Through repeated efforts, one's own unique way of dressing will become fixed.
What was the catalyst for this encounter between you two, who have walked the path of fashion in different contexts?
Kaneko: I have been interested in "Dissident," which you work on for a long time. One day, I had a chance to see it at a select store in Hiroshima. I would never have picked up a pair in the past, but perhaps it was because I was getting older, but I felt like I wanted to give it a try. I bought a pair of chinos.
I see that you also wrote about your feelings at the time in your Instagram post here.
Kaneko: I usually wore vintage chinos with leather shoes, but I felt like I was in a rut with that kind of coordination. Then I discovered "Dissident" chinos, and I learned the joy of combining traditional items with Nishiyama's culture-derived designs.
So something new was born within Kaneko-san.
Kaneko: Many of the items I choose have a proper context, and the background of their birth is clear. That makes it easy to verbalize my choices, and I enjoy finding unlikely combinations and coordinating them.
Kaneko: On the other hand, it is difficult to understand these culture-derived designs through their own context. I tend to see them in an abstract way. But once I got over that and tried them on, I really enjoyed them.
The pants I bought had a deep crotch, and it was hard to tell where the waist should be. However, when I wear them, I feel as if I'm doing the right thing.
There is no right answer.
Kaneko: That's right. That is how I became interested in the balance of people looking at fashion from the perspective of culture. That's also how I started looking for old skate clothes. As I dug deeper and deeper, I started to understand it somehow, though I can't verbalize it yet.
Nishiyama: Those are our standard pants that we have been offering since the early days of the brand. At that time, there were no twill tuck pants in the casual market. I think you could find them if you looked for them in second-hand clothing, but as far as I know, there were none in the current market.
I wondered if people might be resistant to tucks and not make them, so I started making chinos that looked like they were tucked in, but had no tucks.
Kaneko: Something became very clear to me. There is a roominess around the waist as if it were tucked in.
Nishiyama: Where do you fit the bulge around the waist? That is always on the agenda, and there is no right answer. In short, it's hard to match (laughs).
Kaneko: I'm glad to hear that story (laughs).
Nishiyama: For example, if you wear "501®" in the correct position, they all look the same. However, this does not create individuality. That's why everyone tries to find a way to make them an inch up, an inch down, or to make them a little longer. Through repeated efforts like this, one's own unique way of dressing is established. That is what I want to create.
I see that you are leaving some room for fun, or rather, room for strategy.
Nishiyama: I think the same item will look different when worn by Mr. Kaneko and when worn by me. That's what I think should be the case, and that's why I make my clothes at "Dissident".
Kaneko: That is a crazy good story. It made me want to wear those pants more. Good to know what the creator intended.
Nishiyama: I think to myself that it is a difficult brand to understand because there is no instruction manual. But when people understand it, they find it interesting. I think it tends to be closed to the public, so I would like to make it more open.
