While maintaining its own unique worldview, "nonnative" has been repeating various trials and errors in step with the changing times. The theme for this season, the 47th since its launch, is "STILL DOESN'T MATTER. This collection can be taken as a message of "don't worry about what is going on around you. What kind of thoughts are put into this collection, which can be taken as a message of "don't care about what is around you"? We explore the mind of designer Takayuki Fujii, centered on the topic of this season's creations and the opening of a new directly-managed store in Horie, Osaka.
Interviw & Edit_Ryo Komuta
Text_Yuichiro Tsuji
PROFILE
Born in 1976 in Nara Prefecture. After dropping out of Musashino Art University, he worked as a sales representative for select stores and brands before becoming a designer for "nonnative" in 2001. He reconstructs elements of work, military, and outdoor clothing in a modern way, and proposes real clothes that are both fashionable and functional.
Instagram: @takayuki_fujii_
I want to sort out the situation and focus on what I want to do.
I heard that you opened a directly managed store in Osaka.
Fujii:By chance, we came across a property in Horie and decided to open a store there. It is about the same size as the store in Nakameguro. I am from Nara, but I used to play in Osaka when I was young. I am originally from Nara, but I used to hang out in Osaka when I was younger.
So it is the center of fashion in Osaka.
Fujii:Yes, that's right. Nakameguro is located outside the center of fashion, so I think we will see a different reaction from customers with the opening of the Horie store. In that sense, I am really looking forward to it. There will be a lot of pedestrian traffic.
Are there any products exclusive to the Osaka store?
Fujii:We made corduroy down vests and pants, which we wished we had made after the 25AW exhibition. I haven't worked with corduroy for a while, but recently I've become interested in it again. I'd like to wear them as a set-up.
The theme of 25FW is "STILL DOESN'T MATTER. It can be read as a statement of intention to do what you want to do without worrying about others.
Fujii:That's exactly how I feel. This time, we slightly reworked items from the 2011 collection. At the time, the theme was "IT DOESN'T MATTER," and I did so with a positive connotation after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Suddenly, I remembered that time and thought a lot about it while looking back on the past.
What do you mean?
Fujii:Recently, Corona was also very difficult, but at that time, we shared similar experiences all over the world. That is why there was a feeling that we should all move forward together. However, in the case of the Great East Japan Earthquake, people in the affected areas suffered great damage. At that time, I thought deeply about what fashion could do.
So you had a conflict?
Fujii:That's right. However, after a little time had passed since the disaster, I talked to a dealer in Fukushima who told me that the number of people who came to buy clothes increased little by little over time. Everyone had their own desires, and by satisfying them, they were able to achieve mental stability. Looking back on the past, including such things, I think that 2011 was a season that made me think about the power of design.
Do you see any overlap with such a situation in your mind?
Fujii:Not quite like that, but the company's showroom also moved, so there were some changes in the environment. I also have a tendency to pay attention to a lot of information, including noise, and in that sense, I wanted to sort out the situation and concentrate on what I wanted to do. I was conscious of making clothes that were as easy to understand as possible. I thought more deeply about what is the essence of "Non-Native" and what is the essence of "Non-Native". I thought more deeply about what is the "non-native" style.
The pants get a little thinner.
What did you feel when you were going through the actual design process, including the 2011 items?
Fujii:2011 is already 14 years ago. Looking at it again, the sizes are completely different. At that time, tight silhouettes were in full swing, and I realized how large today's clothes are. When I measured them, they were about the same size as today's women's wear. I tried to experiment and see what would happen if I took those archived designs and replaced them with today's sizes.
What do you think of the current silhouette trend?
Fujii:This season, NON-NATIVE is making thicker pants, but also thinner pants. We are going back to the old silhouette a little bit. I've been watching the trends since the start of the fall/winter season, and they've been quite popular.
Will it gradually get thinner from now on?
Fujii:I don't think it will be like skinny, but I think it will be a little bit thinner.
Then, it seems that you are getting closer to the silhouette that you are good at.
Fujii:I think so myself. I like to wear thin pants and boots. I would like to get back to that. But it is difficult to change suddenly, so it will be a gradual process. I think the tops will continue to have a loose silhouette, but the pants will get thinner little by little.
Are there any materials that you are interested in?
Fujii:More and more fabrics are being made from a mix of polyester and natural materials. This makes them easier to handle. For example, linen 100% would become wrinkled after washing. But by mixing polyester with it, the shape is stabilized. The same is true of wool, which has the advantage of being lighter in weight. In the previous season, I used only natural fibers, but I was too conscious of various things. I think some dealers were surprised by the lack of tech stuff, but this time we went back to that and got a good feel for it.
I have the impression that you like this kind of clothing.
Fujii:I like it. However, I think the way it looks depends a lot on the texture. For example, nylon ripstop looks low-tech if it has a matte texture. In our case, we have a "GORE-TEX®" Windstopper® between the fabrics. There are only a few fashion brands that can use GORE-TEX® fabric, so I think it is significant to design such items.
Do you use GORE-TEX® items yourself?
Fujii:Of course. But I forgot to bring it to Fuji Rock the other day (laughs). I had no choice but to wear a rain gappa that I bought at the site, and I was reminded of how safe GORE-TEX® is.
Is the styling of the look done by Mr. Fujii?
Fujii:That's right. In my case, I have an idea of the look in my head, and then I work on designing it. Therefore, I am more satisfied with the styling when I do it myself. It seems that brands that put on shows often have a stylist modify what the designer has already created, but Non-Native doesn't put on shows.
Basically, you design your own clothes, don't you?
Fujii:First of all, I think about whether I will wear it or not. Then, we will expand the color palette as we go along. I also include the hope that the wearer will wear these colors.
Many people seem to coordinate their purchases at "non-native" stores.
Fujii:We also have COVERCHORD in Nakameguro, but the customers who come to COVERCHORD do not necessarily overlap with the customers of NON-NATIVE. Non-native" customers are mainly those who come for the brand. In the past, there were brands with strong tops and brands with strong pants, but nowadays there are many brands that present their world view through their entire collection, so I think our customers are also adapting to that. They don't mix and match so much. It's easier that way.
It may have changed the way I deal with clothes.
This is the 47th season for Non-Native, isn't it? I don't think there are many domestic brands that have lasted this long.
Fujii:If they have been around longer than us, it would be Undercover and Neighborhood. Those are the brands of our predecessors.
But you don't care too much about that kind of thing, do you?
Fujii:That's right. Recently, my daughter's friends often come over to our house, and they are all wearing the same clothes we used to wear around the year 2000: tight-fitting T-shirts, loose painted pants, and work boots on their feet. My daughter often wears clothes from when "non-native" first started. Seeing these trends, I used to make clothes with the same generation in mind, but now I feel that I must consider the sensibilities of the younger generation in my designs.
How can we make it acceptable to the younger generation?
Fujii:I do feel that times are changing. It feels like we are going back to the old days. However, I am concerned that prices are getting too high. Also, with the weather so hot, there is no longer any time to talk about trends in spring and summer. Given this, I think that fashion brands are entering an era in which it is difficult to steer the ship. Designer is no longer a coveted profession.
As a designer, do you have any thoughts on how to deal with severe heat?
Fujii:There are fabrics that are cool to the touch and so on, but I think we will need more essential heat protection. I am sure that is why merino wool is so popular. It's good for the skin, and when you sweat, it dissipates quickly.
Some people say it is cooler to wear long sleeves than short sleeves because of the strong sunlight. More and more men are carrying parasols.
Fujii:I have one myself, but I don't use it at all (laughs).
It is likely that there will be brands that make parasols.
Fujii:Non-native" doesn't do that. I think that is already fashionable. People have always said that fashion is about endurance (laughs). (laugh) But if you think about it that way, fashion has not evolved.
The role of fashion may not have changed, for better or worse, but I think design has evolved. I think there have been many changes in the 47 seasons of the Non-Native collection.
Fujii:Talking about myself, I may have changed the way I deal with clothes. I used to think about design while staring at the clothes. But now I am thankful for clothes. As a clothing maker, we make our living by making clothes. In that sense, the way I relate to clothes has changed. I used to feel the agony of giving birth, but now I don't feel it so much. Rather, I feel a sense of "thank you.
Do you think that fashion will become more familiar to people as a fashion for food, clothing, and shelter, rather than as a luxury item?
Fujii:It is hard to learn the basics of cooking, but once you get used to it, you can make anything you want to eat, and that is a lot of fun. That's how I feel now.
It takes a long time to reach that point, doesn't it?
Fujii:Of course, it has to work as a business, so it is meaningless if it does not sell. Therefore, if I don't do my best to keep it going, I will not be able to repay the customers who bought it. While I am aware of this as a basic premise, I may have relaxed my shoulders a bit recently. In a good sense, I may have become able to create products in a more appropriate or relaxed manner.
the nonnative shop osaka
Address: 2F, 1-15-5 Minami-horie, Nishi-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka
Phone: 06-6567-8884
Hours: 11:00 - 20:00
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