RYOHEI MATOBA It is synonymous with band T-shirts that can also be worn as art.
PROFILE
After working for LABORATORY/BERBERJIN®, a long-established vintage store representing Harajuku, he opened a gallery and select store "offshore
In 2017, he released "HELLOH?", a collection book of vintage Nirvana T-shirts.
Instagram: @ryoheimatoba
-May I start with the key points of today's outfits?
Anyway, the graphic on the T-shirt is cool, so I decided to keep it simple and let it be the star of the show.
The "Self Obsessed And Sexxee" T-shirt you are wearing today was originally sold at a vintage store where you used to work.
Yes, it is exactly the same with this light blue body. Without the tag, I think some people might mistake it for vintage (laughs). (Laughs). In terms of details, it has single stitches and other details that are good for people who are familiar with vintage clothes. But I don't like to be overly pompous about vintage or high value. I think that young people should know about Sonic Youth from the current T-shirts, and the artwork should spread, so I am happy to see this kind of project.
-Do you still have many memories of the Sonic Youth T-shirts?
Yes, I do. My favorite T-shirt that I own is the 1st "Confusion is Sex" T-shirt. I also had a lot of "Washing Machine" T-shirts, but I gave them away at various times.... Looking back on it now, I wish I hadn't given them away (laughs).
-It's great that you had so many of them, even if it was only "Washing Machine" (laughs). Why are you so attracted to Sonic Youth T-shirts?
I believe that music, fashion, and art are all linked. I think the band Sonic Youth is the best embodiment of this. For example, I really like the album "Daydream Nation," and of course I like the music as well, but they used Gerhard Richter's work for the artwork. I am thoroughly particular about all the artwork. It must be cool to wear a band T-shirt like that.
The band T-shirt is not only a band T-shirt, but also a work of art with a high degree of perfection.
Yes, I think band T-shirts used to be something you wore because you liked the band. Band T-shirts were supposed to be worn because you liked the band, but even if you don't know the band, I think you can wear them because they are cool graphics as art. In that sense, Sonic Youth's T-shirts are truly contemporary art that can be worn.
-As for the music video, Sonic Youth's creativity is really cool and nice.
Yes, it is. It makes me feel that art, fashion, and music are really connected to each other. I really like the culture that combines all of these things, and I am still running this kind of gallery-like store myself, and I think I have been greatly influenced by it.
