. When I think of a brand, I still feel that it cannot be compared to history.
-But, Mr. Kaneko, you have made many denim items for your own store and for special orders. What is the significance of being able to make denim at " Levi's ®︎︎︎ " in this context?
Kaneko: Recently, when I think about brands, I am often confronted with the fact that they are no match for history. No matter how good something is, it is impossible to create history. I often feel keenly the weight and depth of the history that has been cultivated over the years, and the greatness of history. There are plenty of good-looking clothes in the world, but if you ask me if I want to wear them, I can't think so. When I think about why this is so, I realize that there must be a historical reason. So, the fact that I could make denim for a brand with a long history, Levi's ®︎︎︎, really stuck out to me.
-. However, even if you show us a few examples of past orders, they are quite unique. Some people have made jeans with different fabrics on all four sides, including the front and back, as well as the left and right sides. Depending on how you look at it, it's like Peter Max's "Wrangler.
Kaneko: But, the color scheme is really good, isn't it? This sense of incongruity is not at all unpleasant, and it's really kawaii.
. - Such a sense of various perspectives crossing over is also something that can only be achieved through order.
Kaneko: Speaking of which, the jeans I recently planned for a line called "Repurpose" were a mixture of "501®︎︎" and "505" jeans. I know it's not a good thing to say this in a store owned by Levi's ®︎︎︎, but (laughs).
-What kind of balance in the mix was that?
Kaneko: The base is like "501®︎︎", but the pockets are bigger or something like "505". The back is "505" and the front is "501®︎︎" . So we named it "502.5". . "505" is a sampling of the non-selvage era. The idea came from the image of Hiroshi Fujiwara, who used to wear "505" for a while.
-. interesting idea. . I think that sometimes such a sense of mixing, which is not present in the original, gives it more character than the real thing.
Kaneko: . I think that's possible. I think it would be interesting to mix elements in this way with the original "Levi's ®︎︎︎" someday. Eventually, I would like to create three types of "lot number one".... Dress, casual, and sports. This order is a stepping stone to that goal. I heard that it will be completed in two months, so I'm looking forward to it.
