Non-native x Canterbury Half Ten shows how to cross the boundaries between fashion and sports.

In addition to 40 collections in total, "nonnative" has collaborated with numerous brands. Creations with different fields, such as the outdoors and surfing, have always been a topic of conversation. The so-called "fusion of fashion and sports" is a theme that many brands are trying to tackle, but non-native has now announced a project that sets itself apart from the rest: "halften. Non-native's partner is Canterbury, which was founded in New Zealand in 1904. Canterbury is a rugby wear brand well known for its designs for the uniforms of the Japanese national rugby team, known as the "Sakura Jersey.

To coincide with the pre-launch of Half Ten, we have planned a conversation between Takayuki Fujii, designer of Non-Native, and Masayuki Ishizuka, brand director and designer of Canterbury Japan, which produces uniforms for the Japanese national rugby team. The discussion on design, function, and technology will kick off soon.

Photo_Masayuki Nakaya
Interview&Text_Shota Kato
Edit_Ryo Komuta

. State-of-the-art materials and sewing technology, based on solid proof of quality.

. Since you just received a sample of the product today, please tell us about the design and details. Both Mr. Fujii and Mr. Ishizuka are designers, so they share a common language, but I felt that they were unique in that they approached each other from different domains, fashion and sports.

Fujii:I don't think it would have been possible if Mr. Ishizuka didn't love clothes. I want to emphasize that I am not the creative director of this project, but that I am working together with Mr. Ishizuka and "Canterbury. In this kind of project, I tend to be the only one who appears in the media, but I don't care about my own personal accomplishment.

Ishizuka:Half Ten" is truly a fusion of two directions of design, fashion and function.

Fujii:. For example, you intentionally wrinkle the fabric when sewing. This is great from the "non-native" point of view, but "Canterbury" was not satisfied with it at first. For sportswear, the fabric has to be tight, doesn't it?

Ishizuka:Usually, that is the case. . This time, the materials and sewing techniques are designed from our knowledge. . This time, we designed the materials and sewing techniques based on our knowledge, and Mr. Fujii designed the silhouette and essence.

Fujii:I appropriated a cutting used for rugby uniforms, and they asked, "Mr. Fujii, are you sure about this?" . It was interesting to have such a worrisome conversation (laughs). (Laughs). It is not easy for a fashion brand to achieve this high quality of sewing, so it was a valuable experience to be able to design sportswear at a factory that could produce it.

Ishizuka:Our strength is that we always have evidence for our materials. The point of this project was to incorporate this evidence into fashion through functional testing.

Fujii:I have a national team uniform designed by Mr. Ishizuka, and it is just amazing. There are parts that stretch and parts that do not stretch, and the specifications are different depending on the position. What surprised me the most was the extremely tight construction.

Ishizuka:It's built to make it harder for opponents to grab you.

I've heard that the more you sweat, the better it functions.

Ishizuka:Yes, that's right. The wetter the shoulders, the more frictional the effect. . and when you scrum, it has the effect of making it more sizzling and solid.