Wild Swans' items make you feel special about the things around you. | feature

Case03_Naoki Furuhashi It is not only the high quality that will go down in history.

PROFILE

Naoki Furuhashi

Manager of "Straight From L.A. Powerd By BerBerJin

Manager of "Straight From L.A. Powerd By", a second-hand clothing store by "BerBerJin". He is the manager of "BerBerJin", a secondhand clothing store operated by "BerBerJin". After joining BerBerJin, he has worked as a store staff member and buyer, and is now the manager of this store, which opened this year.
Instagram:@berberjin_naoki

What kind of store is "Straight From L.A. Powerd By What kind of store is "BerBerJin" where you are the manager?

This is a secondhand clothing store affiliated with Berberzine that sells secondhand clothing by weight. The world is currently in the midst of a vintage clothing boom, and with prices of vintage clothing often going up to 1,000,000 yen for the most expensive items, young people are finding it difficult to enjoy vintage clothing as a fashion item that they can easily pick up. In such a climate, we thought of something interesting to do and created this store, which offers a wide range of secondhand clothing from relatively new clothes to clothes from the 1950s and 1960s.

What got you into vintage clothing in the first place?

My interest in fashion probably came first, rather than finding vintage value in denim and the like. I had a lot of friends who liked fashion, but I didn't want to be like them, so I started to look at vintage clothing, and I fell in love with shirts from the 50s and 60s. Many of the shirts from this era have a masculine box silhouette.

Do you have anything in mind when mixing old and new clothes in your own styling?

In my personal opinion, vintage clothing alone is a bit like cosplay, and I think that mixing vintage and new clothes is a realistic and persuasive way of doing so. For example, I have been skateboarding since I was a student, so I would cross street brands from that area. For example, I have been skateboarding since I was a student, so I cross street brands from that area. In this way, I am conscious of presenting fashion that is also compatible with my own lifestyle.

TONGUE (EYELET) ¥26,400

Mr. Furuhashi, you use a "Wild Swans" wallet, wallet chain, and belt. Could you tell us about the charm of your wallets and belts?

First of all, the wallet is unique in that it has this rounded corners and rounded koba treatment. I think this is done to increase durability, but the shape and design are very cute. I often carry a wallet in my back pocket, and with a normal wallet, the corners get bent more and more as I use it. But when you touch it, you can see that the leather of this wallet is hard and shiny. It's the same with vintage clothing, but it's hard to find something with this level of quality even if you try to find it. Even if there were, they would be expensive, but I like the fact that Wild Swans is affordable. It is a wallet that can be used for many years, and I am looking forward to seeing it change over time.

How is it easy to use?

The snap buttons feel nice and snug. Is this also what you are aiming for?

I hear that is true. As a brand, we want people to enjoy the feeling of the buttons snapping into place when they open and close them, and to become attached to them. Wild Swans' idea is that "in the long history of a product, even if the quality of the product itself is high, it will not last unless there is something attractive about it that makes people feel attached to it. As a part of this personality, snap buttons are also custom-made and used.

FULL GRAIN BRIDLE/COLYTON ¥33,000

WALLET CHAIN ¥132,000

The wallet chain is the same, and it is made of stainless steel. Generally speaking, the best wallet chains are....

It is silver, after all.

That's right. However, silver is fragile, so they used hard stainless steel, which is very difficult to process. The belts are also made of leather, which is a material that is easy to repair while allowing the customer to directly experience the material.

This wallet chain and belt are both very nice to use. As with vintage items and brand-name items, I don't think that expensive items necessarily mean good ones. When I choose a product, I am conscious of whether or not I will never get tired of it, because I want to use it for 10 years, and no matter how durable it is, if I get tired of it, it's the end of the world. For this reason, I think it is important to have something different, such as a rounded shape or snap buttons, among similar products.