A contradictory feeling of happiness, but also somewhat sadness.
Do you have any other special items?
Konno: I made a jacket using vintage "Beacon Blanket" fabric for a line called "Mad Max," which uses genuine vintage materials. I also like "Pendleton," but this one has cotton in it, so it is easier to handle. So I took the plunge and used some of the fabrics I had been collecting for a long time.
Is it something that is hard to find on the market?
Konno: You really don't see them anymore these days. I personally used some of these as blankets, but I thought it would be better to make them into jackets so they would be touched more often. The original item is a vintage Chimayo jacket, which is available in many women's sizes and is very short in length. I had seen such an item once, and decided to make it that way for ease of wear.
I also made this bag for this store.
What kind of items are they?
Konno: This item is made from vintage flight jackets "A-2" and "G-1". The buckles are made from a patchwork of antique Tiffany spoons.
I think you had a special feeling when you remade rare and valuable items.
Konno: I have been looking for an opportunity to release what I have been collecting for a long time. I had been thinking for a long time about where to put them out. I had a feeling that it would be a waste, but since we were blessed with the opportunity to open a new store, I decided to go full throttle and make it once without regretting it.
Konno: We hope that these one-of-a-kind items will be passed on to a variety of people, which will lead to brand recognition, and we pray that customers will return to our store. Of course, it is not bad to keep the items with you, but it is only a pleasure for me. I wanted to give it more scope.
I think you must feel a sense of loneliness if you are so attached to it.
Konno: Yes, I do (laughs). (Laughs.) I often feel sad after selling Mad Max items in particular. Of course I am happy when customers are pleased to wear my items, but on the other hand, there is also a contradictory feeling of sadness (laugh). (Laughs) But it is not good if I don't feel that way.
That's how serious you are about your craftsmanship, isn't it?
Konno: I think it would be rude to propose something to a customer that was created with only a vague idea in mind. I really put a lot of thought into the vintage materials I used for this collection, and I would be very happy if that could be conveyed to the customer. Both of these items are expensive because of that, but recently the prices of vintage clothes have been rising considerably. I think many people have the image that Ton-chan-dori is full of secondhand clothing stores, and more than 10 years ago, there was a sense that Nexus Seven's clothes were not in the same price range. But now, I feel that the area fits in well.
At Nexus Seven, you design clothes that are rooted in vintage, and I think customers who come here can see this store as an extension of a vintage clothing store.
Konno: I would be happy if you feel that way. As I mentioned earlier, I myself have been indebted to the vintage clothing stores in this area, so I am very deeply moved to open a new store in such a location.
I would also be happy if we could stimulate inbound customers as well. In the summer, many international artists who perform at festivals come to this area, and Bjork used to come to Tonchan-dori for two days in a row. It would be great if those people could shop here and wear it with pride.
The original "V.E.L." is also within walking distance from here. Do you have a segregation of space in your mind?
Konno: V.E.L. has been redesigned to function as a gallery. We are planning to make this store function as a place where we can showcase Nexus Seven, while V.E.L. will be used for other things that we want to propose, and we are also planning to open the store when the vintage items that we have collected are ready.
