Trends in Paris Collections Over the Past Few Years?

Tomoki Sukezane (hereafter, Sukezane)It’s been a while since our last collection talk. What do you think? About recent collections.

Tsuyoshi Noguchi (hereafter, Noguchi)Hmm, there’s nothing particularly shocking, is there? Even in the show's direction, I don't think there's the same impact as McQueen, Thom Browne, or John Galliano used to have. It's quite sad. Well, I suppose that's just the way things are these days. Maybe the times are like that.

SukezanePerhaps things that feel 'out of line' aren't accepted now. Corporate influence has also grown.

NoguchiThat's part of it too.

SukezaneWhen Hedi Slimane returned, I thought for a moment, 'Wow,' but ultimately, the sense of stagnation is undeniable.

NoguchiDon't you think that in his case, he's become too fixated on what he likes?

SukezaneMaybe. Well, amidst all that, could you tell us your top three looks from the show?

NoguchiAlright, first, let's go with Hedi's SAINT LAURENT. It was very folkloric.

SukezaneIt felt American, didn't it? Well, it's been feeling American for a while, but this time it was particularly strong, like 'The Big Gundown.'


SukezaneAnd then, with this fireworks blouson, they paired it with tight pants.

NoguchiGIVENCHY also stopped doing oversized silhouettes and it was cute. You didn't seem to be there, Sukezane-san.

SukezaneMy apologies.

NoguchiGIVENCHY is also one of my top three. I liked the one with the baby's breath print. The shoes were cool too, with a lace-up back. The heel was crossed at the back.

NoguchiExcept for golf. I don't wear them except for golf and on location shoots.

SukezaneAh, but you do wear shorts.

NoguchiYes, I do. Like regular J.Crew ones.

SukezaneSeriously? You own them.

NoguchiI do, in every color. I can't wear long pants anymore this time of year, it's too hot.

SukezaneThey're comfortable, right?

NoguchiExtremely. But you shouldn't be too comfortable, should you?

SukezaneThis leather shirt from VALENTINO is also cool, but it's too hot to wear, really.

NoguchiNot in Japan, perhaps. But I want to include it in my best looks. It looks very easy to wear. The cut is nice, and I think layering it with a shirt is a good idea.

SukezaneExactly. The leather itself is really good.

NoguchiAnd the pants had a butterfly pattern, right?

SukezaneYes. They're the same as the women's.

SukezaneSo, is that it for your top three looks, Noguchi-san?

The Talk Turns to Hedi's Saint Laurent

SukezaneAlright, now that we have your top three looks, let's revisit some brands that caught our eye. First, SAINT LAURENT.

NoguchiThey had two types of pants, right? Bootcut and slim?

SukezaneThe ones paired with the blouson you chose as a best look are bootcut. Slightly flared. A bit slimmer than 517s.

NoguchiThe way they used accessories was amazing, wasn't it? Around the hands and neck.

SukezaneThe belts were great too. With that worn-in feel.

NoguchiBut, maybe a floral shirt with this kind of Napoleon jacket would have been more stylish?

SukezaneThere was a bit of that during the techno era.

NoguchiBut this time, it was very direct.

SukezaneLike, 'The American Dream.'

NoguchiIn that sense, it felt fresh. It still has Hedi's touch, so I think it will sell well again. This is quite wild. Also, this knit cape is great!

NoguchiExactly. But sometimes the samples are pointy, and the actual products are rounded.

SukezaneSpeaking of which, Comme des Garçons was something else.

SukezaneIt looks like ink wash painting. Is it just the shirt?

NoguchiJust the shirt, with an apron and shorts.

SukezaneAnd black boots with white laces? Didn't everyone used to wear shoes with white laces back in the day?

NoguchiYes. Everyone used to wear Dr. Martens with white laces. And this has white pearls on the baby's breath. They had a dismantled airplane hanging in the venue. So, military, air force, and then school. Later, they also showed flight jackets.

SukezaneI heard the explanation at the showroom.

NoguchiI heard it too.

SukezaneHow are the laces tied on these shoes?

NoguchiThe back is just for design. It's already laced. And the front is a normal lace-up. Then there's a cross strap at the heel. They're going to sell really well. On the wingtips that came out later, they put pearls around them.

SukezaneI see. Anything else?

NoguchiDidn't they have a lot of series using leather as thin as paper this time? Starting with VALENTINO.

SukezaneThey did.

NoguchiBALENCIAGA and ALEXANDER WANG also had them. Well, in Europe, you can wear leather even in summer.

SukezaneAs Japanese people, we think, 'What are we supposed to do with this in summer?'

NoguchiIt's entirely due to the difference in climate. But maybe you could wear it at the beginning of the season in Japan? Like in March.

SukezaneOr in winter. For Tokyo, at least. Even if it's for summer, you can only wear leather in winter. So, in the end, you end up wearing it in the fall/winter season. What about the VALENTINO sandals?

NoguchiSandals, huh... Personally, I don't really like them.

SukezaneYou haven't worn them recently, come to think of it. There was a time when flip-flops were popular, wasn't there? Which brand of sandals would you find acceptable?

NoguchiHmm, they had VALENTINO Havaianas, didn't they? I hesitated, but then thought, 'Oh well, they're Havaianas,' and...

SukezaneI bought those. Though I haven't worn them at all. They're Havaianas, yes, but made of leather and very expensive. I bought them without any hesitation.

NoguchiAnyway, weren't there a lot of sandals and sneakers this time?

SukezaneThere were overwhelmingly many sneakers. They increased dramatically. What do you think about VALENTINO? People started paying attention last season, but what's your impression?

NoguchiThe price is more accessible than for women's. And this kind of style, it seems like it exists but is surprisingly rare. Suits with camouflage or denim paneling, especially in the luxury category, are nonexistent, aren't they? Maybe outside the luxury category, but the quality is completely different. Camouflage patchwork, it doesn't make sense. It's too amazing.

SukezaneI know. I even went to the atelier in Rome. There were about 90 seamstresses, all working by hand.

NoguchiConsidering that, the price isn't that high, is it?

SukezaneThat's the strange thing. While the women's dresses are as expensive as haute couture.

NoguchiWell, they're beautiful, so it can't be helped.

SukezaneThese pants, for example, utilize that technique. This time, these four are the couture line for men. While not as impactful as last time, this leather is cool.

NoguchiThey had about three types of denim, didn't they? They said you could order denim...

SukezaneWhat about ordering denim?

NoguchiNo, you don't need to order it, do you?

SukezaneWhy would you order denim?

NoguchiIt's just to be different from others, isn't it?

SukezaneIt's not necessary, I guess.

NoguchiFor Saint Laurent, I think I'll stick with the floral shirt. As I looked at various things, this one started to seem a bit plain. Especially when you see the bold use of accessories...

Tomoki Sukezane's Top 3 Looks

SukezaneShall we move on to my top three? Hmm, the crazy vibe of LOUIS VUITTON was also good.

NoguchiThe pants were exactly like Miami Vice. Super high-waisted! Keisuke Baba-san said Louis Vuitton is his favorite.

SukezaneI can kind of see that. I don't dislike it either. But I dislike this model. By the way, what did you think of Valentino's accessories?

NoguchiYou mean the ones on the collar? There were some good ones and some not-so-good ones.

SukezaneIndeed. Well, I'll go with these three looks.

NoguchiLOUIS VUITTON is really something.

SukezaneIt's like a mysterious producer style. The white shoes also work well.



SukezaneNow, let's move on to the clothes you'd actually like to buy and wear.

NoguchiHedi's SAINT LAURENT 'old man suede jacket.'

NoguchiYes. Like Levi's reissues. Don't you have a ton of shirts too, Sukezane-san?

SukezaneI have trouble disposing of them.

NoguchiSpeaking of which, that dry cleaner in Azabu, they make things incredibly clean.

SukezaneIt's amazing, isn't it? 'Le Jeune.' Though it's expensive.

NoguchiIt's expensive. The other day, I took about ten T-shirts to get them cleaned, and they charged me around 50,000 yen. It's terrifying.

SukezaneBut they do come out clean.

NoguchiWait, I said 'old man leather jacket,' but this might not be leather.

SukezaneMaybe velvet? But either way, you have a lot of those, don't you? You wear things like this all the time. Are you going to buy another one?

NoguchiBecause the sleeve width is subtly different. The version with ribbed sleeves and the version with cuffs are different, and there's one with covered buttons, and so on. There are many variations.

SukezaneAre you buying this?

NoguchiNo, I'm thinking of changing my best look. It's started to seem a bit plain.

SukezaneThe look itself is cute, though. Okay, so these are your top three best looks.



NoguchiI have no idea.

SukezaneYou've kept things like that, haven't you?

NoguchiYes, I have.



SukezaneNext, let's talk about the best shows.

NoguchiMaybe 'JUNYA WATANABE MAN'?

SukezaneMe too.

NoguchiYou were laughing the whole time, weren't you?

SukezaneThe hair and music were interesting, and the show itself was good.

NoguchiRAF SIMONS also had an interesting presentation.

SukezaneYeah. Which one...?

NoguchiLet's go with 'JUNYA WATANABE MAN.'

SukezaneIt started with 'Noh' and ended with 'Nagauta.'

NoguchiThe foreigners were roaring with laughter.

SukezaneAnd indeed, the wall (?) at the models' entrance was impressive. They were serious about it.

NoguchiAt first, they didn't let on at all, and then suddenly, 'Yo!' right? It had tremendous impact.

SukezaneThe whole thing had impact. What look would you pick?

NoguchiThe 'Man' T-shirt, maybe.

SukezaneI said something like 'Japanese traditional,' but I couldn't explain it well, so I ended up saying, 'It's something close to Kabuki.' I went to see Noh about three years ago because a junior from my high school was performing. I read the story beforehand. Otherwise, you wouldn't understand it at all, would you? My junior got good seats, so the view was great, but halfway through, everyone started falling asleep. Just like that (laughs).

NoguchiHahaha.

SukezaneAbout 100 people fell asleep at the same time. And when you looked at the stage, the stage itself wasn't moving at all (laughs). Then there's the 'Iyo~!' sound. You think, 'No wonder people fall asleep.' And then, when the break comes, everyone wakes up instantly.

NoguchiThat's rough.

SukezaneI wondered if maybe people were coming here just to sleep.

NoguchiIt's the same with classical music, isn't it?

SukezaneAnd opera. But for me, the sound of the drum in Noh really stuck in my head. Even when I was walking down the street after the performance, I could still hear 'pon.' I left the venue and went drinking alone in Kanda. I was in a kind of trance state.

NoguchiOh, really?

SukezaneIt was like a dream, with only the sound echoing. It was almost like hypnosis. I got that same feeling from the JUNYA WATANABE show.

To Tomoki Sukezane Talks: Vol. 2 (Part 2)