STYLE4. Kentaro Kabatani
PROFILE
After working as a stylist, he became a designer for the fashion brand BAL. He is well versed in American, European, and other foreign subcultures, and incorporates his knowledge into the creations of BAL. He is also a gourmet connoisseur who once wrote a series of gourmet food columns for a fashion magazine.
Instagram: @kentarokabaya
The Night Owl and George Lucas.
Fashion, subculture, food. Mr. Kabatani, a designer at "Baru," has a deep knowledge of a variety of fields. He says, "I can make most of the things I want myself," which is a happy problem for a designer, but he also buys T-shirts that are out of his range, especially artists' merch, on a daily basis.
On the front of his favorite T-shirt, a man's face is boldly emblazoned. He is George Lucas, the director of "Star Wars" fame.
This is a T-shirt from Annex Original, which was created by Alex Corporan and Giovani Estevez, two of the early members of Supreme, and was probably released around 2002 or 2003. I wanted one at the time, but they were not available in Japan at all, so I could not buy one. Then one day, I asked one of my seniors who had one to give it to me.
The design is reminiscent of the times, featuring a young George Lucas. In addition, the words "ANEX 1138" are secretly printed on the hem. This was taken from George Lucas' debut film, "THX 1138," and is a nice homage for fans.
There are many "Star Wars" T-shirts on the market, but this design, featuring a large print of George Lucas himself, is an unlikely one. In addition to the rarity of the design, Mr. Kabatani's own memories of "Star Wars" strengthened his feelings toward this T-shirt.
The first time I saw "Star Wars" was when I was in kindergarten. My father took me to see it, and I didn't really understand what it was about, but even as a child I thought it was really interesting. My parents were fans of "Star Wars," so they had a rule that I could stay up late only when it was on TV. Kids are unconditionally attracted to staying up late. I like this T-shirt because it includes those memories.
Even if it is not rare or trendy, a mere T-shirt can become an irreplaceable piece as long as it holds a unique memory for you. Listening to Mr. Kabatani's story, I was reminded of such an important point.
