So, What is NEW VINTAGE? Vol.83 Silk, high quality, and "official, of course. If you're looking for anime T-shirts, you can't go wrong with Cospa.

In the 1990s, the term "vintage" was used to describe vintage clothing that did not meet the definition of "antique," but still had value, as opposed to "antique" clothing that was 100 years old. Nowadays, there is a movement to find new value in "new vintage," even in old clothes from the 1980s onward, which used to be called "regular" vintage clothes. In this project, four vintage clothing stores with different styles propose new ways to enjoy vintage clothing. Each of them will talk about the charm of vintage clothing with their own sense of style.

With all the new stores, this Series is finally in its 11th season! The 83rd article is by chill from "chillweeb," which just moved from Daitabashi to Harajuku this March. What kind of new vintage items will he introduce?

Text_Tommy
Edit_Yosuke Ishii

chill / chillweeb Owner
Vol.83_COSPA T-shirts

What does New Vintage mean to you, Mr. -chill?

In my mind, "new vintage" is another name for so-called "good regular" used clothing. The basic premise of this term is that these are items that "you can't just go looking for them and find them," even in this day and age when everything is available on the Internet. Even if they are recent, I think such items will continue to be appreciated as the next generation of vintage. Then, why can't we find them in the vintage clothing market? I think one of the reasons is that the value of these items is not yet recognized because of their young age.

-I see. Could you tell me what "chillweave" values on that basis?

For us, it is "whether or not I myself would want to wear it in this day and age. Also, whether the T-shirts match the anime T-shirts that I like. When I opened a pop-up store before setting up the actual store, I was skeptical about selling anime T-shirts, but I was surprised to find that there was more demand for them than I expected. This led us to open an actual store and start selling them in earnest, and here we are today.

-So, do you have any new vintage items you would like to introduce?

Naturally, they are anime T-shirts. Among them, I would like to introduce the old "COSPA" T-shirts. However, there must be a lot of people who have never heard of COSPA (laugh). So, let's start with an explanation of "COSPA. COSPA is a Japanese brand that has been producing a variety of official goods, mainly apparel, based on the theme of Japanese anime, manga, and video games since the 90's. The brand has continued to produce anime T-shirts since its inception.

. - You are a big name in the industry, aren't you? I knew that anime T-shirts were popular worldwide, but why are you promoting Cospa?　I think there are many people in their 40s and older generation who recognize that these T-shirts are "otaku's clothes.

First of all, the quality. Although there are horizontally split bodies depending on the period, even now, except for full graphics, 100% cotton round copper bodies are used, and the prints are basically silk-screened. The prints are basically silk-screened, and they are official prints with official permission. Considering that anime T-shirts from the 90's to the 00's are regarded as fine vintage overseas, the condition of these T-shirts is comparable to that of the original.

-. indeed. Do the company's items change over time?

Please see here first. . The work is the anime "Neon Genesis Evangelion. The face of Eva's first plane is drawn on it, and the body color is purple, like the first plane, and it looks very nice. This is the very first item, and the tag has "Cyber Graphics" written on it.

COSPA's "Neon Genesis Evangelion" T-shirt ¥44,000(Chillweave)

-. it's not under the name of "COSPA", is it?

Below this tag, there is another tag with the logo of the work and the copyright of Gainax, the production company at that time, and the name of the manufacturer is "Costume Paradise Co. This used to be the official name of the company.

Many people have never seen this tag in person, and moreover, many people probably don't know that it is a "Cospa" since the name is not on the front page. . The time period would be around 1997. In the period of this tag, some items use blank bodies made overseas at that time, and this one uses "FRUIT OF THE LOOM". The price of this item is so high that it would be strange if the price does not skyrocket if it is a 90's Eva item with a round copper single-stitched fruit body and 6 plates of silk. In fact, a 90's Eva T-shirt made overseas under the same conditions would cost 100,000 yen or more.

-. This one is also an Eva. The motif is Kaworu Nagisa , one of the Eva pilots.

This is another item from the same period, but now has the word "COSPA" on the tag. It is dead with a flasher, and the list price at that time was 2,200 yen (laughs). The body is probably "Fruit of the Loom.

COSPA's "Neon Genesis Evangelion" T-shirt ¥16,800(Chillweave)

This design features a small size, and although it is marked M, the actual size is definitely an S or smaller. Since the character was originally popular among women, it is possible that it was only available in women's sizes. Next is the "silver tag" that appeared around the year 2000.

-Oh, this is the one I'm used to seeing.

. The production period is long, and it can be found even in the 10's. . In our opinion, this tag is considered old. The work is "Zanma Daisho Demonbane," a PC game released by Nitroplus in 2003 (lol). 2006 saw the release of an anime version, and this one is probably from the same period. The body is a thick ounce, which sets it apart from other Japanese game. . I think this is one of the elements that could make it a new vintage.

COSPA's "Zanma Daisho Demonbane" T-shirt ¥14,800(Chillweave)

-Do the tastes change with age?

Basically, I don't think our tastes have changed that much. COSPA's design team included many graphic designers who worked on various subculture-related designs from the early days of the company, so I have the impression that many of the items from that time are very cool. With this background, the price also varies depending on who designed the item.

-Price is naturally related to the popularity of the work.

Yes, it is. Popularity of the work is also important, but a good smile is a prerequisite. No matter how popular a work is, if it has an unfortunate face, it is not good enough, in my opinion. A logo with only the title of the work is simple and tasteful, but it is also a little sad. Therefore, a design that has a character with a big bang is more highly regarded and in demand.

. - There is also an image that designs with a lot of mess and elements are more popular.

Frankly, it depends on your preference. Multi-color printing is popular, but some people prefer a simple silk-screened design with two single-color plates. Personally, I think they are cool and look like band T-shirts. . The last one is the "2D cosmetic tag," a line that already existed in the 00's, but there is a difference in the tag from the current product.

COSPA's "ToHeart" T-shirt ¥16,800(Chillweave)

-What is the difference between a normal line and a line that is not a normal line?

Many of them are characterized by their "moe" (moe) appeal, such as bishojo (beautiful young girls). This time, I would like to introduce "ToHeart". This is a good example of how the price changes depending on the popularity of the work.

-It is well known that "Eva" and "Akira" are popular and soaring in popularity, but what are the other popular works?

That depends on each person, but in terms of general name recognition, it is "Ghost in the Shell," but on the other hand, there are a great many customers looking for core works. . I think that is probably the difference between the average vintage clothing lover and the anime T lover. The latter do not care much about the date of manufacture. Of course, older items are more valuable because there are fewer of them, but the majority of customers buy them out of "love for the work. This is why the designs with big, bold girl characters are more popular than stylish designs that are less likely to be otaku-obscure.

-Times have changed, haven't they?

It is interesting to note that it was abroad first that anime T came to be appreciated as it is today. That is another interesting point. Five years ago, I myself would have thought, "There is no way that the "cosmetics" of 20 years ago would be as expensive as they are now! I myself thought, "No matter how much it cost 20 years ago, it couldn't possibly be more expensive! But overseas, people began to realize that "these are official products of the time, and the quality is solid," and they began to buy them up. This trend spread to Japan, and stores like ours began to carry Cospa, and it finally became popular among the general public.

-I've been seeing a lot of stores selling your products on social networking sites lately, where do people buy your products?

In fact, if we limit ourselves to Japan, we can find a lot of anime T-shirts in dead stock. The reason is that people do not buy them with the intention of wearing them. A long time ago, otaku were not allowed to be exposed, so although people would buy T-shirts as goods of the work, it was not a world where people could wear them outside with impunity. Anime T-shirts were considered tacky, and most of them ended up in the feces of the wardrobe.

-so you can find them dead stock.

And if they're not very good, they haven't even been out of the bag, so they haven't been tanned. So I think there are many cases of such former geeks giving them away. However, it is difficult to choose the size. If you insist on a size larger than a large, it will be difficult to find a suitable size.

-As I hear the many things you say, I feel that it is no longer in the sense of an item to be taken in as a counter.

We are well aware that these goods are originally made for otaku, but they are worn in fashion as a "cool thing". The younger generation is not prejudiced against anime, and in fact, anime T-shirts are excellent as a disguise. Just by wearing an anime T-shirt with a top and bottom tech outfit, you can create a very interesting look.

If you were to wear it yourself, -chill, what would you choose?

Personally, I think the appeal of anime T-shirts is that they are not too cool, but a bit tacky. Then there are the current "Cospa" T-shirts (laugh), which are not second-hand clothes. Silk screen prints are still in the 3,000 yen range, you know. Readers, the old ones are good, but you should also check out the current "COSPA!

chill / chillweeb Owner
On May 1, 2022, he opened "chillweeb" in Daitabashi. In March 2024, he moved to URAHARA CENTRAL APARTMENT in Harajuku, attracting even more attention. Also known as Nard Cobain.
Instagram:@chillweeb_harajuku