THINGS I LOVE vol.9

　

　

Since around 1989, my closet has been almost 100% filled with Italian brands. Comfortable materials and beautiful silhouettes created by these materials. Starting with Romeo Gigli, then Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Prada... Anyway, I was hooked on Italian taste.
However, as I began to attend fashion shows in Milan and Paris every season, and as I met journalists and buyers at the venues, as well as the foreign staff and models with whom I often photographed, I noticed that the overwhelming majority of the men I thought looked cool were British. They don't wear branded clothes. They wandered around fashion show venues and photo shoots, freely combining old clothes and jerseys.
When we do that, it just creates a ``lack of manners and slovenliness,'' but when they do it, it's recognized as individuality. I started to wonder what the difference was between them and me, and from around 1995 I started going to London frequently. It was around this time that Oswald Boateng's collection was presented in Paris. I had always wanted to have a bespoke suit made, so I started looking at shops on Savile Row.

While interviewing Savile Row tailors, London musicians, and designers for work, I came to understand that ``the home of men's clothing is in England.'' And I realized that this is the reason why I look cool even when I wear a jersey. In other words, England is the birthplace of men's wear, and the British way of dressing loosely and having fun is the result of a long history of ``dressing down.'' As an outsider, I felt like no matter how hard I tried, I would never be able to reach their level.
If that's the case, I thought maybe I should look for home clothes instead of getting obsessed with away clothes. I'm from Kyoto. Why not take advantage of that and travel around the world wearing Japanese clothes! I thought for a moment. ...However, Japanese clothes and sandals were too dysfunctional for that purpose.
At that time, I discovered Shanghai in Hong Kong. It was a Chinese jacket by Tang. At first glance, I thought this would be a uniform for Asian people, so I immediately bought it on impulse. Eventually, I was no longer satisfied with ready-made clothes, so I started making one made to order. The ready-made Chinese jacket introduced here is the second one I bought. Unfortunately, the first item could not be found in the trunk room.

I feel that Eastern clothing, like the Chinese jacket, which does not originally have Western roots, has the power to encourage the wearer. Recently, a junior stylist sent me a Chinese jacket from a brand she makes. Lately, there seems to be a boom in Chinese jackets again. If you think about it as an ancient Japanese thing, I feel like happi coats will become world-wide in the future, depending on how they are done. Although we occasionally see such challenges, they have yet to become a fashion piece like the Chinese jacket.
The recent success of Japanese players in the major leagues was something I could never have imagined when I was a child, but is it possible for traditional Japanese clothing to see the light of day overseas in the same way? I have shown foreigners around Kyoto many times in kimono, and while it would be natural for anyone to wear it, there were times when I was strangely satisfied with the feeling of being away. In other words, my appearance probably looks just as unnatural to Westerners.

Of course, Chinese jackets are not a traditional Japanese item, but when I wore them in Europe and America, I felt like they were showing my Asian identity. And I felt a little proud. I thought it would be best to pair the pants with something light, so I paired it with Nike cross-training pants I bought at Macy's in San Francisco. This was a unique balance: it was comfortable and casual, but also had a formal feel thanks to the Chinese jacket.
It was very useful in New York and London because it didn't violate the dress code. However, I am often asked, "Is it Chinese?" and for some reason I say "No!" louder than necessary. Japanese! ” he replied. Once a Hong Kong brand, Shanghai Bund is now part of the Richemont Group.
The Hong Kong shop was reminiscent of the Shanghai Concession in the 1930s, and combined with the modern interior, it was a wonderful space filled with the opulence of the Qing Dynasty. I fell in love with the atmosphere there and would always go there once a year. During Shanghai crab season, with my girlfriend who loves Shanghai crabs.

One day, the editor of Italian Vogue, who is a Japanophile and of the same generation, said to me, ``Tomoki, we are looking to Japanese people for ideas.'' Just like in England and Italy, if you are tied to traditional clothing, you will not be able to create anything new. I interpreted that he was trying to say that because he was away from home, new ideas that ignored tradition were coming out, and I thought that made sense. In other words, Japan will continue to be away from Japan 30 years ago, now, and in the future when it comes to clothing culture. Naturally, things are evolving day by day, and thanks to the power of social media, trends originating in Tokyo have now become a major trend. However, there is no change in the fact that Japan is away. Although I am away from home, I have a dream of creating a style of clothing that Western clothing cannot do. To achieve this, it is first necessary to study Japanese aesthetics, and then refine and build on styling. Rome wasn't built in a day. ...This is a Western proverb.

■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.

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