PROFILE
He started his career as a stylist in 1998, working for magazines, advertisements, and brand looks, etc. Around 2007, he began working as a photographer. In 2008, he began directing the brand SANSE SANSE.
It is interesting to see a brand that reacts with the senses.
Do you feel any change as a stylist since the Corona disaster?
Kaji:I don't know the exact answer, but I think that up until now we have often been close to the user and gently offered answers, in general. But with the Corona disaster, I think we are in a situation where we no longer know the answer.
Is that what you felt from your work?
Kaji:That's right. In the past, I feel that many brands and media had their own image and asked us to make it as close to that image as possible. Recently, however, I feel that more and more clients are asking us stylists to "do as you please," and are entrusting us with the creation of the image. So, I have been able to expand what I can do to the fullest in my own way.
You are directing "SANCÉ SANCÉ," how is that going?
Kaji:As a stylist, especially in my way of doing things, selling or not selling is not necessary information. However, since I have been working with "SANCÉ SANCÉ" for the past two years, I have learned the joy of facing the reality of sales figures, even though I have not been involved in sales or lack thereof.
SANCÉ SANCÉ has been a Corona disaster since its debut, hasn't it?
Kaji:Yes, I did. But strangely enough, I was confident. That's because I had my own answers. Basically, as a stylist, I have been creating what I see around me and what I think, so trends had little to do with my work. SANCÉ SANCÉ is also different from other brands in that I am trying to break down the word "fashion" in my own way. As expected, the Corona Disaster grew as well, so I was able to answer the question within myself.
SANCÉ SANCÉ is located in a place that is not in the middle of the trend.
Kaji:That's right. Today's clothes are made of good materials, using good manufacturing methods, and adding "good" to each other. It is like trying to get a perfect score. But as time has changed and people have become more sophisticated, there is no longer a need for perfect scores. But at the same time, I feel that easy-to-understand terms such as "military" or "heritage" have become the trend instead of brand signs. So when I look for something that is not like that, it stands out. Like people, perfection is not the only thing that is beautiful. I think clothes are fun because you look for them with your own senses.
Yes, it is important to have a good sense of what is going on.
Kaji:So I am more interested in brands that are doing what I want to do. I don't know the reason for this, but I find that the silhouette and balance of a brand make me react with "Oh? I react with "Oh? I like items that have a certain smell, airiness, and comfort, and I can feel the brand's way of being through the clothes, which is why I picked them up this time.
Stock number〉Top: half-zip sweatshirt / moccasin boots, ¥22,000+TAX / ¥40,700+TAX (STOCK NO.(090-1197-7326)
The first item we would like to introduce to you is the "Stock Number," which consists of two items, the first of which is a pair of moccasin boots.
Kaji:I was like, "What are these shoes? But they don't look like Clarks," and I would ask, "What are those? I would ask them what they are. By having someone who is wearing them tell me about them, I can find out why I reacted the way I did.
I see that you are beginning to understand what you were reacting to with your senses. And next is the half-zip sweatshirt.
Kaji:The half-zip sweatshirt is basic and simple, but unlikely. What caught my attention was a trivial reason, but I think that trivial reason is important. I don't think what I have been doing for a long time has changed, and I don't think I am conscious of it, but when I notice it, it seems very current. I can feel that you are making what you like.
(Fumiya Hirano Bespoke) Bespoke black and white striped suit, ¥450,000- (03-6712-6625)
The second is a suit by Fumiya Hirano Bespoke.
Kaji:It seems they had just returned from London, so I did some research and finally found their brand. I visited them for the first time a while ago when I was looking for a suit to use for styling. When I visited their atelier, I felt a sense of comfort. They were sincere about making suits, and Mr. Hirano was easy to talk to. I understood Mr. Hirano's point of view, which is to make suits with great care, but not to make them look ostentatious.
Masuda] Saint Martin T-shirt, 5L, ¥1,610+tax (Uniform 1 official website)
And this T-shirt?
Kaji:Masuda" is a domestic body brand. I have been wearing blank body T-shirts for the past 20 years, and more and more people have been wearing them in the past few years. I think the trend is that people are pursuing styles that are different from the trends, and as a result, body brands are becoming more and more popular. Among them, there are not many domestic body brands, so I thought it would be interesting. I think it is good that it is different from other standard body brands.
