From the sneaker of longing to a live partner.
-I love the fact that the band's origins alone are so unique, just like Texas 3000. Today's photo shoot was for the "Billy's" limited edition "Vans." Do you have any memories of "Vans" sneakers?
KIRIN: When I was in junior high and high school, I admired the cool boys at school who wore "Vans" sneakers. I grew up in a house where we weren't allowed to spend much money on fashion, so I was envious. But now I am really happy that I am allowed to model for Vans. I'm going to brag about it to my mom (laughs).

Jojo: Just around the time we met, Sakiyama used to wear "Old Skool" a lot.
Sakiyama: Yes, I had about two pairs, and I wore them a lot. I didn't know anyone in my hometown who wore "Vans," but when I came to Tokyo to visit, I saw someone wearing them and thought they were so cool that I felt I had to wear "Vans" if I was in Tokyo (laughs).
KIRIN: Jojo has a lot of Vans sneakers, right?
Jojo: Yup. I also like "Old Skool" and wear them often. Rap music was popular at the high school I went to in the U.S., and one of my seniors was a rapper named Lil B. He was a member of The Pack (The Pac). He was a member of a group called "The Pack," and his most famous song was "Old Skool. One of the most famous songs of the group he was a member of was "Vans. I didn't think hip-hop and "Vans" had much affinity, but I thought it was cool that they dared to wear them in the hip-hop culture. Since then, I have always loved "Vans.



-It is wonderful to think that the three of us had our own memories of "Vans" from our school days, which led to this photo shoot. What did you think of "The Premium Old Skool 36"?
KIRIN: The best! Cute. I like the color.
Jojo: I had never seen "Old Skool" in combination with purple and navy, and I liked it because it is my favorite color.
KIRIN: Also, I wore these sneakers to a performance a while ago, and I move around a lot during live performances. I like that they are non-slip.
Sakiyama: They are also pretty easy to step on the drums. I would like to wear them at gigs if I wear them well enough as they are.
Jojo: And the effects pedals are easy to step on. But I thought the cool looking part was the most appealing part.

Sakiyama: Used T-shirt ¥11,000, pants ¥11,000 (Safari No.4 store, Tel. 03-5913-8377), other stylist's personal effects
Jojo: Used T-shirt ¥5,940 (Safari Plus, Tel. 03-6809-0360), pants, personal effects of the designer, other personal effects of the stylist
kirin: Used pants ¥22,000 (Safari No.4, Tel. 03-5913-8377), other personal effects of stylist