I wanted to make clothes that did not feel heavy when worn.
At The Conspires, Keizo Shimizu, the representative of Nepenthes, and Daiki Suzuki of Engineered Garments are in charge of design. This is a new brand produced by Mr. Nakahira.
I have a friend named John who runs a showroom called "Battery SR" in New York, and he and I decided to start a new brand together. We thought it would be good to have clothes that could be sold both in Japan and the US. I talked to Shimizu-san and Ohki-san about it, and they agreed to do the design work.
Mr. Nakahira, Ms. Shimizu, and Mr. Suzuki have known each other for more than 30 years and originally had a senior-senior relationship at a well-established import company called "Union Square. Rather than a business relationship, they have a close personal friendship.
John, who lives in New York, is also very close to Mr. Ohki, and they even go surfing together in Hawaii. Of course, he is also good friends with Mr. Shimizu, and all four of them are inseparable.
When starting the brand, Ms. Nakahira ordered "relaxed wear for adults" from the two designers.
I wanted to make clothes that would not feel heavy when worn. I guess it is a trend of the times, but I myself don't wear collared shirts anymore. Wool knits and heavy melton coats also feel stiff when worn. Reflecting this mood, I wanted shirts that were not too heavy to look at, and yet light when worn. Like Mr. Shimizu, I am wearing jerseys these days, and now I want to wear lightweight clothes that feel light and casual. However, I want to wear clothes that are not too light. I wanted to make clothes that were properly designed.
reversible coat ¥98,000+TAX each
vest ¥48,000+tax each
This reversible coat and vest have a fearless appearance that is full of Mr. Suzuki's character. The design is inspired by military wear. Each garment comes with a belt, which can be carried on the back when taken off by putting it through the belt loop on the back of the collar.
from left to right〈the conspires〉Boa jacket ¥42,000＋TAX, Boa coat ¥45,000＋TAX
These warm-looking boa jackets and coats feature a loose-fitting silhouette. The items that tend to look dowdy are arranged in a solid design to make them easy to wear. Ms. Shimizu was in charge of designing these items.
〈the conspires〉Jacket ¥24,000＋TAX, Pants ¥20,000＋TAX
This striped shirt and pants set-up was designed by Shimizu. While the striped fabric is used to create an elegant item, the drawcord waistband gives it a somewhat relaxed appearance.
Based on this concept, Mr. Nakahira left the design almost entirely up to the client. He said, "If I meddle in the details, the designer's good qualities will disappear.
I knew from the very beginning that what you two would create would be perfect, so I was looking forward to seeing what you would come up with. So I was looking forward to seeing the finished product. And when I finally saw it, I realized how cool it was. I think the clothes have Mr. Shimizu's and Mr. Ohki's character, but are simple and easy to wear.
