Via Paris, to New York. Then to Antwerp.
Please tell us about your upbringing. Is there a kind of soil that nurtures fashion in Tottori, where you are from?
Yagi:When I think about it, there are people from Tottori such as Ryohei Kawanishi, formerly of Land Road, and Yoshikazu Yamagata of Return Afterwards. But I moved to Kyoto when I was 3 days old. And from the age of 5 to 15, I had to live in the U.S. because of my parents' work. So my adolescence was based in the U.S.
Floral decorations on the stage of presentation. Spring in "Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter".
When did you start to become aware of fashion?
Yagi:I think it was when I was a child.
Is it because of your parents' influence?
Yagi:Yes. Because of my parents' work, I naturally came into contact with fashion. When I was in elementary school, everyone started wearing "Supreme" and "Stüssy". That was probably the first time I became aware of fashion. I had a sense of, "What is this cool brand? I had a sense of, "What's with all these cool brands?".
The hoodie with the brand name embroidered on the chest is available in multiple colors.
What made you decide to pursue a career in fashion?
Yagi:After returning to Japan and graduating from high school, I worked part-time at a restaurant and went to Germany, Holland, and the U.S. to buy vintage clothing. When I didn't have that, I was working at a restaurant, and the company I was working for had a store in Paris, and I was allowed to go there for a short time.
So, during my stay in Paris, I went to a club on my day off and became friends with a bouncer. He invited me to hang out with him over there since he was going to Japan soon. . When I returned to Japan, he introduced me to people who were active in the Japanese fashion industry.
I asked them for advice and they said, "If you can speak English, you should go abroad! I saved up the money and headed to New York for a year. Looking back on my life, I realize that it was all about the people in my life. It was fateful encounters with the people around me that brought me to where I am today.
Your story seems to have been guided by fashion. And the purpose of your visit to New York was to go to Parsons School of Design.
Yagi:I almost didn't go to school, but instead interned and worked as a design assistant. Instead of spending six months in school learning how to sew shirts and pants, I learned more by going to the atelier, using Irregular, touching the fabrics, and watching how the team worked.
I spent my time like that, and before I knew it, I was taking my graduation exam. The teacher asked me, "Why didn't you come to school? When can you get your collection out? And I said, "What?". So I stayed up all night with three of my friends to make a collection of five or six pieces all at once.
When I asked my boss at the brand where I was working as a design assistant at the time if I should go to Antwerp (Royal Academy of Fine Arts) next, he said, "You should go there! Even if you can't get in, you should take the entrance exam. Even if you can't get in, you won't get another chance.
Backstage with sunlight shining through.
He pushed you to do it.
Yagi:So I went to Antwerp, and the entrance test was watercolor and drawing. I hated sketching and had never done watercolors. Before the test, I went to an art supply shop in Antwerp and asked for a watercolor set, I asked for a set of watercolors, and they gave me the most expensive one, a 300-color set that cost 250 euros and was the size of a piano keyboard (laugh).
When I went to the entrance exam with it, everyone around me was more competent than me. The girl next to me was a graduate of "Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. Sure enough, I couldn't paint watercolors at all, and I thought I would never make it, but my portfolio and interview went well and I passed.
What did you learn there?
Yagi:You have to believe in yourself. "Antwerp" is not a typical classroom style. There are about 40 students in the classroom, and the teacher just inspects the design drawings that each student has done. They repeat that every day.
One time I was scolded, and I stared at the ceiling because I didn't understand what he was saying in Dutch, and the teacher's face came up to me and said, "Why do you draw like this? All those graduates, all of them couldn't draw, but it's all about feeling!" He said to me in a very fierce tone of voice, "You know, all of them couldn't do sketches. I was the 15th person to be inspected, and when it was my turn, the teacher got angry and left. Then, the remaining 20 students who were waiting for the inspection snapped at me. After that, I started to believe in myself and started to draw draw pictures.
Twenty models were used for the presentation.
I have heard rumors about this school, but I guess it is unique. What was your life like there?
Yagi:On weekdays, the routine was to drink beer with my best friends from night to morning, complete assignments, and then go to school at 9:00. So it was by far harder than "Parsons", but I felt a sense of unity. I knew I couldn't do it without my friends.
Also, to speak of something unique to Antwerp, when I walked out the front door of my apartment, I saw Anne (Demeulemeester) walking around, Raf (Simons) in the supermarket, Dries (Van Noten) shopping, and so on. With eminent designers nearby, it was a heavenly place for fashion lovers.
