Well . I would like to ask you about your collection.
Mihara:No, it's okay, I'm kind of embarrassed. I was able to talk a lot about Aizawa-kun today, so I thought I was done.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no....
Aizawa:Mr. Mihara, you have been doing ladies' quite a long time.
Mihara:Yeah, I know. Don't you think about ladies a lot?
Aizawa:. it's difficult, isn't it?
Mihara:Many male designers overseas are gay, and when it comes to women's clothing, I think they are better at creating various images of women. . When I think about women's wear, I feel that I have to talk a lot with young women.
Aizawa:In this sense, I feel that it is a hurdle for a Japanese male designer to succeed in the ladies' wear market.
Did you always want to try ladies' wear?
Mihara:. or rather, I am starting with the ladies.
Is it about shoes?
Mihara:Yes. There were high heels and so on, and there was more of that in the market. . So I started from the point of women's belongings. A foreign designer said to me, "Why do you do ladies' wear when you are straight? He said, "Why do you do ladies' wear when you are straight?
Aizawa:I've heard that a lot when I'm abroad.
Mihara:. However, working with women's wear helps me to find a balance when working with men's wear. In the men's world, there are many unchanging aesthetics, and it is a question of how to change them, but in the women's world, there is more freedom. . That's why I sometimes felt very lost in deciding what my territory was. Even if I was suddenly told to run around freely on the African continent, I would not be able to make good use of such a vast area. . I guess it's like when you add depth to the enclosure you've created, the universe expands in the opposite direction. It is just like bonsai. As time accumulates in the space, various things become visible. Then the ladies will be able to do it.
I see.
Mihara:If you only had to do one thing, you wouldn't have to switch so much, but if you had to do something completely different the next time, it would be very difficult. Aizawa, you have "White Mountaineering" and "Hunting World," and you also have ladies' wear. What do you think about that?
Aizawa:I am the exact opposite of Mr. Mihara. I am completely mixed. I can't do it unless I am mixed. The only time I switch off is when I am a teacher. That's why I stay on all the time. Once the switch is turned on, I just run with it. For ladies, I look at the skeletal structure and the feeling of the shoulders. I often look at athletes.
Mihara:. yes, I did. I also studied acting to change my mind.
You mean, you can play many different roles?
Mihara:Yes, that's right. For example, when I was collaborating with Puma, they could think about sneakers all the time, but I could not. But I didn't want to be taken advantage of, so I had to turn on the mentality that I was a top sneaker designer. I had to have the mentality that I could do something more innovative than them. However, it is also important to have the experience of working as a corporate designer. By working for a brand with sales that are off the charts, you become better at presenting to a large group of people, and you don't get overwhelmed.
. You both have a lot of work to do, but you have different ways of thinking about it.
Mihara:Anyway, there were times when it was hard for me to do different things. . since I do all the outside work on my own.
Aizawa:I have been working in a composite style since I was at COMME des GARÇONS, so I don't feel any discomfort.
By the way, from your point of view, what do you think of Mihara's creations?
Aizawa:I think the clothes have a vocabulary. I think that if someone without any background were to do what Mr. Mihara is doing now, it would be a jumble.
I think you may be right. It is quite complex and elaborate.
Aizawa:But when Mr. Mihara does it, it comes together properly. I think this is what sets us apart from ordinary brands.
Mihara:Thank you . Yes, there are a lot of elements in the clothes these days, but until now I haven't been good about talking about them openly. . but recently I've been trying to talk about it in detail.
. As far as the show is concerned, the styling by Ms. Lambda Takahashi is also very good. I feel that it fits well with what Mr. Mihara creates.
Mihara:Lambda-kun looks good. He puts together very precise styling. He is very meticulous in his work. I joke around in the show. I brought maracas to the show. It is important to make people laugh.
Mihara-san, you wear clothes you made, don't you?
Mihara:. I'll wear it.
Aizawa:I wear it too, but mainly my own brand of wardrobe line, I wear that shirt for about 360 days.
That part has not changed, has it?
Aizawa:After all, there are many things you don't know about clothes until you try them on, but for the 2019 AW show, we did not use models taller than 183 cm. After all, samples are not only for models to try on, but also for buyers, and if we make samples to fit foreign models, it would not be realistic.
Indeed.
Aizawa:Even if a model wears pants in a show and they look cropped, they are just right when worn by a Japanese person. In the end, that kind of size is better received.
Mihara:You made thick pants this time.
Aizawa:Yes . . It is a triangle style, with the top just right and the bottom loose. I wanted to create such a form in response to the current trend of big silhouettes. It's like a dissonance.
Mihara:But, you know, neither Aizawa nor I thought we would be recognized abroad.
Aizawa:Yes.
Mihara:My work with PUMA had made my name known overseas, but what in the world is this MIHARA YASUHIURO? Under such circumstances, I did a collection in Milan with a twist.
I see.
Mihara:. It was very difficult to do the collection in Milan. It was just so random. Preparation was last minute, and we would finally get down to business a few hours before the show. Compared to that, Paris is a very easy place to work.
What do you feel when you show your shows abroad?
Mihara:It is a great discovery. It is a challenge and a battle to go abroad.
...and exposed to critique.
Mihara:Yes . Only good things are written about you in Japan. They never write anything bad about you, do they, Aizawa?
Aizawa:No, no, no . What is different between Japan and other countries is that you will be asked about your very personal impressions and opinions in an interview. And before the show.
Mihara:I watch "Vogue Runway" a lot. I watch it every morning during the season.
Aizawa:I am exactly the same way.
Mihara:I look at the clothes of the top maisons and think about how I can create this kind of feeling for my own brand. . That's why I remember that season so well.
. Indeed, you remembered many of the details of the "White Mountaineering" show that we just talked about. By the way, you have done shows in various places, haven't you? Not only in Milan, which was mentioned earlier, but also in London.
Mihara:Yes, that's right. . the dates are too early for London... AW collection, for example, starts right after January, so I have to come to England right after the new year.
That's quite a challenge.
Mihara:. yes. So, as I said before, in the end, Paris is probably the best environment. There are a lot of noisy people, though (laughs).
Aizawa:. There are a lot of things that are not so straightforward. We can't set schedules by ourselves. White Mountaineering is always scheduled before Hermes, so it's difficult if there is a time crunch.
Mihara:That's the way it is, isn't it?
Aizawa:At "Pitti," in addition to "White Mountaineering," you presented shows for "Adidas Originals by White Mountaineering," "Hunting World," and in Milan for "Hunting World. In London, we did a show with "Beacon Heritage Range by White Mountaineering" with "Babur," so I'm interested in New York since we haven't done it at all only in New York.
Mihara:I haven't done anything except for New York either. . but I think both Aizawa-kun and I can design in fields other than fashion.
Indeed. The two of you seem to have a lot in common in a very fundamental way.
Mihara:. I think it has to be that way from now on. People who want to become fashion designers seem to have a low IQ (laughs). I don't want to be someone who says that's all I can do.
Aizawa:. Yes, I do. Communication skills are important, and if you have them, you should be able to do more than just fashion. . In fact, I am currently working for the Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo. I will be 42 years old this year, which means I will be in the latter half of my mid-career. So I think about it a lot. By the way, Mr. Mihara, you are already a big name in the field.
Mihara:No, no . I want to be called up-and-coming or something (laughs).
