HOUYHNHNM

How long have you and Mr. Konno known each other?

Tomohiro Konno Konno ( , ). we met about 15 years ago. . when he was working at the "Blue Label Store" on Tonchantan Street. I was introduced to him by a friend who worked in a vintage clothing store. I was standing in the store as a store staff there at the time, and from that time on, he had a totally different atmosphere from the other staff. He just stood out.

It's quite old.

Motofumi "Poggy" Ogi ("Ogi"): Yes, that's right. After that, I became a press, and then I opened Liquor, Woman & Tears, and we met regularly during that time. However, when it came to our business relationship, it was a little later. I had been working with "NEXUS VII." since the opening of "Tokishirazu," and we began doing business with them when "Tokishirazu" closed its doors.

You have recently appeared as a model for the "NEXUS VII." look, haven't you?

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.): Yes. One reason is that Ogi and I are close in body shape, but he also wears clothes in ways that I, as the creator, would never have thought of, and I was really attracted to him, including his sense of style. So, at first, I asked him if he would be interested in modeling for me. I was embarrassed to say that I had the person in front of me. I am embarrassed to say this in front of him, but I am honestly very happy that Ogi, who has a discerning eye as a buyer and director and has seen all kinds of clothes from all over the world, wears our clothes and chooses them for us.

It's unusual for you to be a model, isn't it?

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.). Yes, that's right. . We do business with other select stores, so we gave some thought to that. However, personally, I feel that I am asking Mr. Ogi of UNITED ARROWS, or rather, I am asking him as an individual. Oddly enough, even if Mr. Ogi did not belong to UNITED ARROWS, I think I would have asked him to do it.

I think it's true what you say about the similarity in size and body shape.

small tree. I have a thicker waist than you (laughs), but we may be roughly the same size on top.

I think it fits you very well and looks good on you. How many seasons have you been modeling?

small tree. 3 seasons.

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.): I really appreciate it.

On the other hand, what is your relationship with Mr. Yasujima and Mr. Konno?

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.). Originally, I was introduced to him by Kensei Matsuo, who used to work at Spacebug. He was one of the first around us to develop a suit style before that, and we had asked Yasushima-san to make patterns for us. At that time, NEXUSⅦ. did not do suits, so Kensei taught me a lot of things, including the finer details and rules. When we talked about patterns, he said, "I know a great pattern maker. I don't often introduce him to people, but Konan-kun would be a good choice.

When did that happen?

Shoji Yasujima ("Yasujima")About two years ago, I think. I have my own brand, Copano 86, and I do pattern work as well.

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.).: "Copano 86's clothes are extremely beautifully tailored. When you put them on, you get a unique feeling of a crisp fit, or the kind of comfort that can only come from a good pattern, and Yasujima's products have that. Ogi, on the other hand, is able to arrange and coordinate his jackets in a variety of ways, so I felt that these two points were connected in my mind. . This is how we started working together, and we are now in our third season.

Did you and Mr. Yasujima have any prior interactions with each other?

small tree: I have seen your clothes at the exhibitions of Mr. Konno and Mr. Kensei, but this is the second time I have met you in person.

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.). I went with him to an exhibition of Mr. Yasujima's work before.

From your point of view, what kind of impression do you have of the clothes that Yasujima-san makes?

small tree. I can't say it well, but it is exquisitely made. This kind of feeling is surprisingly rare. . There are some Italian clothes that are a little closer. For example, when Italians make denim, there is too much handwork and design, and it's hard to find a feeling of being able to stop at just the right place. I feel that your clothes have that perfect balance.

I see. Mr. Ogi, what do you think when you see and try on the items from this collaboration?

small treeA few years ago, the American heritage trend was very popular in Japan. At that time, people started to play with such things, but even so, most of them were done until the 1950s, I think. Before that time, the U.S. was originally made up of immigrants from the U.K., so the culture became more British, and moreover, more tailored. I think Konno has studied a lot before the 1950s, but if you go back to the military he likes, you can find elements of tailors' culture. However, when most brands run into this problem, they want to make good products, but they have no way to do so. To be more specific, they cannot find a good pattern maker. . I get the sense that you were able to successfully combine these two elements in this suit.

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)As Ogi just mentioned, having a unique background is very important, and since Yasujima-san also has his own craftsmen, he is able to complete the product process only through communication between Yasujima-san and his craftsmen. Having someone else in the middle of the communication can make it a game of messages, and the passion for the product can fade away, so having that is a great advantage. I also think it is important that Mr. Yasujima himself makes clothes.

I guess you mean that they pay attention to the smallest details.

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.). Yes, it is. And above all, the quality is overwhelmingly high. Since you have built a solid relationship with your craftsmen over the years, you don't receive anything strange. I'm not sure if this is the right way to put it.

cheap island. hmmm .

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.). the sense of security is totally different. There's no weird sense of excitement until you open the cardboard boxes of samples that come up and hang them up.

cheap island: I have been an engineer and manufacturing for many years, too, and I still make mistakes. . but I am glad to be recognized in that way.

From your point of view, how do you see Konno-san's approach to craftsmanship?

cheap islandI am very young, but I can see that you have studied a lot about fabrics and the military. I am simply amazed. When I meet with Mr. Konno and have meetings with him, there are many things I would like to learn from him. When I see that kind of attitude, I feel like I want to make something for him, too.

. sorry, it was kind of like we were all complimenting each other.

all of us: (Laughs)

cheap island: No, really, but Konno-san's knowledge is amazing. Wow, even I would lose to him. But I'm more skilled than you, he says (laughs).

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.): (laughs). Patterns are a craftsmanship, aren't they? The details, or rather, the comfort of the garment changes by millimeters, and I think the way Mr. Yasujima finishes and fills in the patterns is truly wonderful.

When did your interest in tailored clothing begin to grow?

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.). since we started offering suits at Spacebug. Until then, I never wore a suit unless it was for a wedding or funeral. I only had one suit for weddings and funerals and one other suit. The other one has double stripes, and it's something I can't show you now (laughs).

I see (laughs).

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.).: I think a peaked double suit would be cool.

cheap island: Yes , it's cool.

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.). At that time, Kensei-kun was wearing a suit as his daily wear while I personally did not have much of a chance to put my sleeves on a suit.

How did you wear it?

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.). He was wearing ragged denim shorts, with a crisp top. He didn't wear a tie-up, but he wore an oxford shirt with a jacket, etc. He was just very stylish. At first, I ordered what Kensei made, wore it, and was satisfied with it. However, as the years went by, I started wearing lapel jackets more and more, and I became interested in making my own jackets. At that time, Ogi was also wearing jackets in a variety of outfits. Today's style is exactly the same, but seeing the two of you skillfully incorporating jackets into your styles while wearing them in an unconventional way, it also broke down the notion that the overall look had to be tight.

What kind of way do you deal with suits and jackets these days, Mr. Ogi?

small tree. I still wear jackets as often as ever. However, I tend to wear them in this way, rather than in an orthodox way. People seem to have an image of a beard, hat, and jacket, and I often hear people say so, but I feel like I am incorporating things from the current era based on that image.

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)Ogi's style is also "hip-hop," which he likes, isn't it? He has always been. His style has been hip-hop since he started working for "Blue Label.

What do you mean?

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.). Hip-hop, of course, has its roots, but it's a genre that was born out of nowhere; it didn't exist in the 70's, and suddenly appeared around the 80's, using the sources of great songs up to that point to complete a new and different one. In your style, Ogi, it seems to me that a tailored jacket is like a sampling source. . It is as if the source material is there, but Mr. Ogi is arranging the inner lining. That's how I see it. Liquor, Women & Tears," which he worked on, was exactly that kind of store. It had suits and New Era. It was a store that embodied a style that other boutiques at the time could not even imagine. But even before that, Ogi had always had that image.

I see.

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)Ogi and Kensei-kun were the first to start wearing jackets, and they were very quick to do so. . I simply looked at them and envied them. I wanted to catch up with the two who had already adopted this way of dressing, and I became interested in jackets, and then I met Mr. Yasujima and connected with a wonderful craftsman, and it was only recently that all sorts of things came together in terms of timing.

cheap islandAs I mentioned earlier, Kensei introduced me to Konno, and I met him. I have been doing this job for about 45 years, and I always want to work with people with whom I can create something good. I always try to come as close as possible to what Mr. Konno envisions.