A deja vu-free bandana pattern with a floral motif.
Non-native" commissioned "Norma" to design textiles for the first time in about 20 years since 2003, and in light of the collection theme of "West," what did you tell them?
Fujii:This season, the image source is American casual from the West Coast. I wanted to create a bandana pattern, but I had never done so before. When I thought about what I could do, Norma came to mind.
DWELLER BANDANA COTTON BROAD NOMA t.d. PRINT: ¥3,080
WORKER SHIRT JACKET COTTON BROAD NOMA t.d. PRINT: ¥43,780
WORKER S/S SHIRT COTTON BROAD NOMA t.d. PRINT: ¥36,080
Non-native's patterns and some of the lining textiles have been made by Liberty from England for a while now.
Fujii:That was always the routine. I asked Norma as if I were choosing fabrics for Liberty. When I made the offer, I was prepared to be rejected. I left some margin for refusal, saying, "Fujii, you don't look like us. And since we had recently seen collaborations with Needles and Stussy, I didn't want to make a lighthearted request. And since we know each other so well, it was even more so.
Noguchi:We have known each other for more than 25 years, but Fujii-kun is very knowledgeable about clothes anyway. That is why he is so trustworthy. This year marks the 17th year of our brand, but for the first 10 years we decided not to collaborate with anyone. It was around the 13th year that we started collaborating with other brands. Even then, it was a limited brand.
Sasaki:Collaboration doesn't work unless there is a common understanding or something we can trust.
Noguchi:That's right. In that respect, Fujii-kun knows what I am interested in, how to take advantage of our good qualities, and the difference between "normals" and "non-natives.
Fujii:Non-native" clothes are the kind of clothes that don't talk much. From my point of view, I think the bandana pattern was a great effort in design this time. So-called red and white bandana patterns are not "non-native" clothes.
The use of flowers as a motif in the bandana is unique.
Noguchi:This pattern is based on a drawing called "Draw Your Garden. It took me years to complete this design, but I didn't want to do a common paisley pattern. I didn't want to do a typical paisley pattern. The impression of the bandana pattern as imagined by the world is too strong.
Fujii:In fact, I tried it once. But after a couple of months of work, I ended up with something that had a sense of deja vu. But it is necessary to understand the image that everyone has in their mind.
Noguchi:Yes, it's important to have that knowledge.
DWELLER B.D. L/S SHIRT COTTON BROAD NOMA t.d. PRINT: ¥37,180
TRUCKER L/S SHIRT COTTON BROAD NOMA t.d. PRINT: ¥43,780
Noguchi:Draw Your Garden" is not a new design because I drew it before, but I was happy that Fujii-kun said it was good, and I think I have always liked his taste. Don't you like street, workwear, and mode? That is something I can relate to. Fujii responds to my designs with an awareness of intelligence and sex appeal, not just casual or masculine, and I have a lot of respect for him. The layout of the patterns is also based on careful consideration of balance, but it is common to hear that this is changed during the production process due to the availability of fabrics. However, Fujii-kun insisted that "what Maïko made is the best, so let's go ahead with it.
Fujii:What is interesting is that "non-native" shirts have vertical button holes, but the pattern is not aligned. But if you make only one part horizontal, the pattern lines up nicely when the buttons are fastened. Anyway, I wanted to make the pattern work as a single picture.
Sasaki:The buttonholes on the side is typical of Fujii's style. We think it would be too noisy if you did that in "Norma".
Noguchi:We create new patterns for new collections, but as textile designers, we believe that patterns should last longer than fashion, and not just one season. We sometimes dare to use the same pattern with different colors and techniques. But Fujii-kun said without question, "I want to use that pattern.
Sasaki:Some collaborators don't like to use the same thing over and over again. This includes arranging old patterns. Sometimes they understand after a little time.
Fujii:I see. In my case, I simply like it. It's the same as choosing Liberty's textile designs. Liberty's patterns have been databased since the 1960s, and you can choose from them, but when I am presented with the latest patterns, I have preconceived ideas about them.
