Ryota Yamada with TAKIBI DOWN JACKET
PROFILE
Born in 1980. After studying under Hiroshi Ozawa, he became independent in 2007. He has styled for magazines, celebrities, and brand catalogs and shows, and has earned the trust of the industry. In his private life, he enjoys playing basketball and is the father of two children.
instagram@ryotayamada______
Think of overspecification as one design.
When did you first hear about Nanga?
Yamada: I think it was two or three years ago. We were making special-order items with various brands such as F/CE.®, and the name "Nanga" was mentioned as a matter of course in conversations with acquaintances, so I naturally heard about it, including the fact that it was a domestic brand. When did the brand itself start?
Kawada started out making down quilts in 1941, and in the 1970s, the company shifted its focus to outdoor items, mainly sleeping bags. They use down from Kawada Feathers, a well-known Japanese down manufacturer, and have their own factory.
Yamada: 1941 is before the war, isn't it? That's a long-established company. If the sleeping bag was made in the 1970s, it must have been made in time for the so-called "first camping boom. Is "Nanga" a Japanese word?
Nanga Parbat is feared as the "Cannibal Mountain" and "Mountain of Death" and is the most difficult mountain in the world to climb. What kind of image did you have of Nanga?
Yamada: I have the image that they are selling very well. In addition to the "F.C.E." that I mentioned earlier, they also collaborate with many select stores. I have the impression that the designs are not too outdoorsy, and that they are made with fashion in mind. I also feel that the logo with a gekiga touch fits in with the current times.
This "Tachibi Down Jacket" is made of aramid fiber, a material that is flame retardant, meaning it is resistant to sparks from campfires. Aramid 1001 TP10T makes the fabric stiff, so Nanga has taken comfort into consideration in its formulation.
Yamada: It's also quite compact despite its 770 fill power, and I think it's easy to wear in town because it's not that voluminous, in a good sense of the word.
I think you can use it both in the city and in the mountains. By the way, do you camp?
Yamada: I have only said that I have done so before, but not to the extent that I have put together full-fledged gear to do so. People think I do a lot of it. It's like the beard = camper (laughs).
(laughs). We have had many mild winters in recent years, but what do you think about the need for down?
Yamada: As a stylist, I have to shoot outside on location, so down jackets are a necessity. I think that down jackets can be worn by everyone from b-boys to office workers. However, the down boom of a couple of years ago seems to have died down a bit.
Down is different between fashion brands and outdoor brands. What do you feel are the differences between the two?
Yamada: Down items are expensive in their own right, so they are not something you replace in one season, and once you buy them, you wear them for years. In that sense, fashion brand down tends to be seasonal items because they reflect the current mood. Personally, I prefer to wear one item of clothing for a long time rather than changing it from one season to the next, so I think this "Tachibi Down Jacket" has a universal design. I am also attracted by the fact that the price can be lowered to this level with this quality. If a fashion brand were to make this jacket, it would probably cost over 100,000 yen.
It is true that the ability of an outdoor brand to complete everything in-house, from material development to sewing, is a great strength. However, because it is an outdoor brand, it may be over-specified for street wear.
Yamada: Personally, I am not that attracted to the "relaxed" or "comfortable" clothes that we often hear about these days, and I prefer heavy coats. Lightweight coats are fine, but the heavier they are, the more I feel like I'm wearing them. I know it's not about being prepared, but because this down is made of flame-retardant materials, I feel more secure in knowing that it is well equipped, even if it is over-specified, than in clothes that pretend to be, in other words, functional, so that it can be handled roughly in a good sense of the word.
Flame-retardant materials, in particular, have almost no chance to be used for street wear (laughs).
Yamada: It's not very likely that you will encounter fire (laughs). (Laughs) However, putting functionality aside, I think the texture created by the material is also a part of the design. Nike's Air shoes started out from a sports perspective, but now they are seen as part of the design. People don't say, "Why are you wearing running shoes on the street? It's the same with these down jackets. It is not about whether it is over-specified or not, but whether it is interesting when viewed as a design. I think that because it is gear-like, the sense of mismatch when it is combined with something that is not gear-like is interesting.
Do you have any key points in the way you dress today?
Yamada: When I wear outdoor items, I tend to pair them with slacks or other functional pieces that are high and low. Rather than the same tone, I want to plug in different categories. This is the same at work. Like wearing jerseys with leather shoes.
I feel that checked slacks are an unexpected combination.
Yamada: Down tends to complete the upper body by itself when worn alone, so I try not to make it lonely by adding patterns to the pants or layering tops of different lengths. It is also interesting to wear it with the zipper open, which is unique to street wear, and to close it only at the neck. It is also important to show a glimpse of innerwear through the side slits. I was also thinking of wearing a thin coat under the down so that you can see the layered look.
It's the kind of thinking that only an advanced person who pays attention to details could come up with.
Yamada: Monotone is fine, but I think it's a good idea to layer colored items and play with different lengths if possible. My rule is to wear elegant underwear because I tend to wear a lot of T-shirts and crew-neck items.
TAKIBI DOWN JACKET ¥60,000+TAX（ eachONLINE STORE)
This heavy-duty, fire-resistant and cold-resistant down jacket is made of aramid, a highly flame-resistant material that is both natural and comfortable to wear. 770-fill-power UDD (ultra water-repellent down), Nanga's proprietary high-quality down, is used to prevent loss of heat retention even when it rains. It is also highly utilitarian with functional details such as 10 pockets and side vents, which are convenient for when you are out on the town with nothing to carry. The voluminous hood is detachable and can be removed depending on your mood. Available in 5 colors.
