Rintaro Tanaka | "INSPIRATION," An Evolution of "My Freedamn!" Event, Is Held! (Part 2)

The 21st Century's True Output, Driven by Passionate People with Substantial Content

INSPIRATION: An Evolved Event from My Freedamn! (Part 2)

Vintage wear, born in the 20th century, is neither mere old clothing nor fragile antiques to be admired from afar. The event, launched in 2010 by Rintaro Tanaka, aims to maximize the latent power of these garments. In this continuation of our interview, we delve deeper into the event's core, exploring the true meaning behind its title, "INSPIRATION," and the keywords that hold the key to its success.

Interview by Toranosuke Takeuchi (City Lights)Photos by Rintaro Tanaka

My Spirit: Challenging Bill Graham!

—Where did the event title, "INSPIRATION," come from?

Literally, it means to buy and sell inspiration here, but it's also a play on words often used in the fashion industry. For a long time, fashion has used phrases like 'inspired by X' when creating new things from old. I thought, why not make that more of a business? What's important to us now is how to connect what we love with business. How do we find the intersection of art and commercialism, like in the 60s? That's a major challenge. In that sense, we plan to have not just vintage clothing buyers and shop owners, but also various artists and craftspeople participate. The idea is for everyone to exchange inspiration, including goods and information. Personally, I feel like I'm challenging Bill Graham, who created the legendary Fillmore venue in the 60s.

The Key to Event Success: Participant "Depth," Not Just Numbers

—Can the general public attend the event?

Anyone can attend with a ticket. However, the ticket prices are a bit higher than typical American events: $85 for a two-day pass and $35 for the second day only. This pricing is intentional, a way to keep out unwanted elements. Unlike in Japan, in America, if the information is out there, questionable people might show up. Nowadays, the key to a successful event isn't the number of attendees, but their "depth." My Freedamn! fans and those involved are all deeply passionate, and I want to cherish that intensity.

—Aside from the overarching theme of "INSPIRATION," do you have specific concepts for each event?

Yes, this time the sub-theme is "Reset." It means let's sell what we don't wear and reset! But on a deeper level, I feel a reset is necessary right now. Even within the vintage clothing industry, everyone vaguely realizes that without something new, both the products and the systems are becoming outdated. I believe this event is also about finding where to go from here. It's been 20 years since the Cold War ended, and nearly 10 years into the 21st century. While there have been positive developments, like Obama becoming president in America, something of the former punch seems to be missing. In this context, the vintage clothing world also feels like it's losing its direction.

—It feels like our generation needs to do something that transcends national borders and such.

I think we're at a point where we need to rethink everything from the ground up. Combinations that would have been unthinkable before.

—So, the "depth" of passion becomes crucial, doesn't it?

Exactly. But I believe we've finally entered an era where we can communicate across various boundaries, and I find hope in that.

—The internet also plays a big role, doesn't it?

Yes. It used to be very difficult to gather 2,000 people. But now, if people are truly interested, the information somehow reaches them. On the other hand, we're not aiming for, say, 10,000 attendees for an event from the outset.

—If the depth thins out, does it also break down faster?

Precisely.

Rintaro Tanaka's "INSPIRATION" Event (Part 3)To be continued