On its 10th anniversary, Seven by Seven puts its heart into its runway and flagship store. | feature

Maybe people are looking for too much efficiency.

-There were a lot of showpieces this time. Like western short boots.

Upstream:The first thing I decided on might be the shoes. I could see that, so it was easy.

-Are those custom made boots?

Upstream:That's right. Actually, I had already done this when I started Seven by Seven and shot the second look, and it led me to the present. This time, I cut vintage Western boots and hand-knitted leather on them, thanks to Mr. Matsu (Yasuomi Matsuzaki) of Rooster King (and Company). I don't think it would be possible to do it anywhere else.

-It's a lot of work to knit thick leather boots by hand, isn't it? I can only imagine how hard it is.

Upstream:If it were another producer, I would probably end up saying, "I can't do it," even if I consulted with them.

-Have there been many cases, not just with these boots, where you had an idea but were unable to realize it because of that kind of background?

Upstream:There were a lot of them. But that just means that the people who get in between manufacturing are stopping at that level. It may sound like a big deal, but I think there is a part of us that has gone crazy because of the increase in mass-production-oriented manufacturing.

-It would be easier and safer to keep it within the scope of past cases, but it seems unlikely that new ones will be produced.

Upstream:Maybe we all want too much efficiency. Even if you can't do it at first, it will help you as you try, won't it? I think most of the people who are involved in our company enjoy themselves, or rather, they are thinking, "Let's do it," or "How can we do it? I feel that the people who are involved in our work generally enjoy it, or at least think about how they can do it.

-It's a great teamwork. In terms of showpieces, that paper blouson-like outerwear is the same. You sometimes see this style in vintage clothing.

Upstream: That's right. I suddenly thought, "Oh, this looks like a ska-jan," but if it were a ska-jan, it would be embroidered. But this is a US Mail paper bag, so I decided to use origami. The day before, I was sewing until the last minute.

-The tote bag with the logo on it is a patchwork bag, which I could only tell at the show, but once I held it in my hands and learned about the material, it was amazing (laughs).

Upstream: I thought it would be interesting if only those who noticed would notice. It may just be a self-satisfaction. I always come up with an idea at the last minute. I think it would be fun to do something like this. I think it would be fun. People around me might think, "Wow, here we go again..." (laughs). (laughs) Even if I think it might be a good idea at first, such an idea usually turns out to be a bad one.

The show also featured a number of handcrafted products, such as mesh fabric woven with leather and carved bags that reproduced parts from the '40s archives. The runway was a close-up look at elaborate styles such as the aforementioned blouson made from US Mail paper bags and tops made from vintage printed T-shirts that had been turned inside out and embroidered.

-(laughs). Some people might have recognized the materials of the bags by their textures because they could see the runway from that distance. Speaking of texture, I was also surprised by the mesh of the football T and coat.

Upstream:A lot of people don't realize that that's a leather weave. "Perforated leather? They say, "Is that perforated leather? It's all hand-knitted. I don't think it's possible.

-It is really a brand that is made possible by the cooperation of people. I also read a bit too much into the "patchwork" aspect of the brand. It's more like spinning human bonds.

Upstream:That's a nice touch, let's pretend I said that (laughs).