Craftsmanship That Recontextualizes Past Values for the Present, Much Like a DJ

—What kind of brand is "list"?




—Why these three individuals?

I've known Motoharu Tsujita of the denim brand "Full Count" for a long time. Around last summer, I was asked to help with the production of a special line for "Full Count." During the planning phase, our shared passion for vintage grew, and the conversation expanded beyond the scope of a separate "Full Count" line, leading to the establishment of an entirely new brand, "List." Junya Demura is a dealer of high-end vintage wear at "Hayabusa Cat Clother" in Toyama.Rintaro TanakaI met him at a vintage clothing event in Los Angeles hosted by Mr. Tanaka. Come to find out, we're from the same hometown, Kyoto, and he's even my junior (laughs).

While both Tsujita and I have a certain knowledge of vintage, having Demura, with his deeper expertise, join us would broaden our design possibilities and add more depth. I thought an interesting chemical reaction would occur with the three of us. However, I thought he, having dedicated himself to vintage, might not be interested in new creative endeavors. Surprisingly, he revealed he had always been interested and readily agreed. That's how the three of us started.





—Why do you refer to yourselves as "founders" rather than "designers"?

"Founder" typically means the establisher of a company. But I also thought of "found" as in "to find things." For example, finding the source material for sampling is a form of finding, as is discovering interesting collaborators. I believe creation begins with finding. In my case, my DJing activities are exactly that: finding tracks that fit my current mood from past recordings, or reinterpreting past recordings into contemporary music through sampling. For instance, I might take a 1920s track and a 70s track and blend them into 2012 techno or house, allowing listeners to enjoy them as fresh, "current" music. The creation process of "list," which recontextualizes designs and values from the past for the present, is fundamentally the same as the creative thinking and methods I employ in music.

The Theme is "SPEED"! Featuring American Counterculture

—Could you give some examples?

For instance, the T-shirt with "0.1%er" printed on it. In the late 1960s, outlaw bikers became a social issue in America. At the time, a representative of a motorcycle association commented, "99 percent of riders are good. Truly bad bikers are one percent." In response, outlaw bikers of that era turned this around and declared, "We are that one percent, the '1%er'!" They then wore diamond-shaped patches with "1%er" embroidered on them on the chests of their rider jackets. Using this "1%er" motif as a source, we've designed this with a playful twist, making it "0.1%er" – even more rebellious (laughs). This is how we incorporate our ideas.








Skull motifs were rare at the time, and we've used a skull motif from an extremely valuable Sukajan jacket that Demura sold for 1.59 million yen. We borrowed the actual jacket from the collector who purchased it and had the pattern recreated with exactly the same embroidery as the original. It's a piece that requires 80,000 stitches and 24 hours to complete.





The silhouette has been streamlined for a modern fit. By making it reversible with a simple black satin fabric, we've created an item that can be worn daily. When you take it off, the skull is revealed on the lining. While incorporating a Sukajan into one's wardrobe can be challenging, this design caters to the desire to own such a precious graphic. It's crafted to appeal to clothing enthusiasts.

Furthermore, we've addressed the drawbacks of vintage Sukajan jackets—such as being difficult to wash, having fragile zippers, moth damage on the ribs, and silk threads unraveling due to aging—by carefully selecting materials. We've also focused on fundamentally updating the functionality for modern use, which is a key aspect of "list." This item, born from the desire to create the ultimate Sukajan that we truly find cool, holds significant meaning for us.

Denim with a Playful Touch, Distinct from "Full Count"

—As expected, there are many denim items.



The level of perfection was such that even Demura, a connoisseur of vintage, was astonished and admitted, "I'm impressed." Using the denim fabric he created, I wondered what kind of proposals "list" could offer. I realized it would be designs with a playful spirit, something that "Full Count" couldn't do. So, the first thing we tried was denim designed with perfect symmetry in every detail, from the parts to everything else, as if reflected in a mirror. You might not notice it at first glance, but upon closer inspection, you see the clever playfulness – a truly "list"-like item.





Also, denim with a deep inseam, commonly known as "sarouel pants," is colloquially called "clown pants." These are denim pants that play with a unique silhouette. In the 1950s, when rodeos were popular in America, there were always clowns called "rodeo clowns" at the event venues. Rodeo is a cowboy culture, and denim is what cowboys wear, right? Naturally, denim brands were involved as sponsors in these events. The clowns wore baggy bottoms printed with advertisements from their sponsoring brands, standing before the audience. While the silhouette is unique, it's not just for amusement; it has a historical basis.

—Learning through the items further sparks interest in vintage!




—Thank you very much.