L'ECHOPPE Keiji Kaneko × blurhms Keigo Murakami
Military pants that started as a standing conversation and
Skater fashion for adults.
When did you two become acquainted with each other?
Kaneko: It was about three years ago. It was Mr. Minami of "Fresh Service" who gave me the opportunity and introduced me to the company, saying, "I think you will definitely like it.
Murakami: When we first met, it was just to say hello, but later he came to the exhibition.
Kaneko: At that exhibition, I was immediately drawn in. Blurhms often rearranges the original, but he manages to cook up the details and comfort of each piece. The saltiness of it is exquisite. It's modern, but there is a balance of originality, like the Murakami style. However, since they were also available at other stores, I thought it would be more natural to introduce them as personal favorites rather than to carry them inline at "Reshop. What caught my eye was a pair of pants with a "Dickies" motif.
Before,What was developed in the "reshop".is it?
Kaneko: The original was developed inline. It had a cut-off hem like American skaters would wear. The inline version was tailored from the fabric, but at first glance, it looked so natural that you would think it was vintage clothing. We thought he was the kind of person who could take that kind of inspiration and give it shape, so we prepared vintage "Dickies" and asked Mr. Murakami to rearrange the hem specifications.
Murakami: That was the first time.
I thought that the basic trend would be to handle inline items first, and then make a special order. What did you think when you were approached about the collaboration?
Keigo Murakami, designer of Blurhms and Blurhms Lootstock. He releases many items utilizing his knowledge of vintage clothing.
Murakami: It simply sounded interesting. I had an acquaintance in the U.S., so I started by looking for "Dickies" made in the U.S., dyed everything completely black, etc. I was simply happy that they suggested the things we wanted to try as subjects for the project.
At that time, "Dickies" was dyed twice, but the fabric might be ruined. It was fun to try things out in such a state of uncertainty as to whether they would ever be completed.
Kaneko: Even if the process is not as theorized, it may be more natural to start with two clothing lovers agreeing on the same idea, without business.
Murakami: That's right. We really decided to do it on the spot.
And then...Big Mac work shirtYou have released a number of exclusives, such as the "Motorcycle Coat" and the "Motorcycle Coat," but does the subject often come from Mr. Kaneko?
Murakami: Is it basically from Mr. Kaneko?
Kaneko: I wonder. I think it starts spontaneously through conversation. I wonder if Mr. Murakami has also picked up on the idea of what "reshop" would be like through our past efforts. I think he has a certain "you like this, don't you, Mr. Kaneko" feeling.
Murakami: Yes, I kind of understand (laughs). (laughs) On the contrary, I think Kaneko-san has my pressure points down.
Kaneko: There are a lot of synchronicities.
Murakami: What do you think? It often develops from a light consultation, or a casual conversation.
Kaneko: I think I've been getting Murakami-san to throw me the ball more often these days. It was the same with Big Mac.
Murakami: If you ask me, that may be true. It's kind of like answering Mr. Kaneko's quiz (laughs).
Kaneko: It's a quiz (laughs).
Murakami: Even before I got to know Mr. Kaneko, "Reshop" was my favorite store. It was a mix of designer and vintage, genre-less but balanced, and I really liked the mood of the shop. So when I was asked to work with them, I was honestly happy. Also, Kaneko-san is a good listener, so we talked a lot.
I see. Which one of you gave the idea for this item?
Murakami: It started with me. I first told him that I wanted to make shoes that mixed military sneakers from various countries. Normally, when an item is in the conception stage, you don't know what it will look like, so you put it on hold, but he agreed, saying, "That sounds interesting, let's do it. On the one hand, I was happy, but on the other hand, I felt pressure not to make a bad item because I had made a proposal (laughs).
Kaneko: You are a total dominatrix (laughs). I think that through "Blurhms," you have already created most of what you want to express. But I think this kind of collaboration is stimulating in that it is like a sort of answer to a question.
Murakami: It's always exciting. This time again, based on the sneaker idea, Mr. Kaneko said, "I want to make military pants.
Kaneko: Oh, was that right?
Murakami: Yes, "Let's make military bread" was spoken twice (laughs). Forget that we talked about it once (laughs).
Kaneko: I often forget (laughs).
I guess this is the item you wanted to make so much that you had to talk about it twice (laughs). Was the idea of mixing French, German, British, and Canadian military designs in the sneakers something that you had been thinking about for a long time?
Murakami: Yes, I have been thinking about it for a long time. Sneakers have always been an item I wanted to make. I have a habit of mixing and matching, and I often fantasize about what would happen if I combined this and that. When I look at military uniforms from various countries, I find myself thinking, "I like this pocket, but I don't need this part. It is the same with sneakers, and my first idea was to see if I could mix and match using a unified last (wooden pattern).
What was your impression when you heard about this idea?
Kaneko: To be honest, it was extremely frustrating (laughs). (Laughs.) Because I thought we had to come up with this kind of idea, so I felt like I had been beaten to the punch. However, I was confident that if we entrusted the project to Mr. Murakami, we would be able to create something great.
I'll ask you about sneakers later when I invite Mr. Kamieda of "Reproduction of Found" to talk more about sneakers.
Multi-military pants with a mix of designs from France, Germany, England, and Canada. ¥42,000+TAX,
Multi-military socks made with special attention to comfort and length ¥2,900+TAX each
Murakami: At first, we showed them several patterns, and from there, we made many fine adjustments.
Kaneko: I was quite troubled by the overall sense of balance, which was quite difficult to achieve. Mr. Murakami is basically the type of person who strips down from the prototype to achieve balance, and I have a subtractive approach. However, this time, the design was more of an addition, so there were many unknowns for both of us, which naturally led to a lot of rallying.
Murakami: It was quite difficult.
Kaneko: I am sure that Murakami-san had many ideas of what he wanted to do.
You can add as much as you want.
Murakami: As you say, you can add as much as you want, but if you add too much, it becomes too exaggerated, and if you subtract too much, it becomes less military. It was difficult to find the right balance.
What made you decide to come here?
Kaneko: It was all a feeling. It was as if we both had the same moment that we knew it was the right one.
You have divided the parts of the work very finely.
Murakami: The base of the silhouette is French military, and the left and right pockets are French and Canadian.
Kaneko: Did you also change the material of the left and right pockets?
Murakami: Yes, I am. Not all of them are reproduced, but we use four different types of dough.
Kaneko: Oh no!
Murakami: Hip is the Canadian Army.
Kaneko: As with design, this is a lot of work for the pattern maker.
Murakami: Yes, I do. We don't just borrow parts as they are, but adjust the size of the parts based on the overall balance.
Kaneko: Once again, the art is very fine.
Murakami: The sneakers were completed first, so I expanded on the atmosphere of the sneakers and finished them.
In the actual military, sneakers in this area are for training, so you wouldn't wear them with military pants, would you? However, it is interesting that they fit so well.
Kaneko: This is the essence of Murakami Balance. When the samples came in, they were even better than we had imagined, and we were overwhelmed.
