【FOCUS IT.] From fashion to music. What is the fashion line that Universal Music invited Fumito Ganryu to seriously create?

The honeymoon relationship between fashion and music has always been of great interest to us. But while we often hear about fashion brands collaborating with artists, we don't hear much about the opposite. Official T-shirts that can be purchased at live concerts are great, but it would be nice if there was something that could be worn more casually as a fashion item.

Universal Music, one of the world's largest music corporate groups, makes this desire come true. With the desire to bring the music and creativity of artists to as many people as possible, Universal Music has launched "U/MUSIC," an apparel line that sublimates the creativity of music artists into fashion.

The theme of the first collection is "Rock. Featuring artwork by about 10 eminent artists, including The Who, David Bowie, Public Image Limited, and Guns N' Roses, the patterns were designed by Fumito Maruryu, the designer of FUMITO GANRYU. We spoke with the people behind such a serious and high-profile project.

Photo_Jin Yamamoto
Text_Sota Nagashima
Edit_Naoya Tsuneshige

Q. Could you start by telling us how you started the "You Music" project?

Horiuchi: We have a division called "Bravado" that handles merchandising using the copyrights and portrait rights of foreign artists. The composition of the products and the way they are made depend on the licensee.

The main reason for this is that by planning our own products and launching them as a brand, we can produce the message we need to convey at the right time and with the right artists' products.

You wanted to be able to move away from the constraints of client work and create your own products more freely.

Yamazaki：Yes, that's right. Also, it is often said that fashion and music are connected, but from my perspective as someone who has been in the fashion industry for a long time, there were many areas that were not fully connected.

I have learned since I started working with Universal Music in 2021 that there is more that can be done not only as an underground expression but also in an official format.

Q. Could you tell us again about the concept and selling points of "U-Music"?

Horiuchi：Our main selling point is that we can produce items using the rights of our contracted artists and create products that can only be released by Universal Music. We would also like to increase opportunities for people to learn more about the artists and create a trend from fashion to music by introducing them to the world through fashion.

Artist merchandise sold at tour and live concert venues is in high demand as souvenirs to be worn and enjoyed on the day of the event or as a memento of participation, etc. If these items are meant to be enjoyed in an extraordinary way, "You Music" is intended as a more everyday fashion item that can be enjoyed. If these items are for the enjoyment of the unusual, "u-music" is envisioned as a more everyday fashion item that can be enjoyed.

Q. Your first collection is in the form of T-shirts. What did you focus on in order to make them an everyday fashion item?

Horiuchi: For example, we are particular about details such as the silhouette of the body, and this time we asked Mr. Maruryu of "Fumito Ganryu" to draw the pattern for us. Mr. Yamazaki is also participating in this project, so I think it is an evolution of music merchandising with a sprinkling of fashion knowledge.

Did Mr. Yamazaki ask you to appoint Mr. Maruryu?

Yamazaki:Yes. I was originally the buyer, and I knew the sales people, etc., so I was able to ask for their help. I would like to ask you, how do you feel when you hear that Fumito Ganryu's clothes are designed with graphics of music artists on the body?

I'm very interested in it. I have an image that it will appeal to both young people with a high level of sensitivity and older people who like clothes.

Yamazaki：That is exactly what we are aiming for (laughs). Mr. Maruryu is a professional among professionals with a background as a patterner at JUNYA WATANABE COMME des GARCONS, so I hope we can approach people like you just mentioned.

Horiuchi: Mr. Maruryu came up with ideas from various angles, and among them, we narrowed it down to what we thought would be the most basic.

How did you actually proceed with the production process?

Yamazaki:Mr. Maruryu was entrusted with a large part of the body idea, while we did all the graphic selection, positioning, size, and so on. During the production process, Mr. Maruryu often mentioned the keyword "Seditionaries" as a worldview based on music.

Horiuchi: Also, the seams are inside-out. The inside-out specification is said to have originated from hip-hop culture, so we incorporated it with a musical meaning.

Yamazaki:Mr. Maruryu's desire is to let young people know about the history of such design as well.

The body of the T-shirt itself is filled with musical culture. You used artwork by eminent and famous artists for the graphics, but I got the impression that you used lesser-known and austere graphics rather than so-called masterpieces. Is this part of the goal?

Horiuchi: Yes, that's right. We intend to take a unique approach, not just what is generally covered, so I expect that you will see something new or feel a different aspect of the artists.

Yamazaki：For example, isn't this artwork of Def Leppard's dog cute purely as a fashion item? With band T-shirts, we tend to buy only those of our favorite artists, but I think it's okay to feel free to buy them just because the graphics are cute, even if you don't know the artist, just like buying a jacket.

If people become interested and listen to our music from there, I think what we are doing is the right thing to do.

Horiuchi: If we were to focus too much on the music company's point of view, we might end up with something that is different from what the market is looking for, but I think we were able to achieve a good balance because we selected these items through Mr. Yamazaki's fashionable filter.

Yamazaki: This is a bit off topic, but when you go to a fashion show, you hear music that fits the theme of the collection or that the designers like. Reports on such shows often don't mention the music. I wonder why they don't write about the music, since it is part of the creation process to create the atmosphere of the place.

It is often said that music and fashion are connected, including these aspects, but the thought that there is more that can be done is also the axis of my own activities.

I think some of the artists featured in this collection may be unfamiliar to younger people, but I hope they will be able to pick up the collection.

Horiuchi: Yes, that's right. The fact that the younger generation is moving away from Western music is a serious problem in the music industry, and I believe it is a proposition that we need to solve. In order to create a stir, I think it would be meaningful for the music industry to increase opportunities for people to experience artists' creativity and music through fashion.

We are planning to develop apparel other than T-shirts and a wide range of genres such as pop and hip-hop, so please keep your eyes peeled for our future development.