We want to serve as a newsstand , a kiosk, something like that."
What is the concept behind "Mēdeia 1.0"?
Mēdeia 1.0:The concept and mission of "Mēdeia 1.0" is to combine the power of photography and fashion to communicate people's social issues and what is happening in the world.
We live in a world where we can easily communicate with people all over the world through SNS, yet many people are indifferent to what is happening in their own countries and abroad. What is wrong with that?
I was wondering how that is.
So, I decided to release a collection of apparel featuring photographs by "Magnum Photos," which is considered to be one of the world's best groups of photographers.
If you just want to deal with social issues, I'm sure there are other ways to do that, but what is your reason for mixing the two elements of photography and fashion?
Mēdeia 1.0:. we are not journalists, so we don't intend to convey that in a serious and direct way like they do. . we want to play more of a newsstand or kiosk role. . So we put the photos into apparel so that people can easily pick it up. We believe that fashion has the power to be more useful to the world, and by combining it with artistic photography, we think we can convey what is happening in society in a good balance.
The Ginza Tsutaya Bookstore held a one-month fair from August 10 to September 10 , divided into two phases. In addition to the merchandise-like apparel of "Mēdeia 1.0," zines were sold as "Mēdeia 2.0," and vintage photo books dealing with social issues selected by "Nitensha" and prints by Robert Frank & Bruce Davidson selected by the Ginza Tsutaya Bookstore's photo concierge were also displayed and sold. The exhibition and sale of prints by Robert Frank and negative films by Bruce Davidson, selected by the Ginza Tsutaya bookstore's photo concierge, were also held.
What is the thought behind the phrase "fashion has the power to be more useful to the world"?
Mēdeia 1.0:I like fashion very much, but there are many problems behind it, such as exploitation of labor, environmental pollution, etc. . I wonder if the feeling of elation one gets from wearing brand-name clothes is really real. I have a feeling that the upliftment you get from wearing brand-name clothes is not really real. If that is the case, I would like to have something useful for people instead of getting that uplifting feeling. I wanted to work in the field of fashion from a different standpoint than that of today's cutting-edge fashion.
When is the start date?
Mēdeia 1.0:We released a T-shirt with a "Magnum Photos" photo in the fall of 2021 , and we started loosely from there.
Why did you choose Magnum Photos?
Mēdeia 1.0:. because they are very easy to understand. They are called "the world's best group of photographers," and they have a strong element of social issues and documentary. Mēdeia 1.0 was starting from scratch, so we needed to work hand in hand with such an iconic figure.
What kind of photographers' works did you release at first?
Mēdeia 1.0:We began with the issue of racism, featuring the work of British photographer Ian Berry and his photographs of "BLACK LIVES MATTER. MATTER" and the work of a British photographer named Ian Berry. The "BLACK LIVES MATTER" photos were taken by the "Magnum Four" photographer Ian Berry of England. MATTER", Magnum Photos did not disclose the photographer's name. . I chose the theme myself, and received a list of potential works that corresponded to it, from which I chose the ones I liked the best.
Do you often start with a theme first?
Mēdeia 1.0:. It depends. . Sometimes I start with a theme, and sometimes I start with a photographer. . One time, I released an item focusing only on the work of a photographer named Antoine D'Agata. At that time, I based the theme "NO BORDER NO NATION" as the theme, and I used his photographs.
Mēdeia 1.0 is an apparel company, while Mēdeia 2.0 is a zine publishing company. The zines are of the highest quality, and we encourage you to pick up a copy.
