PROFILE
Known as the "King Of Diggin'" and one of Japan's leading DJs, he was a central figure in the hip-hop movement of the 1990s and has been active in a wide range of fields, from the underground to the majors, for many years. He has been active in a wide range of fields, from the underground to the major labels. He has also used his knowledge and expertise in the apparel industry. Savage!" in Udagawa, Shibuya-ku, is still talked about as a legendary store.
PROFILE
After working as a buyer at a select store and in planning and production at a vintage store, he became independent in 2017. In 2019, he will open his flagship store "C30" in Harajuku. In 2019, he will open a flagship shop "C30" in Harajuku, Tokyo, and will support MURO as his partner in "Recognize".
PROFILE
He is the director of "Azuma", a select store in Jinnan, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, which has a unique mixed style based on the concept of "indigenous and migratory". He is also the director of "GARDEN," which has two stores in the same area and in Osaka. He is known as one of the industry's foremost connoisseurs, with a buying sense that transcends genre boundaries and a reputation for picking up up new brands.
I followed everything Mr. MURO did (Gongmu).
A. First of all, could you tell us how you came to start "Recognize" at this point in time?
MURO:I first met Gon-chan when I visited "C30" with a mutual friend who collects cassette tapes and was introduced to her. We started talking about cassette tapes, and then we started talking about vintage clothing, like, "You have some great T-shirts! We started talking about music and clothes, and since Gon-chan was making clothes, we decided that it would be a good idea if we could start a brand together. I am still amazed at how quickly things progressed (laughs).
When did that happen?
MURO:Like last year.
The reason why you decided to proceed in such a short period of time was because you had a strong desire to make clothes with Mr. MURO, didn't you? right?
Rights holder:Yes, that's right. That is why I made the offer myself. After that, I was so excited that things started to move at a fast pace (laughs).
MURO:How long has Gon's store (C30) been open?
Rights holder:. since last March.
MURO:So it's been almost a year then. Maybe it was that kind of timing or something.
When you approached MURO, did you already have an idea of what kind of brand you wanted to create?
Rights holder:Yes, I have many images of Mr. MURO in my mind, so I used them as a base. I have always had a strong admiration for Mr. MURO, so much so that I named my company DITC (short for Diggin' In The Crates). I named my company DITC (Diggin' In The Crates) to express my desire to make it a company that does a solid job of "digging" in everything, including, of course, clothing. Anyway, I followed everything that Mr. MURO did.
I go to record stores and find various hints, and connect them to clothes (MURO).
A: How exactly did you go about making the clothes?
MURO:In terms of graphics, I take various hints from record jackets and connect them to my clothing. That hasn't changed much in the past.
It's been a long time since you have worked on your own clothes, hasn't it?
MURO:The store I used to run, "DIGOT," was like an American "home depot," where I collected and stored items like a warehouse. I collaborated with "Carhartt" and "Stussy" at that store, so it has been a long time since then.
It was a fun place, wasn't it?
MURO:I think it's been about 3 or 4 years since I was approached by various apparel brands. For example, I was asked to do the sound for the "White Mountaineering" runway show in Paris, which was a so-called collaboration. I was also invited to participate in a number of good exhibitions, and I feel that my interest in clothes has been rekindled. And when I look around town, it is interesting to see young people wearing the same clothes that we used to wear.
I see that you have combined your thoughts and feelings into "RECOGNIZE". How did you come up with the brand name "Recognize"?
MURO:I consulted with my best digging buddy in New Jersey, K-Prince, for the brand name, and I wanted to give it a 90's vibe, but there are a lot of Hip Hop records from that era that have the word "Recognize" in them. . I found the word "Recognize" in a lot of Hip Hop records from that time. . to play it anew and bring it back to life, just like my sound production. I put it there in the hope that something that is uniquely us would resonate anew with young people.
From your point of view, you want young people to notice things that have always existed and that they have always liked as something fresh, don't you?
MURO:Yes, it is.
MURO: From your point of view, how do you see the current fashion boom that incorporates 90's tastes?
MURO:It's interesting to see how they mix and match, and while I didn't wear clothes like that in the 90's, I'm discovering new things. And the young people of today are very good at expressing themselves in whatever they do, and DJs are the same way.
