The ultimate jacket by three fashionable gentlemen who weave together flexible ideas and superb craftsmanship. | feature

Flexible ideas and superb craftsmanship are woven together.
The ultimate jacket by three clothing gentlemen.

The GENTELMAN IN THE PARLOUR is a new fashion label launched by Keiji Kaneko of L'ECHOPPE, fashion curator Motoshi Ogi, and Hideaki Miyahara of Scye. The concept is to rethink the suit, which is synonymous with men's clothing, and to propose a new approach. In this day and age when suits have become less and less necessary, the three men say, "We wanted older people and younger people to wear suits. The result is a basic jacket that was created by three people who have been through various clothing cultures. We will now take a closer look at the story behind the jacket's creation.

Photo_Masayuki Nakaya

Text_Yuichiro Tsuji

Edit_Ryo Komuta

Wearing a suit has a similar feeling to running.

A. The current trend is that the need for suits is decreasing rapidly, so how do you plan to present this jacket to attract people's interest?

Kaneko:We routinely communicate our styles, and we can explain exactly how a jacket should be worn in the store. On the other hand, I thought from the beginning that it would be better to convey the production and quality of the jackets in a video without hiding anything. The items in this collection were only made possible thanks to Mr. Miyahara's amazing work ethic, and it is difficult to convey that in words alone.

I want young customers to know that even a single jacket is completed through various processes. I want young customers to know that even a single jacket goes through various processes before it is completed.The CO-OPI also realize that there are many young people who have such intellectual desires while working on the "Mere Old Man.

I see.

Kaneko:However, the challenge is that there is no scene to wear them. That is why there is not much demand for suits in Japan. However, it would be great if this jacket could give the wearer a sense of confidence and encourage people to imitate and wear suits. It would be ideal if a spontaneous scene emerges where people start wearing suits, like when skateboarding with a jacket and jeans becomes popular on the streets. Eventually, we would like to create a place where people can wear suits, but before that happens, I feel that there is something that can be born from people wearing the items in this collection.

Both Kaneko and Ogi are wearing casual styles today. It is also cool to dress down like this.

Miyahara:Yes, I think that just because it's a suit doesn't mean it has to be stiff. It is also possible to start by suggesting that people wear it broken down like this. As I mentioned in the video, "The Duffer of St. George" in the 2000s wore jackets in a very cool way. They were wearing a striped jacket with a shirt or T-shirt inside, with vintage Levi's® and optical white Converse. Seeing this jacket made me want to try that kind of styling again.

Ogi:In my mind, wearing a jacket or suit is similar to running. Mr. Shigematsu, the chairman of United Arrows, once introduced me to a long-established obi shop in Kyoto, where he told me about "Hare no Hi" (a day of celebration). I was told that in the old days, at weddings in the countryside, in addition to the bride and groom's meal, a meal dedicated to the gods was also prepared. It was a meal to bless the newlyweds and for God to come down as well, and everyone dressed properly for the occasion. He said that if people did not regularly dress up in this way, they would become "kegare".

For me, such hallelujahs are similar to wellness, and just as I started running regularly and paying attention to my physical condition when I became a Corona, I think wearing a jacket once in a while changes my mindset and enriches my life.