FEATURE｜L'ECHOPPE × AURALEE A long-standing standard plain T-shirt created by unparalleled clothing lovers.
L'ECHOPPE × AURALEE
A plain T-shirt, a permanent staple, created by an unparalleled clothing enthusiast.
L'ECHOPPE, a famous store in Aoyama that has always captured the hearts of fashion geeks with its core selections, and AURALEE, a brand that has gained support for its creations that skillfully blend reliable manufacturing with a sense of the times. The ultimate plain T-shirt has now been completed by both brands. Why did we decide to create this item? Why did it have to be made by "AURALEE"? The buyer Keiji Kaneko's thoughts that led up to the creation of this item. And Ryota Iwai, a designer with a craftsman's spirit who carefully selects the raw materials, from cotton to spinning, knitting, and patterning. The combination of these two elements has resulted in the T-shirts that tell a story.
rockIt was long before I started Auralee, almost 10 years ago, I think. I was introduced to Auralee by Mr. Yuhi Ozaki, a senior employee of the brand I used to work for.
moneyThis was around the time I quit BAYCREW'S and was thinking of starting a new store.
rockI had heard about Kaneko-san from Mr. Ozaki. The two of you have a bond like a master-disciple relationship, so there are many anecdotes (laughs). That is why I have always wanted to meet Mr. Kaneko.
Do you remember the first time you saw them or the conversation you had with them?
moneyI don't remember much (laughs).
rockI don't think we talked that thoroughly at first. It was more like a greeting....
moneyWe've never had dinner or anything together in the first place, have we? It's almost exclusively business-related. The very first time we worked together was when I was working on a brand, and we decided to make T-shirts, and Ozaki and Iwai helped us with that. But Iwai did most of the actual work.
rockI was in charge of including patterns.
What was your impression of Mr. Kaneko at that time?
rockI still felt a great deal of attention to detail. Sleeve piles, the silhouette of the arms when worn, etc., I remember thinking, "You care about those things?" I remember thinking, "Why do you care about those things? It was not an easy job, but that is why I enjoyed working with Mr. Kaneko.
moneyI like clothes, but I am not very knowledgeable about making them. Therefore, I think it is best to draw the details and leave the actual implementation to a professional. But that doesn't mean that anyone can do it. I don't want to ask anyone unless I can trust him or her.
That is why you asked Mr. Ozaki and Mr. Iwai to do it.
moneyThat is correct. Iwai-kun is a manufacturing professional. He doesn't say so many words, but he has a kind of professionalism inside. I have always thought that his craftsmanship is similar to that of Komori (Keijiro, designer of COMOLI).
rockI myself believe that everything must be well balanced in terms of materials, sewing, design, details, and price. However, I pay particular attention to materials. After examining materials and making good fabrics, I think about how to cook them. Therefore, rather than focusing on trends, I want to make clothes of high quality as a product first.
moneyBut in my opinion, there are many people like that. Then why are the clothes made by Iwai and Komori so attractive?
What do you mean by sense?
moneyI sense Iwai's sense in the way he perceives and incorporates the times. That's why Auralee's collection is full of cool things that people can wear now. I think that's why Auralee's collection is so appealing, because it is unintentional and natural.
Select items that other buyers do not pick up.
When did you start selling "Auralee" at "reshop"?
moneyIt started in the fall/winter of 2016. But we had been visiting exhibitions for a long time before that.
Was there a reason why you started at that time?
moneyI have always been conflicted about carrying domestic brands in our store. Auralee is a very popular brand, and we have many customers. What is the point of having a shop that can be purchased at other stores? I wondered. However, I knew that Auralee was a very good manufacturer. When I saw the collection at the exhibition, I saw items that only he could make, and among them, there were some items that were concentrated with his taste. I began to think that it would be better to select and buy such items from a perspective that is unique to RECHOP.
What exactly are the criteria for a "unique perspective of the reshop"?
moneySomething that other buyers are not likely to choose. In other words, something unpopular (laughs).
rockSuch an aesthetic sense of Mr. Kaneko is really brilliant, isn't it? It is exactly such items that are actually selected (laughs). (Laughs). As I design many items for the season, I come across a few items that I just can't help but make.
Putting aside "sell" and "not sell" for the moment, do you mean that the items reflect Mr. Iwai's fashion ego?
rockYes, I know. Items that will never sell, but that I myself think are good. Such items are not often ordered. But Mr. Kaneko picks them up (laughs).
moneySuch items touch our heartstrings. And when they are on the store shelves, most of them pick them up without knowing the name "Auralee". In other words, people are buying items based on their value, without paying attention to the brand name, and I think that's great.
rockI am glad.
moneyThe value of the goods is duly evaluated. It is an ideal form.
We want to make T-shirts that can be repeated for 10 years.
How did you come up with the idea of making this item?
moneyThe project progressed in the form of a request from me to Mr. Iwai. The concept of this project was "inner T-shirts. Simply put, I had been looking for the perfect inner T-shirt in my wardrobe for a long time. I tried various brands, but I couldn't find anything that was perfect in terms of size, neckline, and so on.
That's why you decided to create your own project.
moneyI have visited "Auralee" exhibitions and thought that the T-shirts you make would look good even when worn alone, or that they have a somewhat outerwear-like feel to them. When I thought about it, I thought "Auralee inner T-shirts" was an idea that had never existed before, and I thought it would be a great way to see a different aspect of the brand.
I see.
moneyAs I mentioned earlier, Mr. Iwai delivers impeccable quality, and because of that, I felt confident that I could definitely make a basic product. Also, recently, I have been thinking that I would like to create the basics of the future.
Basic from now on?
moneyI want to create basic items that can be produced in this day and age. Nowadays, we are able to create more things than in the past, and there are excellent designers like Mr. Iwai. In such an environment, I think we can create a new standard.
rockMr. Kaneko, you said at the meeting that you wanted something that could be bought repeatedly for 10 years. We wanted something that could be kept in the store for a long time without making minor changes, so we gave a lot of thought to the size specifications.
Short-sleeved T-shirt ¥6,800+TAX, Long-sleeved T-shirt ¥8,300+TAX, Long-sleeved turtleneck T ¥8,800+TAX
In a sense, not making minor changes for 10 years means that we are not part of any trend of the times, right?
rockYes, if it looks like it does now, you can't wear it for 10 years. In considering the size specifications, we went back to the past, the present, and the future. What kind of silhouettes can survive without going out of style? This was really difficult. T-shirts, long T-shirts, and high-neck shirts all have slightly different patterns, but the shoulder width, sleeve peak, sleeve length, body width, and length are all balanced in just the right way without being too much. I think that when you wear them, you will think, "How nice!
moneyIt is miso that it is "somewhat good" rather than "current.
What did you pay attention to in terms of fabrics and other production backgrounds?
rockThe material used is extra-long staple cotton, made by special order from the yarn. The body is knitted on a circular knitting machine that does not have seams on the sides, and the yarn is finished to the thickness that best fits the machine. The yarn is also twisted sweetly to soften the finished texture. Normally, when super-long staple cotton is used, the yarn is spun finer to give a shiny finish, but this time, we dared to do the opposite. Doing the usual will only result in something ordinary, so we used the best materials we could and created something that is unlikely to be found in the market.
It's available in five colors.
moneyThe red and navy colors were requested by me. The image I had in mind was the "BEEFY-T" by "Haines. This item was created decades ago, but even looking at it now, it is ordinary. It's not very good, but it's not bad either. I think it will remain so for a long time to come.
rockThe color image of "BEEFY-T" was easy to share. It was very specific and easy to understand. However, I was worried about the tone of the colors. Was it a dead stock color, or a color that had been worn and washed many times? I actually went to vintage clothing stores to check the actual items, and worked out the image as I went along.
moneyAs a result, the color of "BEEFY-T" is a little different from the color of "BEEFY-T". But "BEEFY-T" is only a reference, not the correct answer. In this case, I think it was important to walk toward the same goal while sharing opinions with Iwai-kun. This color is the result of that process. It may seem a bit arrogant for me to say this, but even from an objective point of view, I think this is a good color. The most important thing was that I was able to share my senses with Iwai-kun. Without that, I would have to explain in words every time.
A sense of communication without verbal explanation is an important element in making things together with other things in different places.
moneyThat's right. Regardless of the shared image of "BEEFY-T," I feel that Iwai-kun and I were able to play catch-up well. I think this is reflected in the items.
rockAuralee doesn't have many men's items in this kind of primary color, so I learned a lot this time.
Delicious side dishes are only enhanced by a quality staple food.
You mentioned earlier that you will not change the specifications for 10 years.
moneyYes, it is. You can buy it every day the store is open. I think this is the best way to think from the customer's point of view. There are certain times when you want clothes. I think there are factors such as one's wallet or one's mood, but in the fashion industry, the season moves in six-month increments regardless of these factors. I feel frustrated by this.
The bitter experience of wanting that piece of clothing, but not being able to buy it because the season has passed. Everyone who loves clothes goes through this.
moneyThe fashion trend of six-month increments is just for our own convenience. For the customer, it doesn't matter. In order to eliminate even the slightest discrepancy, we decided to make it a basic item in the "reshop" line.
It is also linked to the "basics that can be produced now" that you mentioned earlier.
moneyThe concept of "L'ESPACE" is that fashion items that we consider to be in season are "delicious side dishes" and that we are a "fashion gourmand" store where many such side dishes are gathered. The concept of the "Fashion Gourmand" shop is that many such side dishes are gathered together. However, it is only with quality staple foods that these side dishes stand out. I feel that the items that are now called "basics" do not match the prepared foods that we have collected, and that is why I wanted to create new basics. The T-shirts designed by Mr. Iwai for this project are the perfect example of a high-quality basic item that can be called our staple food.
rockWhen Mr. Kaneko gave me the idea, I was honored but also felt pressure, but I am very happy that it turned out to be a good one.
moneyThis item turned out to be even better than I had originally envisioned. It was made as an inner layer, but it also looks great worn alone. Also, because the silhouette is basic, even the same size will look different depending on the wearer's body shape. This means that the individuality of the wearer is asserted. That is why I really want people from all walks of life to wear them. I want to take pictures of them and record each person's individuality (laughs).
L'ECHOPPE Address: 3-17-3 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo Phone: 03-5413-4714 Open: 11:00 - 20:00 / Open daily lechoppe.com www.instagram.com/lechoppe.jp *It will be released on Thursday, August 17.
