The press preview of "DAIWA PIER39" for 2025 FW was held recently. We went to check out what kind of items will be available this fall/winter. With us was model Shogo, whose hobbies include fishing and other outdoor activities. The unique catering was prepared for the visitors' enjoyment, and there was a message that was typical of DAIWA, which develops the "Daiwa Pier 39. I was deeply impressed by the message, "This is what it means to be a really cool brand.
Photo_Shoya Kitano
Text_Shogo Komatsu
Edit_Seiya Kato
PROFILE
Representative of the model agency "VELBED. In 2021, he will launch the apparel brand "KEIMEN," which reflects his experience of organic farming in his farm in Doshi-mura, Yamanashi Prefecture. He enjoys outdoor activities such as fishing, and plans to go on a fishing trip to Kyushu with his son this summer.
Instagram:@shogo_velbed
VELBED. official site
Manufacturing that values the brand's background.
It's only June, but it's still hot as summer, and the fashion scene seems to be ready for fall and winter.
Shogo： Pier's items are urban in design, highly functional, and easy to wear. I can tell that the know-how accumulated by Daiwa, a fishing brand, has also been incorporated into their products. I am looking forward to seeing the new lineup, which also incorporates elements of American casual into its designs.
Shogo took a look around the venue, trying on fleeces, shirts, and other items that caught his attention. One item in particular caught his eye: outerwear made of GORE-TEX®️. It is a new color for the 25th FW season, all in white.
Shogo：This white color has a gentle tone, like china. I had an image that white down is hard to coordinate, but I think I can wear this shade.
This white coloring is made from a material called "Undyed". By not using dyes in the fabric itself, the environmental impact is reduced. Furthermore, the GORE-TEX ePE membrane is PFAS (Polyfluorinated Organic Fluorine Compound)-free, which means that it is friendly to both people and nature, as PFAS is feared to have adverse effects on the human body and the environment.
As you know, Pier is an apparel collection produced by Daiwa. The parent company, GLOBERIDE, is interested in environmental preservation activities such as marine conservation. Therefore, it is only natural that they use environmentally friendly materials for their apparel. There is no brand that does not value its background, and for Daiwa, it is fishing and nature. For Daiwa, it is fishing and nature, and the products convey the brand's attitude of trying to protect its origins.
This down jacket is also environmentally friendly. The fabric is PERTEX® NetPlus®, made from recycled discarded fishing nets. The fishing nets that contribute to marine plastic pollution are used as raw materials and densely woven with 10 denier ultrafine yarn to create a fabric that is lightweight, durable, and water-repellent.
Shogo：The design is cool and highly functional. And yet, the use of environmentally friendly materials makes it easy to accept because it is produced by Daiwa. It has a coolness that is not intrusive.
In one corner of the venue, there was a panel showing the environmental conservation activities that Globe Ride has been involved in, with a QR code that could be scanned to access the content on the Globe Ride website. The panel introduced current environmental issues such as climate change and loss of biodiversity, which Shogo also feels through his farm work.
Shogo：We are having longer warm periods throughout the year, and the number of insects in the fields is increasing. We are trying to prevent this by shifting the growing season, putting up insect nets, and taking other measures without relying on pesticides because we grow organically, but it is very difficult. Also, it has been so hot for the past few years that the potatoes sometimes rot in the soil. Many elderly people quit farming because of the extreme heat. There is also the problem that as abandoned and idle farmland increases, the range of deer and wild boars expands. I feel that the forest landscape is changing.
Summer saw an increase in guerrilla downpours, and last winter saw record snowfalls. In the ocean, sea water temperatures have risen and fish habitats have changed. When the weather and the environment change like this, it becomes harder to play in nature, and the delicious bounty of nature also decreases. A rich life is only possible with a well-organized natural environment.
An approach that reaffirms the benefits of nature.
An appetizing aroma wafted through the hall. Catered refreshments were available as hospitality for visitors, and the star of the show was underutilized fish. These are fish that are small in size or are shunned because of the time and effort required to prepare them, and which are difficult to distribute in supermarkets and other places, and which seem to have lost their way. But that doesn't mean they can't be delicious. This is a proposal from Daiwa to make use of precious marine resources.
The cuisine was prepared by PEPE ROSSO, an Italian restaurant located in Ikenoue, a station next to Shimokitazawa. The restaurant serves a full course menu of regional Italian cuisine, using fish caught by the staff themselves as ingredients.
The seven dishes prepared this time were made from seven different species of fish: komutsu, ira, shira, stingray, mugijika, flying squid, flying fish, and hoshi shark.
Shogo was also concerned about the whereabouts of fish that are caught in fishing but are not readily available to the general public. The reality is that the fish is either on the tables of fishermen or sold as makanai at restaurants. The same is true for farmers, as some of nature's bounty is not readily available to the average consumer. In the case of vegetables, Shogo-san told us what kind of measures they take to prevent food loss.
Shogo：I return everything to the soil in my garden if it is too small or too misshapen. The vegetables absorb nutrients from the soil and grow, but the soil lacks nutrients. Therefore, I believe that returning even a small amount of vegetables to the soil will restore the nutrients in the soil. Also, a waste treatment plant in Yokohama produces compost from vegetable scraps from supermarkets and other places, and we use it in our fields.
The kelp is turned into a black cuttlefish, and the whelk squid is turned into a Japanese common squid. Even species that are familiar when grown up lose their market value if they are caught in fishnets while still small. Flying fish and stingray are difficult to prepare, but they are very tasty. Hawaiian whitefish, called "mahi mahi" in Hawaii, is a tasty fish if it is prepared fresh. Although people have a preconceived notion that whitefish smells like ammonia, this is not the case. Ira is often avoided because of its delicious but bizarre appearance. Kazumasa Imai of "PEPE ROSSO" explained in detail. All the unused fish finished with traditional and home-cooked dishes from all over Italy are excellent!
Shogo：When I eat fish while having the chef explain the background of the fish and how it was prepared, I feel the story behind it. And it tastes so good. I had no idea that the stingray I tasted for the first time was so delicious, and the wheat squid, which is caught during the wheat harvest season, is very tender even when cooked. I learned how to cook sea urchin in salt, and I want to try it myself.
The press preview was filled with a sense of satisfaction after seeing the new works and enjoying the excellent food. It was not only a cool and delicious experience, but also a great opportunity to learn about the current situation and reconsider the future. As a novelty, we were given koziol cups with the Pier logo printed on them, which are made of 100% recyclable bio-circular material, so we can feel closer to environmental issues on a daily basis.
Shogo：This year's fall/winter collection from still gives the impression of capturing the times with its silhouettes and specifications, and there were many items I wanted. The authentic catering using underutilized fish was innovative, and I felt it was persuasive because understands the real situation with ocean changes and fish. Because of the background of the "Globe Ride" company's activities, you can trust the items from "Pia. Knowing that, I think it makes me feel more attached to the clothes I wear. Lately, I have been buying clothes only from friends whose way of thinking I can relate to, and I think it is the same feeling.
