CarService" has been seen in the media, on social networking sites, and in stores that one visits recently. CarService offers items inspired by the various cultures surrounding automobiles, and has collaborated with Dickies and held pop-ups on numerous occasions. Last year, CarService surprised us by releasing a sweatshirt with graphics by artist VERDY.
Car Service" is often associated with apparel, but according to Kei Hashimoto, who directs the company, "It is not a fashion brand, but a product label. Although at first glance this may seem like a minor difference in expression, Mr. Hashimoto says that he sees the difference as important. Listening to his words, I could see the mission of "CAR SERVICE" and the grand vision that lies ahead.
PROFILE
Born in 1995 . Born in Tokyo, he works as a press agent for the PR agency "4k" and organizes the own label "CarService," which is a unique way of expressing car culture. He is also known as the creative director of "PULP" and a member of "YouthQuake," a Tokyo-based creative collective. His favorite car is a Nissan Gloria.
Instagram:@_hsmt
Fashion is a tool to express car culture.
You are a multi-talented person who works in PR, directing, and modeling, but why did you start the "car service"?
We started in 2014 , with the simple desire to encourage the younger generation to love cars. So it was before I entered this industry. . At first, it was just an Instagram account where I posted pictures of cars on social media. When I thought about what kind of expression I could do, I decided that I had been taking pictures of cool cars I saw around town for a long time, so I thought I would release them.
While you post photos of your cars on SNS, you also release apparel every season, don't you?
Yes . This is our third season. As the number of wholesalers of our clothes has increased, we are often seen as an apparel brand, but I think of "Car Service" as a label. Our goal is to get people interested in cars. To that end, we express car culture through fashion, which we love. Therefore, our logo and graphics are often based on motifs related to cars.
On the other hand.Instagram. We have not changed our stance on the "car" business, so we rarely post looks or products, but if we do, it has to be a car-related visual. If we do, it has to be a visual related to cars, and people who only know us from Instagram might think we are a car shop (laughs).
There are more than 1800 posts on the portal, and all of these were found by Mr. Hashimoto in the city?
Basically, yes. Sometimes I post a photo that a friend sends me saying, "I found a car like this! I sometimes post photos of cars that my friends send me. Also, recently, my followers have been tagging my "Car Service" account and posting pictures of rare cars. We are now able to share information with each other, rather than one-way, and it's creating a very good chain reaction.
What made you interested in cars in the first place?
My father loved both clothes and cars, so I was familiar with both from a young age. The only toys he would buy me were American miniature cars. I sometimes create graphics inspired by such original experiences. Recently, Supreme collaborated with a certain miniature car brand, and I was very jealous when I saw it. I was very envious when I saw it. I thought that one day we could make things together, too.
So, your father's influence is strong in both cars and fashion?
Yes . . my father, of course, was influenced by West Coast culture. Surfing, skateboarding, hip-hop, motorcycles ... I like the crossover of various street cultures. Low-riders, which are unique to the West Coast, are great, and fashion styles such as American casual and work are also cool.
From Hashimoto's Instagram .
I have a rule that I only wear caps made by LA teams, like the Dodgers for MLB, the Lakers for NBA, and the LA-era Raiders for football. I was born and raised in Tokyo (laughs), but they are such a big part of my life. It's like my roots. Many of the items we make at Car Service have a West Coast taste.
. to be a catalyst for people to get in touch with cars.
." Now I would like to ask you about the future of "Car Service". Last December, you released the label's first racing car.
There is a car shop called "Shadow" that has always repaired my beloved Gloria, and I built a demo car based on their customer's car. I was asked if I could direct the exterior of a BMW tuned to race specs by Shadow at Car Service. Since I have often expressed myself through fashion in the past, this was a significant step forward for me personally. I immediately said, "Please let me do it! I immediately said, "Please let me do it!
The design is based on blue and yellow checkers, with a flared pattern to express a sense of speed. I thought it would be nice to wrap only the front part of the car and have the "Car Service" logo streamlined toward the rear to bring out the silhouette and colors of the car body. Starting with this car, I would love to be involved in the direction of another design.
So this was a new frontier for "car service.
This time, I actually directed a racing car, and I thought, I would like to value the efforts involved with cars, and it is still interesting. In the past few years, the image of apparel has become too strong, so I would like to go back to my roots little by little. . I want to spread the good qualities of cars through a variety of contents, like mixed media, without limiting the methods of expression. I would like to send out information and promotions to get young people to like cars, in addition to apparel. . I would like to get more involved in car culture and make it more persuasive.
What are your specific plans for the project?
I know it is still a ways off, but I am also considering a car wash event or a car leasing type of move. We are getting more and more inquiries from young fans asking, "What do you think of this car?" We are getting an increasing number of young fans asking us, "What do you think of this car?
Mr. Hashimoto and his car. The jacket of the day was a collaboration between "Car Service" and "Toraichi.
Then there are car meetings. We are organizing an event where friends who like cars can get together and drive down the highway to a service area. Since I have many friends around me who drive cool cars, I think it is a must to hold the event in Tokyo. This would be a great opportunity for those who don't own a car to come out and have fun, and it might even spark an interest in cars. I would like to convey the romantic and masculine aspects of cars through these events.
You are going to take an approach that goes beyond fashion to get to the heart of car culture, right?
Yes, that's right. There is nothing better than having knowledge about engines and wheels, but you don't need to know that. I want people to enjoy cars in the same casual way that they enjoy fashion or music, valuing the pure emotion of thinking that a car is cool and wanting to drive one. I think it is our role at Car Service to provide that opportunity.
