PROFILE
Born in 1979, he founded "Doublet" in 2012 and won the Grand Prix of the "LVMH Prize" in June 2018. Sauna lover . Love warrior , pathetic warrior.
PROFILE
Born in 1983, he started "Auralee" in the Spring/Summer 2015 season and opened a street store in Minami Aoyama in 2017. . Loves sauna. Surprisingly low voice.
I think it's quite an unexpected combination, but can you tell us again how the two of you became friends?
Ino:Sauna. I knew that Mr. Iwai liked saunas, and I also liked saunas, so through a mutual acquaintance, the three of us decided to go together and met for the first time. From there, we became sauna buddies who get together once a month.
Iwai:Nice to meet you" was naked (laughs). (Laughs.) That was Mr. Ino's home town, wasn't it?
Ino:Oh yeah, super local . It's the kind of place where the humidity is pleasant and you can go in all the time.
Iwai:I'm glad , it was small and cozy.
What do you talk about in the sauna?
Iwai:We almost never talk about work. . which sauna was good, and then we talk about muscle training.
Do you do strength training as well?
Iwai:Yes, that's right. At first it was just sauna, but then muscle training was added.
Ino:There is a capsule hotel with a gym on the 3rd floor and a sauna on the 4th floor. I work out there and then go into the sauna. The sauna there is very hot. It's a great place to "get in shape. We gather there before 10:00 a.m., do strength training, and then go to the sauna. After that, we eat dinner, and the food is delicious. And we end up drinking a lot (laughs).
Iwai:Mr. Ino , you always have 4 or 5 drinks.
Ino:At first it was just sauna, but then a muscle training teacher named Meijin Takahashi joined us, and we got really excited about muscle training plus sauna, and we look forward to getting together once a month. So, I think Mr. Iwai is the designer I meet with the most. I don't know any other designers whom I see once a month.
Iwai:Me too. When I meet with Mr. Ino, I wear training clothes at first, then I am naked, and only afterwards, when we have dinner, I put on proper clothes (laughs).
By the way, when did you start presenting your works in Paris?
Iwai:From 19AW.
Ino:I think mine is from the 18SS, the item that looks like a package .
Since both of you have been in Paris for several years, I was wondering if I could ask you about your impressions of each other's shows. First of all, Mr. Ino, what was your goal for this show?
Ino:. This time, I wanted to express again the idea of diversity. Amusement parks and theme parks have characters. They are rats, bears, and so on. However, if a 6-foot-tall rat really existed in the human world, it would be despised and targeted for extermination, but in theme parks and science fiction movies, they usually coexist in harmony.
doublet FALL WINTER 2023
It's true that it exists as a matter of course, doesn't it?
Ino:Diversity was so much talked about last year, but now that the Olympics are over, we don't hear so much about it. The same goes for diversity and inclusion. On the other hand, I think that discrimination still exists, and I think that the word "diversity" is used to make such a reality seem soft. It's more like neutralizing it. I think it is the majority side that uses the word "diversity," and I wanted to show the energy that the minority side has in the midst of such a situation.
I see.
Ino:. I wanted to express that diverse minorities, whether human, animal, or monster, are living hard and powerfully in such a way. . I hoped that in the end, everyone would be able to live hand in hand. The easiest way to express this was through a theme park.
It was indeed a colorful collection in many ways. . . not only in terms of the actual colors, but also in terms of the variety of ethnicities and sizes of the models. I felt that more than usual. I was also looking at the clothes with an eye to see which ones I could wear (laughs). I was thinking about the down jackets with the crocodile hoods (laughs).
Ino:Surprisingly, many items can be worn properly (laughs).
. Also, when the stuffed rabbit started to walk briskly and the music blared, I was a bit shaken.
Ino:That was great, wasn't it? I look back at the video and think, "That part was great.
Iwai:. Indeed, there was a punch from the very beginning. The runway that followed was full of clothes with depth and various techniques, which is typical of Mr. Ino. The techniques that were brushed up from the past and the new ideas were piled up one on top of the other, and it was very powerful. Also, it was a lot of fun to watch. And it was fun. It was cold, though .
Ino:It was cold, wasn't it . We ended up doing the show outdoors, but the location was actually changed on short notice. Moreover, rain was forecast for the day of the show, and some people asked if we were really going to do it here. But I said, "We'll do it outside! (laughs). (Laughs.) But when my wife is around, it's fine. She's such a sunny woman that I wondered if she was Shuzo Matsuoka or my wife (laughs). (Laughs.) Then it didn't rain.
Iwai:That's a great decision, that. Scary (laughs).
Ino:Well, that was good (laughs).
Iwai:You were handing out blankets to the customers, weren't you? Did you bring those from Japan?
Ino:Yes . I really wanted to use leisure sheets like the ones you use to watch parades at amusement parks, but apparently in France, no one sits on the ground during a parade, and when I watched it on Youtube, sure enough, everyone was standing up (laughs). So, in the end, the sheets and blankets I brought were donated to the homeless people. . in many ways, it came together nicely.
Iwai:The puppy-patterned ones, for example, were the best.
Ino:Yes, you may see a puppy-patterned blanket somewhere in Paris next time (laughs).
I think Auralee's presentation was even more beautiful than usual.
Iwai:Thank you . But I'm not there yet, yes.
Ino:I thought, "This is a collection I could never do, and I don't mean that in a weird way (laughs).
Iwai:The difference is amazing.
Ino:Someone said that Mr. Iwai's ramen was like an authentic ramen with shellfish broth, and his was like a (ramen) Jiro's Mashimashi. I thought, "You should have used a better analogy" (laughs).
Iwai:It's easy to understand (laughs).
Ino:Also, what I thought was that the clothes looked like they would make for a very nice morning (laughs).
Hey, maybe you've already done it.This articleDid you read it? I'm saying the same thing.
Ino:No, I didn't (laughs). (laughs) . I just thought that I would be very happy if I watched the "Auralee" show in the morning while drinking coffee at a white round table on the terrace of a cafe. With our brand, I don't think I would be able to get out of bed (laughs).
Iwai:No , I'm so happy.
AURALEE AUTUMN WINTER 2023
Ino:. also, the styling was interesting. One of the socks was a different color, or the gloves were tucked around the waist. It was like art.
Styling, it's really nice. Especially since it was presented in Paris, I think it's really nice.
Iwai:Thank you . I will still do my best. I'm not done yet.
Ino:I really feel like a master of beauty , I guess. You can tell the quality of the work.
But when it comes to quality, "Doublet" has always used high quality materials, hasn't it?
Ino:. but no one could tell from that show (laughs).
Iwai:No, but if you look closely, you can see it.
Iwai:Auralee" always has no clear, unspoken theme for the season, but this time, unusually, we came up with this kind of mood. But this time, unusually, I had an idea of the mood I wanted to create, and I realized later that I was in that mood while I was making the clothes.
. It's a random image, as if you woke up in the morning and came straight out of the house.
Iwai:. Yes, that's right. So I was very happy to hear you say the same thing earlier.
. The other thing that really struck me was the green color scheme.
Iwai:I went with my usual muted tones with strong vivid colors like red, blue, and green, but overall I wanted to show a softer look. Green color is one of several such colors I wanted to show. In terms of materials, many of the materials have a rough, worn look, such as a blanket-like material that I dared to make a furball and like.
Ino:There are so many great women's products. I wonder how they can make so many.
I read in an interview that women's wear is more difficult to make.
Iwai:Yes . If anything .
Ino:I can never do it again. This time, when I tried to make a skirt, I ended up as a mermaid (laughs).
Iwai:(Laughter).
I have the impression that Auralee's menswear and womenswear are about the same in proportion.
Iwai:Yes, I agree. I think the menswear is a little stronger overseas, though.
Do you find it more interesting to do one or the other?
Iwai:As I said before, it's the women's that is the hard part , but it's the women's that gets me excited when I put them on.
Ino:Ah, I think I understand something about that. Also, this is a feeling I don't have, but Mr. Iwai, you say it's okay for photos of clothes to be out of focus. Even if you can't see it clearly, you can make it look like a drizzle. I envy your ability to convey an atmosphere.
Iwai:You say the nicest things. I will still do my best.
You two have completely different directions of creation, but I like that you trust each other as human beings through sauna. Do you usually talk about work at all?
Iwai:Basically, I rarely do this, but sometimes a casual conversation in the sauna makes me think, "Mr. Ino, you have a clear view of the next collection. When I don't see myself at all, I get impatient (laughs). (Laughs). "That's great, you've gone that far.
. But the way you two create is probably quite different.
Ino:I think Mr. Iwai's way of doing things is super stoic.
Do you start with materials?
Iwai:Yes . It's more like going on alone and agonizingly unable to come up with an idea.
Ino:And you have to concentrate on that alone every time, right?
How do you go about making it?
Ino:I'm a team player and I produce. I ask my wife, "What's interesting these days? I ask my wife, "What's interesting these days? I want to make discoveries that I find interesting. Sometimes ideas are born from conversations over drinks. Sometimes ideas are born from conversations over drinks, but there are also times when the day ends without me coming up with anything, and when I return home, I often feel depressed and wonder what the day was all about.
Iwai:I understand. I'm like that every day. It's painful, isn't it?
Ino:I know I should just refresh myself, but I can't even take a break. I get obsessed with the idea that I have to keep thinking about it because I might come up with something. But in the end, I can't think of anything, and the next day, it just pops into my head.
Iwai:So that's how it was for you too, Ino-san.
. Each of you has different birth pains, don't you? . Apart from that, there must be pressure to present your work abroad, but what is the reason for you two to continue challenging yourselves in Paris?
Iwai:I have presented two collections in Paris in 2019 after winning the "FASHION PRIZE OF TOKYO," but I felt that I had not even reached the starting point yet. . I have always felt that I am not there yet, that I will work a little harder, and that I will continue to work a little harder.
I think that Auralee's clothes really fit the streets of Paris. It's like a morning in Paris. I sometimes see Auralee being sold in Parisian stores. I think that the city of Paris accepts "Auralee," but how do you feel about that?
Iwai:No, I don't feel that way about myself yet. I think the clothes are rather difficult to understand, so some people say, "I want clothes that are easier to understand," while others say, "It's fine the way it is. On the other hand, there are people who say, "I like it the way it is, there are many people who like it this way. But the number of people who know me is increasing little by little, and anyway, I am taking one step at a time.
Do you go abroad mostly to Europe?
Iwai:Yes, that's right. And recently, the number of American companies has been increasing a little.
Auralee" is carried by "nextdoor" for quite a while, isn't it?
Iwai:Yes, they buy quite a bit.
Who are the major overseas customers of "Doublet"?
Ino:. Mostly in the U.S. and Asia, and less in Europe. In the U.S., rappers and others often wear my clothes. I have been holding shows and exhibitions in Paris for a while, but since Colette closed, there are no stores in Paris that carry my clothes.
I get the feeling that "Doublet" is coming to Paris to beat up on Paris.
Ino:That's how I feel about it.
It's amazing how well that resonates with the audience. Do you feel like you are fighting?
Ino:. Rather than fighting, I want to be the best in Paris because I'm going to do it.
That's good. To present your work abroad is really "going out of your way" to do so. It is a big investment of people, goods, and money.
Iwai:That's true, isn't it? That's why I respect brands that are operating overseas.
Ino:. there are more and more young brands these days, like 20-somethings. I think it's amazing.
I saw that several designers from other brands came to see the Dublet show this time, but I was wondering if anyone was at the Auralee mini show (held three times a day).
Iwai:I don't know . I don't have any horizontal connections . I don't have any designer friends, even though I am not closed to them (laughs). . Maybe it's because I don't go out for drinks or hang out with them. So being connected with you, Mr. Ino, is really encouraging. Before that, I like you as a person. Mr. Ino is an attractive person who attracts people, isn't he?
Ino:I'll buy you a sauna next time (laughs). Basically, I go to the sauna on the first Sunday of the month, but for about 3 months before the show, I had to skip a few times because everyone was too busy to go. When I return to Japan, I will be able to go for the first time in a long time, so I am looking forward to that.
Iwai:I think we have been doing this gathering for more than a year, so I think it's time to show that we are growing in terms of muscle training.
Is that so! (laughs) Have there been any physical changes?
Ino:It's totally different than before.
Iwai:Yes, I am able to lift (dumbbells) little by little.
Do you think your mindset has changed as a result of working out, and do the clothes you make change as a result?
Iwai:That's exactly what I was talking about when I first started muscle training . I thought, "If I become macho, will I want to make clothes that show off my muscles, or something like that (laughs). (Laughs.) I thought about the amazing variety of tight-fitting T-shirts and tank tops! . and things like that.
Ino:I'd like to see Auralee go from being a fluffy show to a heavy show.... I'd like to see that kind of "Oralee" (laughs).
Iwai:I would make tight-fitting, ribbed T-shirts.
