Feature

THINGS I LOVE vol.13

In 2004, Lanvin released a men's collection under the direction of Alber Elbaz, who was the women's creative director. The company took the stance of leaving most of the men's work to Luca Ossendriver, a pattern that had not been seen in luxury brands up until then. It is common for Paris Fashion Week brands to add a men's line to a brand that has released a women's line, but I think Lanvin pioneered the style in which men's and women's lines were created by separate directors.
Around that time, my enthusiasm for Dior Homme began to cool down rapidly, and instead I was attracted to John Galliano's men's collection, which had the complete opposite worldview. His creative style is a bold maximalism that is the complete opposite of the minimalism that was mainstream at the time. Rather than stripping away, the design continues to add on. Romeo Gigli in the late 80s Since the boom, I've basically been oriented toward minimalism, but what hit me like a rebound after my enthusiasm for Dior Homme was John Galliano's gory feel.

There is a binary opposition to everything. For example, in the world of fashion, Gianni Versace is the equivalent of Giorgio Armani of a certain era. When it comes to architecture, Nikko Toshogu Shrine is the Katsura Imperial Villa. In the world of tea ceremony, Furuta Oribe left behind a unique pottery work in contrast to Sen no Rikyu's favorite Raku tea bowl. In any field, there are worldviews that are removed and others that are added to, and in a sense, I think they have evolved as two sides of the same coin. To me, minimalism is modern and urban. Maximalism is uncouth and rustic. I think this is also the way fashion is viewed in general.

Since the late 1980s, I've been wearing Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, and even Yves Saint Laurent in between fashions such as Romeo Gigli, Helmut Lang, Prada, Raf Simons, Jil Sander, Dior Homme, etc. These brands sometimes offer adventurous designs, but I think they have always been designed based on minimalism. Meanwhile, in 2006, I had the opportunity to interview John Galliano for the magazine "Fashion News Men's" where I was the editor-in-chief at the time, and from that opportunity I suddenly became interested in his aspirations. When we met for the first time, he suddenly said, ``You're lucky to be able to talk to a genius like me.'' At that time, he was in perfect condition from head to toe. Her make-up was on point, and she was smiling with her legs crossed, staring at one point. It created a cool atmosphere, but it was right after the show. he is sweating. Her heavy make-up was beginning to crumble, and she was covered in sweat and covered in a jacket. From an outsider's perspective, it was a comical situation that would have made me laugh, but I was instantly drawn into his world. He played "John Galliano" perfectly. I didn't find it unpleasant; in fact, I liked it. This person is proudly doing the exact opposite of stripping down. I was really attracted to his integrity and the way he made me laugh.
To begin with, I was not convinced by the concept that stripped down = good taste. At first glance, minimalism seems like a big challenge, but at the time, it seemed like an excuse for me to escape, and as a result, I interpreted it as boring. There is no play there. There are a lot of problems with just having fun, but fashion and design have no value without play. Mr. John Galliano's spirit immediately sent a powerful beam of stimulation into my young and blue heart.
The day after the interview, I went to John Galliano's store in Faubourg Saint-Honoré and bought a denim Napoleon jacket and military pants. I was completely brainwashed by John Galliano, but military pants had too many accessories, so I ended up wearing them with Abercrombie & Fitch military pants.

Around that time, I also became interested in Lanvin's collection line, so I interviewed Luca Ossendriver for ``Fashion News Men''. Having gained experience in Hedi Slimane's team at Dior Homme, his creations seemed to evolve from the Dior Homme world view while being woven from Lanvin's archives, and as someone who was a Dior Homme fanatic, it was very easy for me to accept his creations.
Galliano and Lanvin. I was wearing clothes from two completely different worlds, combining Abercrombie & Fitch and Levi's red. “Dayall Homme crazy” After I left, my passion for fashion became so chaotic that I couldn't narrow it down to just one brand.

Galliano's Napoleon jacket is made of denim material. Back then, I wore it with the first button fastened, but now that my upper body has grown, I wear it open in the front. Since the brand tag is made of rubber, it will peel off when you take it out for cleaning.
The jacket has dark silver buttons, and a red zip-up blouson is combined with the inner layer. A super prince-like item made of pure white denim. The pants are shiny pure white bondage pants.
Abercrombie & Fitch T-shirt purchased from a mail order site. Back then, the catalog photo taken by Bruce Weber was cool. I liked military pants, but I couldn't find them this time...
John Galliano ring. The stone part is the type that pops open, but I have never put anything in it.
These boots are a collaboration between Paul Harden and Comme des Garçons. This pair creates a unique atmosphere.
John Galliano's Napoleon jacket was worn with military pants at the time. The pants I wore this time are Comme des Garçons Homme De's easy pants from a few years ago. She paired it with a short-sleeved white turtleneck from the Lanvin collection. The boots are a collaboration between Paul Harnden and Comme des Garçons.
Lanvin midnight blue jacket. At the time, the perception was that this was Lanvin. I also like woven labels that have a luxurious feel.
A blouse with a small collar and a tie with a grosgrain stiletto.
(Left) Lapel pin with a rose motif. Although it is dark, the texture of the material has a glossy feel.
(Right) Dark suit with flashy feet. The copper color gives it a playful feel.
I feel like I've seen Alber Elbaz in exactly the same coordination as this... A combination that suits both past and present.

■Tomoki Yuma (@stsukezane
Born in Kyoto City in 1965. Started his career as an editor in the editorial department of Magazine House ``POPEYE''. Currently, in addition to planning and styling fashion pages for magazines, she also designs advertising costumes for artists and musicians. Before the coronavirus, he covered men's collections in Paris and Milan for over 35 years.

THINGS I LOVE vol.12

THINGS I LOVE ALL

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