Seijun Kato's view of fashion.
I heard that you are especially fond of fashion among the members. What made you fall in love with it in the first place?
Kato:I was born on Hachijojima Island and moved to Tokyo when I was 18. At the time, a friend took me to a vintage clothing store in Harajuku and bought me a coat that cost about 20,000 yen (laughs). (Laughs.) I had never been interested in fashion before, so I was surprised and my sense of value changed drastically. For the next four or five years, I was hooked on vintage clothing, and recently I started buying clothes from current brands.
What specific brands do you like?
Kato:Recently, I have been looking at [JACQUEMUS], whose installation for the 2020 SS was very interesting, and I felt a sense of empathy with their worldview, which is something I like. I heard that they are going to release a photo book, and I am interested in the visuals that capture everyday life. I also often check out the New York brand BODE. I think the warmth and nostalgic familiarity of handmade products, such as the craftsmanship that incorporates traditional crafts and hand-drawn illustrations, is exactly what makes them sustainable.
I see that your fashion sense has blossomed since you came to Tokyo. Where do you get most of your information?
Kato:I rarely look at the web or magazines. I like to go out for drinks, so I mostly hear from people I meet there. It's quicker, and I can trust what I hear from people who know me. It is simply interesting to hear what other people have to say.
I see. Do you have a favorite restaurant?
Kato:I have a few, but I actually buy most of them online. It's like waiting for them to go on sale (laughs). Of course, I have a solid color, design, and silhouette that I like, so I don't have that much trouble with the Internet.
Sustainable but reasonable" is the keyword.
Kato-san, you seem to have a lot of denim items, don't you?
Kato:Yes, I did. I liked vintage clothes, so I had quite a few pants and tops. During the period of self-restraint, I had to get rid of a lot of them. I had Levi's® 501®, Silver Tab, and Flair 517™.
I could tell that you really like clothes. How do you feel about this collection when you actually hold it in your hands?
Kato:When I saw it on the web beforehand, it didn't seem sustainable in a good way, or what I would call a fashion item. However, I like the fluorescent yellow tag. It's easy to tell at a glance, and it visually conveys how the product is made with the environment in mind.
It is true that it is difficult to tell whether something is sustainable or not from its appearance. Also, the biggest feature of this work is the price setting. The shirt you are wearing now costs less than 8,000 yen.
Kato:That is inexpensive! I had an image that sustainable items were expensive to begin with, but this is easy to pick up and the design is simple, so I think it will be accepted by a wide range of people.
The denim collection by "Freaks Store" and "Cal" is starting with the 2019 AW collection, and by keeping the price low, we are trying to reach people who have shied away from sustainable products because they are too expensive.
Kato:I think it is wonderful that you can wear and experience it easily. It is difficult to achieve both fashion and sustainability, but I think this denim collection strikes a very good balance. I hope that there will be more items like this in the future that are easy to pick up.
