We want to be as close to life as if we were eating a meal .
Return to "BOY" again, did you see any changes in the store as a result of Corona's influence?
Okutomi: . I think the demographics of our customers have changed over the past year. Until now, we had many customers from the countryside and overseas, and we also had a wide range of customers from Tokyo, from teens to people in their 50s. However, since the beginning of this year, we have seen an increase in the number of teenagers. It has been 12 years since I started the store, but I was in my teens when I opened the store, and many of my customers were in my age group. As I got older, the age range of the customers also increased, but recently, high school students have been frequenting the shop as well. I feel a lot of young energy.
. it's a bit gruff. (Laughs.) "This is my suggestion that it's okay to have a man with a rugged look. I also put Air Max on his feet to make him look a little more pop-like, or boyish in some way.
. So you have come full circle.
Okutomi: I think so. There are people in the world for whom music and fashion are distant from their daily lives, but for me and the customers who come here, I think that these two elements can change our daily lives. Wearing the clothes you like and listening to the music you like can lift your spirits. In this age of self-restraint in everything, I think the young customers who come here are also motivated by their own appearance and the music they listen to. I think that is the reason why they come here.
Do you come here not only to look at the clothes, but also to communicate with Mr. Okutomi?
Okutomi: I feel that . . I feel that people are looking for real communication rather than talking online. I think there are special conversations that can only happen here. I think they are looking for that kind of experience. I want to provide that, and when I have a chance to talk with these young people, they sometimes tell me things I don't know, and I enjoy both of these experiences.
What exactly do you talk about?
Okutomi: The most common type of advice I get is about career paths (laughs). (Laughs.) It's not about what to do because of uncertainty about the future, but about how to approach the things I want to do. I tell them, "Just play.
I also have a desire to learn about new things. I am not sure if I myself am up-to-date on the latest information, but I do have a sense of what is happening in the city, and I know what is happening firsthand. I hope that the conversations that are born in this store will be spread outward by the customers, and that this cycle will continue.
The "BOY" store is crammed with a variety of items, including vintage clothing, magazines, figurines, folk art, and posters of unknown vintage.
Do you feel anything when you look at the fashion of the younger generation?
Okutomi: I strongly feel that I don't want to be the same as everyone else. In the past, there were many "○○-kei" fashion styles in different magazines, and fashion was systematized. I think there was a sense of security in belonging to that group, and the desire to wear trendy clothes was stronger. Nowadays, however, I have the impression that the opposite is true, and people are wearing clothes to enhance their individuality. So I have a sense of what kind of clothes young people would like to wear, but it is not the same as if they were wearing the same clothes. That is very interesting. I think it is a good motivation to say, "I don't want to be the same as that guy.
Have there been any changes in the store's purchasing or other aspects?
Okutomi: . One thing that has changed in our selection is that we now stock clothes that do not have a strong message. There are an unusually large number of dolphin T-shirts in the store right now, but I think that having items with a bit of a healing element or fluffy feel is calming (laughs). . That's why we offer less edgy clothing. . Since the store opened, I think that most of the clothes are easy to wear on a daily basis.
. You said that you are getting a stronger sense of being a part of people's lives.
Okutomi: Yes, that's right. Since we live in an era with so many messages, I have gradually become more and more interested in reducing the number of suggestions I make and encouraging people to wear my clothes more comfortably. So I leave it up to the customer, or rather, I want the customer to pick up an item of clothing when our eyes meet.
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Do you have any plans for the future?
Okutomi: Last year, Shibuya was really losing people. So, I decided to do something practical. I left Shibuya and held pop-ups in Shimokita, Komaba, and the Shoin Shrine area, in towns that I have a connection with. I did not do them in trendy galleries, but in places that were close to the daily lives of the people who lived there, such as a grocery store or an empty space in a Japanese-style pub. The response from the customers was better than usual, and I knew that people who live in the area would come. . So, we will keep an eye on things, but we would like to do this in various cities in Tokyo. Once things settle down in Corona, I would like to expand the scope of the pop-up events to other areas, such as the provinces. I would like to meet customers who are not able to come here. I would like to be ready to venture out of Shibuya so that I can approach them.
I hope that by going to different places, I can feel the atmosphere of each place.
Okutomi: There are interesting people all over the world, and I try not to think only of Tokyo and Shibuya. I may be expanding things a bit too much, but I don't think that fashion can be established only by itself. I want to be a part of many people's lives, just like when you eat a meal.
