"TAIKUTSU" Isn't Negative

—Mr. Shimazu, you're a stylist, but for Né-net, you handle direction and music, correct?

Yoshiyuki ShimazuMany brands now bring in stylists to finalize their collections, but I feel the current Tokyo Collection scene might be overdoing it with stylists. Conversely, I find it refreshing when the design team handles styling. It's also about how the entire show is constructed. By stepping away from a stylist's perspective and directing from various angles, the clothes themselves become more interesting.

—And how do you approach creating clothes, Mr. Takashima?

Issei TakashimaFirst, there's the theme – for Fall/Winter 2007-08, it was "TAIKUTSU." Then, the venue (Laforet Museum Harajuku) is decided, and I create the clothes with a certain vision in mind.

—So it's not about the clothes coming first?

TakashimaI think about how to present the clothes, and then I share that vision – my fantasy, if you will (laughs) – with Mr. Shimazu and the staff.

—But since it's an abstract theme, there must be many interpretations.

ShimazuI think it's okay for abstraction to remain abstract. Rather than a creation method focused on the market, like "1+1=2," there's value in something that leaves you pondering, "I thought about it long after the show, but I still don't quite get it."

—I see.

ShimazuAs an idea emerging from the Tokyo Collection, "TAIKUTSU" feels appropriate. It's almost surprising it hasn't appeared before. Mr. Takashima's fantasy has a distinct quality, different from the fantasy found in the works of designers like Ms. Chinatsu Miyoshi or Mr. Akihira Onozuka; it possesses a certain subtle, almost shadowed fantasy.

From Né-net 2007 SPRING & SUMMER COLLECTION

—So, as the director, how did you interpret "TAIKUTSU" for this collection?

ShimazuEssentially, I asked the models to adopt bored postures and walk as if they were bored (laughs).

From Né-net 2007 SPRING & SUMMER COLLECTION

From Né-net 2007 SPRING & SUMMER COLLECTION

—That's an interesting direction.

ShimazuI instructed them to walk with a sense of emptiness, boredom, and slumped shoulders. It's an unusual direction, isn't it? Even Katsuya Kamo's (MOD'S HAIR) makeup for the hair and makeup artist conveyed a bored expression with his eyebrows (laughs). For the music, as I pondered how to begin the show, I thought of the sound of my office's color printer – a monotonous "kasha, kasha" sound. That's how the show started (laughs).

—And how was this expressed in the clothing?

TakashimaIn terms of textiles, there's a game called "Tangram" that uses puzzle pieces. We created patchwork patterns inspired by Tangram. For the capes, they were made by repeatedly folding, and the knits were created through the accumulation of simple actions like knitting and knitting again.

—The intention behind the collection is becoming clearer.

TakashimaWe also presented the clothes with models walking with their hands in their pockets, looking bored, or with a slumped silhouette.

—I read a comment from a foreign journalist about the collection, saying, "I felt a sense of reality in the hunched-shoulder style. When I came to Tokyo, I noticed how incredibly stylish the young people walking with their shoulders slumped were."

TakashimaBoredom isn't necessarily a negative thing.

ShimazuIn fact, it can also be a state of being content.

—Is there social criticism or irony embedded in that?

TakashimaWe didn't really think about that (laughs).

Né-net Press Representative, Ms. NanagiriThe "TAIKUTSU" T-shirts presented in the collection are already becoming hits!


To be continued in Part 3: "Tokyo Fashion's Driving Force"to be continued

Né-net 2008 Spring/Summer Collection Announced!

Friday, August 31, 2007, 4:30 PM at Jiji Press Hall, Tokyo

Through the kind cooperation of Né-net designer Issei Takashima, we are offering a special invitation to 10 OPENERS readers.
(*General admission is not permitted on this day. This is a ticket giveaway only.)


Those interested in attending the collection (standing room only) should apply via the "Click here for comments and requests" link located at the bottom of the OPENERS homepage (http://openers.jp).
at the bottom"Click here for comments and requests"Please submit your application.
Please clearly state "Né-net Attendance Request" in the subject line, along with your name, address, age, and a message.
Don't forget to include your reply address. If applications exceed the number of available spots, winners will be selected by lottery, and tickets will be mailed.
The deadline is Monday, August 20th.We encourage many of you to apply. (OPENERS Editorial Department)