnie graphic inspired by them. Honey, the female, is more shy (laughs).
Charlie.As for the letter, I designed it myself, with the neon of a radio song called KVNM in mind. It's an old-fashioned letter, but with a neon pop feel. I used to draw the band's name on billboards with this style of letter when I would introduce them at shows hosted by radio stations. It's a hand drawing, but it has a digital feel to it, and I'm thinking of the 90's and early computer graphics. I also hand-drew the store window with this logo.
This time, the item had a laid-back West Coast feel, but also very modern.
Charlie.For example, it might be the image of West Coast crews such as N.W.A. and the Beastie Boys. At the time, they were all active in mainstream music, and I think they were always in the center of the sense, but there was something out of the ordinary about them. N.W.A., for example, looked cool in black denim and black jackets at the time.
The two chose "Jump", a women's professional magazine from the 1980s.
I am a zine that will be produced at a pop-up event, what will it be about? (*The event has already ended. This interview took place before the event)
Charlie.I am planning to make a mini-zine using a sheet of paper. You can draw on it, cut out magazines and make a collage. You can do whatever you want. I went to Shimokitazawa to buy old magazines to use.
Shirley.We like Japanese magazines. And then there are Snoopy books. We love Snoopy, and we have a lot of Snoopy toys in our store in Los Angeles, even though we don't sell them.
In "Jump", a women's professional magazine in the 80's...Aja Kong! They were popular. It's a great selection (laughs).
Charlie.It was 500 yen. It was like cutting out a page from a magazine, making a copy, and then cutting and pasting it to make your own zine.
By the way, how did you two meet?
Shirley.We met through friends (laughs).
Charlie.We met at the Rose Bowl Flea Market. I was living in a very crappy (cheap) apartment at the time and moved from there to the same apartment building as her. It was near the Wiltern Theater in Koreatown and had the same architecture as the theater. Then we were friends and then she moved out and we became a couple. We now live in Silver Lake.
You have a store in Silver Lake, what is the area like?
Charlie.Silverlake has a lot of up and coming indie bands and there are still cheap places to live. There are many different ethnic groups and a lot of students. There have always been a lot of clubs and live music venues, and a lot of restaurants and cafes to choose from. There are many independent, small, nice restaurants. While there are modern buildings, there is also 1930s architecture by Richard Neutra, Rudolph Schindler, and others, and Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House is one of the most famous. There are also many mid-century modern buildings around Silver Lake. By the way, Silver Lake was originally a gay neighborhood, and in the 1970s and 1980s, many Filipinos lived in the area.
How is "Virgil Normal" coming along?
Charlie.I have made even more friends since I started the restaurant. Not only have I met many people, but I have also started friendships with them.
Shirley.We have had many collaborations, and many people from Japan have come to our shows. The customers are great and I have made many Japanese friends.
What do you think of the fashion scene in Los Angeles?
Shirley.I think that many people are lifestyle oriented, but I feel that they are becoming more interested in fashion, not just casual wear. Also, L.A. has a good selection of high quality vintage clothing, and many people wear vintage well. There are also many flea markets.
Charlie.The Rose Bowl is famous, and it's interesting just to watch the people there. The vintage scene is also changing. Vintage street wear is more popular now than the 40's. Motocross wear is very popular. Motocross wear is very popular.
What are your plans for the future of Virgil Normal?
Charlie.Several collaborations will follow. We're standing in the store every day, and we're getting some great talent. It's starting to become a community place in Los Angeles, and I hope we can continue to bring interesting things to the area.
