Serials 【MONTHLY CCC SESSION] VOL.13 Yuta Kaji (Stylist) "A Hawk with a Talent Hides Its Claws

City Country City" is an anonymous brand that does not disclose its design team, but has been steadily increasing its presence. In this Series, we interview creators who have been close friends of City Country City since its establishment, in order to find out what the brand is really like. We will be looking into the contents of this mysterious brand from all angles.

The stylist Yuta Kaji will appear in this issue. We asked him to talk about the appeal of the brand while unraveling his relationship with the design team.

What is your connection to CCC?

Kaji:I have known the design team for a long time. We used to do some bad things together in Shibuya.

What did you do?

Kaji:No, I can't tell you that... I mean, it's all a lie (laughs).

-Once again, I ask you to be serious.

Kaji:I met one of the design team members at a party. He was so drunk that he left without his wallet. That left a strong impression on me.

Is that true?

Kaji:This time it is true. It was quite a long time ago...10 years, maybe more.

So you hit it off?

Kaji:No, it's not like that. After that, we would just say hello when we saw each other. But when I was working on my own brand, they came to visit me at exhibitions, and from there we gradually developed a relationship. We collaborated with other brands they were involved with and my brand. We even went to Maebashi together.

What did you feel when CCC started?

Kaji:I thought it was interesting that you used "ONEITA" for the body of the T-shirt. I like body brands. I like ONEITA among the various blank bodies available.

Why is that?

Kaji:There's something about the sound of the name and the design of the tag. I think it's in a slightly offbeat position among body brands. I like that feeling. It's a brand that I stopped seeing at a certain point, and that's part of what attracted me to it. So I called the design team and got the T-shirt.

Do you usually wear it?

Kaji:You're wearing it as a nightgown (laughs).

What did you have in mind when designing the clothes?

Kaji:To be honest, I don't think I cared much about it (laughs). (Laughs.) Of course, I do look at them, but I like the design team more. They have been involved in fashion for a long time and have great design ability. Normally, that would be a weapon or a sign, but I feel like they don't dare to show it, and that is what attracts me to them. I guess you could say that the hawk with the ability hides its talons.

I see.

Kaji:I am the type of person who usually makes jokes like that, but normally I would just let it slide. But they catch on and continue the rally. Such people are quite rare, and that's why I am so impressed with them.

So you are very close.

Kaji:We are on the same wavelength, or something like that.

You say you wear a T-shirt as a nightgown, but today you are wearing a CCC coach jacket.

Kaji:I had a certain brand of windbreaker that I wore in the 90s. It was a very large size for that time. Then one day I found this coach jacket, and I felt a similar vibe. I asked him about it, and he told me that he sampled the same item I was originally wearing.

What a coincidence!

Kaji:It's a coincidence, but it's not a coincidence. That is the interesting thing about fashion and the interesting thing about human connections. I am sure that there are many words that can be used to verbalize this.

CCC does not publicly disclose its design team, but what do you think about such an approach?

Kaji:I think it fits their style. If their name were publicized, they would have to create some kind of identity, but I think there is a part of them that can be separated because of this approach. The design and the mood created by that would surely be a part of the brand's appeal.

Finally, what are your expectations for CCC in the future?

Kaji:Let me do the styling for the look (laughs).

If you were offered the job, how would you style it?

Kaji:I would like to build a world view that is different from the conventional "CCC" look. I think this will allow me to show a new side to the brand and highlight the brand image that we have created so far. I want to create something that is born from the relationship between myself and the design team.

Yuta Kaji
Born in Tokyo in 1974. After working as an assistant, she started her own business as a stylist in 1998. He is active in a wide range of fields, including magazines, advertisements, and films, and also expresses himself in a variety of genres, including video production and writing.
Instagram:@yutakaji_

Photo_Kazunobu Yamada
Text_Yuichiro Tsuji