It is sexy and wild,
And yet delicious looking boots.
Today, Mr. Fujii brought some shoes that he recently bought.
Fujii:I thought shoes would be a good way to talk about my current state of mind.
nonnative x GUIDI
Non-native has custom-ordered boots from various brands and factories, but I think that even people who like fashion don't know about Guidi.
Fujii:That may be so. As far as I know, there are not many around me. I learned about them from Sonia Park's "Sonia's Shopping Manual. The image I had of people wearing them was of mode-ish people who wear Comme des Garcons or Rick Owens. So I don't think the people at Guidi would think that someone like me would be wearing them. I bought my first pair of Guidi's iconic back-zip boots when I was just before 30, and I've continued to buy five pairs of similar models since then.
Do you have a philosophy there?
Fujii:To me, leather shoes are, in the extreme, like sneakers, and even if they get dirty, they still look cool. I quite like it when women wear "Maison Margiela" footwear boots. They look like dresses, but they also look like casual sneakers. I'm looking for that kind of feeling in boots.
Q: How did you decide on the special order with "Guidi" in the first place?
Fujii:For me, "Guidi" is like a flower of high peak that I wanted to order separately someday. My friend Fukuchan (Ryosuke Fukunaga, COVERCHORD buyer), who was on a buying trip to Paris Fashion Week, happened to find "Guidi" by chance. Then I found out that we could make a special order, and he got me to talk to them.
A: What kind of request did you make for this special order to the person you admire so much?
Fujii:This time I specified my back-zip boots in horsehide, and gave them a color sample of my favorite beige color, and had them dyed to something close to that. The soles are mostly leather soles inline, but I went with Vibram. Guidi boots get deeply wrinkled as they are worn in, and this is a unique way of wrinkling them. Incidentally, this is the first time that Guidi boots have been stamped with the brand that made the special order.
Non-Native's boots are made with an awareness of the affinity with Non-Native's pants, aren't they?
Fujii:In terms of the relation to the hem width, I would say that "Guidi" boots are sneaker-like, but also sock-like. They are not slouchy at all, and I think they go well with slim pants. Not only "Guidi" boots, but Italian boots are sexy, and "Guidi" boots are sexy and wild. They are clearly exceptional, and have the feeling of a living creature talking to the leather. And they look delicious, don't they? (Laughs)
