. By the way, when I first saw " by H. ", I thought it was surprisingly simple.
Forest: Yes, it is. It turned out to be surprisingly simple (laughs).
. I sometimes wondered if you were making something conceptually more punk.
Forest: Yes . . I'm trying to make it look like it can be worn properly.
But the look of the latest 2021SS is quite different, isn't it?
Forest: . I don't really want to do look shoots. I am very good at shooting looks for other brands, but it is really hard for me to dress up my own clothes for a shoot. I would rather ask someone else to do it.
You mean you're embarrassed?
Forest: Of course there is a part of me that is embarrassed, but as I mentioned earlier, I am also tired of seeing them. When I shoot a look for another brand, I can play around with it on purpose because it is fresh in a good way, but with my own clothes, I can't do that easily.
. It would be a self-made maneuver.
Forest: Yes . It's hard to blur (laughs).
The theme for the 2021SS is "Hyper Resort.
Forest: . Yes, I have no choice but to make it blurry like this. Sonia once asked me to style a look for an "Arts & Science" shoot, and now I understand exactly how she felt. By the way, needless to say, I was the most nervous stylist I've ever worked with. I think the best part of a look shoot is that the stylist objectively styles clothes that we don't know how they were made, so in a way it is irresponsible, and because of that, we can do it without stress and it also creates a kind of chemical change there. . In that sense, it's tough to take an outfit that you know how it was made and put it back on the cutting board to cook again.
. It's not just about clothes, but maybe it's about food as well.
Forest: Yes, yes. For example, if you are a farmer and you cook with vegetables that you have grown with great care, in a sense it is hard, or you feel that you cannot cook them well. I think that a cook with an objective viewpoint would be able to make better food. . In the case of photographers, I think it must be something like that, like the fact that Araki doesn't print his own photos.
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Do you feel, however, that you have to communicate what you have created?
Forest: Well, to be honest, I don't really feel that way. I think it's because I don't do much sales work. It is the same for stylists. I'm not the type of person who is aggressive in sales. I want the people who notice my work to empathize with it, and I don't want to put it out there unnecessarily. If it doesn't sell, that is my responsibility. However, I always keep in mind that I have a responsibility to society in expressing my work, including my work as a stylist. The same goes for the people who buy my products.
That is true, isn't it? The responsibility is a bit heavy, but when you see someone wearing your clothes, you simply feel happy, don't you?
Forest: Of course . I think that kind of obvious pleasure is probably more common in making clothes. Styling evaluation is not so much a formality as it is a formality. That's why it's interesting. I think it's also very interesting to see how a look for the same brand can become completely different when a different stylist comes in. . That is why I will not stop being a stylist as long as there are offers. With a brand, you have to create your own demand. On the other hand, even if the demand itself disappears, I will probably continue to work as long as I have the intellectual and physical strength to do so.
. In terms of the stylist industry, the situation has changed a lot since 10 years ago, so it's not easy to make a living.
Forest: Certainly, there's a part of me that can't deny that. It's true that I see a little less styling that makes me truly think, "Whoa, I like this page. . I feel jealous, although that may have something to do with the fact that I myself am getting older. In that sense, I think there is more to be jealous of in clothing. I don't want to mention any names, but "Komori" has its own advantages. I am really impressed by how they are able to cut down the design so much. I'm too scared to strip it down to that level. As for brands I am close with, I could never do what Sasquatchfabrix is doing, and I am still unable to create the clothes of "Arts & Science" with such stoicism, including the beauty of lifestyle, and I am jealous of them in a good way. Perhaps it is because I am jealous of them that I find them interesting.
Do you have a favorite brand, by the way? You used to say that you wear Dries Van Noten.
Forest: I like Dries Van Noten. However, when it comes to my favorite brands or influences, I would have to say Maison Margiela when Martin Margiela was in charge of products, and Rei Kawakubo's Comme des Garçons for its attitude. Rei Kawakubo is still my hero, especially in terms of his approach to fashion! I guess that makes me an idol (laughs). Even now, when Comme des Garçons launches a new collection, I go to see it through the window. Part of it is to get courage, and it's a habit I've had since I was a student. Simply looking at the mannequins in the Aoyama store makes my heart dance.
I can see why you two are so well acquainted. By the way, do you buy a lot of clothes?
Forest: I was buying more before I started [by H.]. I know it's not good when you start making clothes, but there are moments when I don't really care what I wear. However, I was never that much of a fashion vicitm, so to say that I haven't changed is not quite right. I wear shorts about half the year (laughs).
There are two types of stylists: those who buy a lot of clothes and those who don't buy much or always dress the same way, but I find it interesting that they all work as stylists.
Forest: In terms of discovery, though, I would prefer to wear a variety of clothes myself. However, the fact that I can work without wearing clothes myself is probably due to the fact that I did ladies' wear when I was a student. I already have the perspective of looking at clothes objectively, so I think I can do trendy styling without having to wear trendy clothes myself.
. By the way, you have mentioned the word "blur" several times, but I have a feeling that humor and such are at the root of your expression, Mr. Hayashi.
Forest: . I am conscious of blurring or twisting the lines. In the case of a maison, there is no point in doing the same thing as the official look, and it is not interesting unless some element is included in the Japanese version. Even rakugo is interesting because it is an adaptation of a classic. On the other hand, there are cases where it would be better to do it straight. Then there is the need for sexiness.
You often talk about sexiness. Do you have your own definition of sexiness?
Forest: Well, I don't know . I feel like it's a little like taste in some ways, but sexiness can never be imitated. People with sex appeal have it by default, and if they make clothes like that, they will have sex appeal. On the other hand, there are people who are not sexy.
Indeed.
Forest: . It's hard to define, but you can't aim to create it. On the other hand, the way you dress is a physical thing, so it is surprisingly easy to copy. I am talking about the technical aspects, such as how much the shoulders should be lowered. But when you take a picture of it, there is something different. That is what I call sex appeal.
I understand, very much.
Forest: Also, I think it has to do with how you play, what kind of food you eat and drink, how you drive, what kind of food you choose, and so on, all of these aspects of your life. . More to the point, how you were raised probably has a lot to do with your sex appeal.
. hmmm, I see.
Forest: A person with sex appeal comes out even if you don't think about bringing it out , from the pores. On the other hand, those who do not have it, no matter how hard they try to get it out, it does not come out.
You can't be sexy, but you can develop a sense of style, can't you?
Forest: Yes, that's right. I think the way to improve one's sense of taste is to experience many occasions. Also, being around people who have better sense than you does will help you improve your sense.
Hayashi: That's exactly why you studied under Sonia Park, isn't it?
Forest: . yes, I did. I didn't want to be a stylist, I wanted to be near Sonia because she was interesting, and I think subconsciously I wanted to steal Sonia's sense of style, or rather, I wanted to watch her.
. So you are still influenced by them.
Forest: Of course! Even now, I often go out for dinner and drinks with him, and every time I do, I get a fresh influence or a kind of power from him. I still often go out for dinner and drinks, and every time I do, I get a fresh influence or a kind of power from him. (Chuckles)
. At a glance, it doesn't look like a disciple, but if you look closely, you can see the influence of a sense of aesthetics and such.Hayashi's installations. even one.
Hayashi-san, you are the type of person who digs deep into everything, aren't you?
Forest: . maybe so. Well, but it's like digging a certain depth in a certain wide area. However, when I was into vases, I bought vases and even bought them at auctions. . The same goes for cooking.
Do you have a natural interest in that kind of thing?
Forest: I think a person who transmits something must be interested in beautiful things. In a word, it's a sense of beauty . I don't want to spend too much time on ugly things. . But beauty and ugliness is also a matter of personal taste.
Aesthetics, indeed.
Forest: I think stylists in particular definitely need to have a balanced sense of beauty to be in this profession. So I find it hard to believe that there are stylists who are not interested in food. A stylist does not need to know only fashion, but that is not the case at all. I think it is necessary to have a broad and deep knowledge of all genres.
What about the designers?
Forest: That is a difficult question, and I feel that designers are a bit different. In a sense, I feel that a designer can be successful if he or she excels in something. However, I think the key to a stylist is overall ability.
Hayashi-san, this house is filled with your sense of beauty, isn't it? I have never seen a room like this. I think there are certain types of good taste, and they all converge to a certain degree, but I don't think Hayashi-san falls into any of those categories.
Forest: In a good way, don't you think it doesn't bother me that much what is placed in the room? The chair I'm sitting on right now is also a "Finn Yule" chair. It doesn't look like it (laughs).
None of this is out of place. They all seem to fit together very well. You make the value of everything flat. I think it would be interesting if you opened a store, Mr. Hayashi.
Forest: Actually, I get that a lot. I might be able to go in that direction if I could turn it on, but right now I just started the brand, and I think I need to make sure that I do a good job with "by H." first.
I see.
Forest: I guess the store will come eventually. I think that while there are times when a little recklessness is necessary in expression, inaction and inaction are definitely not good enough. I think my strength is that I can objectively grasp what I can do. In that sense, I wonder if the store is ready yet.
I'm looking forward to it. . I would like to see a Hayashi Shoten that is not only clothing, but also a mixture of various things. . I would like to be able to share my sense of beauty with you.
