【FOCUS IT.] We want the younger generation to enjoy vintage. Laundry x True Vintage = Foreshadowing. What does that mean?

In the recent vintage clothing industry, the "true vintage" genre, the focus has been on the rarity value of the items, such as age and number of pieces, and the price that can be obtained from them, and some people lament that the focus has turned in a different direction from the original fashion. In such a situation, we suggest to the younger generation, "Why don't you take vintage as a fashion item in a more flat way? LAUNDRY is a store in Hatagaya, Tokyo, that proposes to the younger generation, "Why don't you take vintage as a more flat fashion?

Here, in collaboration with Mondrian, a vintage store located in the city of Demizu, Kagoshima Prefecture, surrounded by mountains and the sea, since last December, the store has transplanted a collection of several hundred pieces of high-quality vintage clothing that had lain dormant at the store. The shop has become a hot topic of conversation among discerning vintage enthusiasts.

......, and this would be a topic that would only reach a few vintage clothing lovers, but we have been informed that a new look with a new model was also shot this spring. And it has a really nice atmosphere. What is the background of this collaboration, and what is the intention behind it? We spoke with Kentaro Fukuda, owner of "Laundry," over a cup of his delicious coffee.

Photo_Kojima Shuhei (Model), Kentaro Fukuda (Item Image)
Model_Niki Shuhei
Text_TOMMY
Edit_Yosuke Ishii

If we can connect through the common language of "vintage clothing" and create "something new" from it....

On his Instagram page, Mr. Fukuda wrote his thoughts on the collaboration, "I hope that you will bring something different to the table in addition to your things.

Fukuda: Another reason is the desire of the owner of Mondrian. He is the same age as me, and he said, "I have been going to secondhand clothing stores in Amemura, Osaka, four times a week since I was 18 years old, and I finally felt that it was okay to let go of them. It seems to have a semi-end-of-life nuance for him, and I guess he feels like he is collecting the foreshadowing of his life up to now, sort of.

Moreover, I later heard that it was also intended as an economic boost for the restart of my brand, which had been on hiatus for some time, and I thought, "I'm going to take one more step here and start the beginning of the end.

So this is how the second chapter of "Mondrian" started at "Laundry. I just saw your items in the store, and they are quite affordable.

I asked Kuri-chan (Mr. Michihiko Kurihara of "Mr. Clean") how much I should sell it for now, and re-set the price. This also foreshadowed the fact that I used to work in Harajuku and became friends with Kuri-chan there, as well as the fact that Bob (Yosuke Ishii, editor-in-chief of Huinum), who I also met in Harajuku, became the editor-in-chief of Huinum and contacted me this time.

When you have been walking the same path for a long time, there are moments when you suddenly feel like contacting old acquaintances. Even if I don't do anything new, I can open a drawer from back then and see something new.

Laundry has always sold vintage clothing, but is there any difference between this type of vintage clothing and what you call "true vintage" clothing?

Fukuda: To be honest, the reaction from the younger generation is not good (laugh). We used to sell regular items from the 1990s and 2000s and items that had a bit of a street-style feel, and the younger generation responded better to those items, but they were not unexpected, as all stores do that. So, I wanted to make the younger generation aware of the advantages of this type of vintage clothing.

Recently, many young people are learning about secondhand clothing through YouTube and social networking sites, and I often hear people raising the question, "Is the price they accept as a matter of course not a fair price that is commensurate with the actual value of the item itself? I have heard some people raising the question, "Is the price they accept as a matter of course not a fair price that is commensurate with the actual value of the goods themselves?

Fukuda: That is a difficult question. It is not as simple as just selling the product at a low price without pricing it properly. Selling at a fair price is important, I think. In that respect, our customers tell us that our prices are exquisite. However, Kuri-chan's prices are quite low, so I personally think, "This one could be priced a little higher. (laughs).

Mr. Kurihara says that his prices are determined based on the market price and "the value of the item as perceived by Mr. Kurihara, who has seen and touched a lot of used clothing. In fact, I think the price of vintage clothing is determined by the quantity and quality of the knowledge that serves as the standard of value for the item. No matter how rare an item is, it is just like used clothes to someone who has no knowledge of or interest in it.

Fukuda: I think this part has also changed with the times, so I am learning again from Kuri-chan. Fukuda: I am learning again from Kuri-chan, who tells me, "Mr. Fukuda, this item is actually at a premium right now.

I think that for the younger generation, being exposed to true vintage will lead to a new fashion experience.

Fukuda: Besides, it's kind of cool to see the younger generation wearing vintage clothes with a slim figure. If our generation wears "Peanuts" sweatshirts by SPRUCE and vintage "501s" by Levi's, we would look like Hama-chan or Samasazu, unless we are very well styled. Overalls are completely American casual (laughs). (Laughs.) That's fine too, but I want people to look good in them because they are fashionable.

I also love the look of the models you used there. How did you come up with the idea of shooting this one?

Fukuda: I thought the concept of "the same item can be discovered anew when the generation that wears it changes" could be conveyed more clearly through visuals. In this styling, a Patagonia "Glissade" with a thunder pattern, which costs about 300,000 yen on the market, is layered with a vest that warms up with a USB power source.

I think that the fashion is not just about wearing expensive vintage clothes, but about seeing them as clothes, regardless of price, and combining them in a playful way to make them fashionable. By the way, who is this model?

Fukuda: He is a comedian belonging to Office Jinrikisha. He is 30 years old this year, but he is not yet a big seller. And one of them came all the way from Kyoto. That was also very emo. I was also particular about the location, shooting around the location of the "Perfect Days" movie. The photos were taken by Taro Mizutani's assistant.

Indeed, it is refreshing to see the younger generation enjoying this kind of styling in an open-minded manner in the current era of 2025.

Fukuda: It is difficult to verbalize, but I think that a person's style differs depending on his/her generation, the culture he/she has been exposed to, and the community he/she belongs to. I think that is important. Still, I think it would be great fun if we could connect through the common language of "vintage clothing" and create "something new" out of it.

Yes, that's right. By the way, do the items lined up here change at some point?

Fukuda: We will keep replenishing as we sell more and more items. There are still many items. However, even though they are not my personal belongings, I feel a little reluctant to part with them. What if they are all gone? However, considering the owner's intention, I don't think it is right to keep the items and let them go to someone else in a good way.

I am sure that people who shop here will definitely wear it and visit the "laundry" again.

Fukuda: That would make me happy. We can talk about the vintage clothes over coffee. Each item is an important item that the owner of "Mondrian" has been collecting for a long time, so I hope to sell them slowly over the next two or three years. I also want people to pay attention to the size of the items. I heard that he used to coordinate with couples back then, so there are men's and women's sizes for the same item (laugh). So the sneakers are either 11 inches (men's) or 6 inches (women's).

Hey, it's kind of emo, right?　If a young couple picks one up, it will be a foreshadowing of what is to come. All of our products are "American village stocked," not American stocked, so you can be sure of what you're getting.