FASHION /
FEATURES
July 10, 2026
A stylist by profession. People who walk a path in life with a slightly different perspective from the world. A conversation between Atsushi Okubo and Tomoki Suke.
FASHION | Atsushi Okubo x Tomoki Sukezane Conversation
Atsushi Okubo (Okubo) is 71 years old. Tomoki Sukezane (Sukezane) is 61. While there is a 10-year age gap, both have walked the path of a stylist for many years. Coincidentally, they both published new books in May of this year. Okubo's book is titled "The Stylist," and Sukezane's is titled "Tomoki Sukezane's SHOP-A-HOLIC MEMORIES." Both books look back on their careers as stylists, but they also share another commonality: "having faced illness." We asked these two, who have lived by making their passions their work, what they think now as they grow older.
Text by Rika Kunii | Photographs by Akira Maeda
Influences from their childhoods: "Uncle's Room" and "Brother's Apartment."
SukezaneReading Okubo's book, the part that left the biggest impression on me was the story about "uncle." Around what age was that for you, Okubo?
OkuboProbably from elementary to middle school. From a young age, my interest was always in music. While other kids were crazy about baseball, I wasn't interested in that at all.
SukezaneDid you get into music through that uncle?
OkuboThat's right. His name was Uncle Toshinori. He listened to Group Sounds and things like that. I used to dance to the music. Apparently, when my uncle played rock songs, I'd grab a broom and dance. My parents wanted to see me do that. Looking back, maybe my uncle was using me to get my parents to buy records. Anyway, my uncle had records, and he had "Honpan Punch."
SukezaneI had a somewhat similar experience. My brother is five years older than me. He was an excellent student, but because our house was small, he told our father he wanted his own room to concentrate on his studies. So, my father said, 'Okay,' and rented an apartment near our house. He probably thought his grades would improve even more. But contrary to my father's wishes, it became a free-for-all space where all sorts of bad influences gathered. We got complaints from other residents, and sometimes the police showed up – it was a huge commotion. It was supposed to be a space for studying, but my brother's grades kept dropping (laughs).
OkuboAnd how old were you then?
SukezaneI was in the second or third grade of elementary school, and my brother was in the second year of middle school. My parents were too scared to go there, so they told me, 'You go and see what's happening,' and 'What kind of people are coming?' I was often sent on patrol. The walls were covered with posters of musicians, and there were records and clothes lined up in a chaotic room. They were constantly redecorating, and the posters and records changed every time I visited. There was "Honpan Punch," and also "MEN'S CLUB" and "POPEYE." I would glance at them and think, 'Is this the kind of world that exists?' and 'This looks interesting.' Of course, my parents were angry, but I felt there was 'something' there. Reading about Okubo's uncle, this room of my brother's really overlapped with that memory.
OkuboPerhaps that environment with Uncle Toshinori was the seed for my current sensibilities. Later, during a slightly more sensitive period, I was influenced by my childhood friend Hitoshi. Hitoshi is now Mr. Hatanaka, the chairman of the ramen shop 'Santouka.' His family ran a dry cleaning business, and there was a room for dry cleaning artisans to live in nearby. When an artisan left, that room became Hitoshi's to use as he pleased... It became a gathering place for all sorts of unconventional, cool people in town. There were musical instruments, and it was fun. For me, it was paradise. There was alcohol too.
SukezaneWhen you say unconventional people, do you mean like hermits?
OkuboIn a good way, people with strong hobbies within the neighborhood (laughs). I also learned to drink there with Hitoshi. Cheap stuff, of course. Every time I went to hang out at that gathering place, I'd end up throwing up on the way home.
SukezaneThrowing up on the way home from the gathering place...
OkuboI wasn't studying at all, so people around me thought I was a bit unhinged. My test scores were low. But I was regularly reading "Honpan Punch" as a textbook, so I got the highest score in the grade for the sex education part of health and physical education. Everyone was surprised, saying, 'He's not an idiot after all!' (laughs).
The "Stylist's Book" stored in Okubo's room was a significant guidepost that determined Sukezane's future.
SukezaneIt's not written in the book, but when I was in my third year of high school, I had already decided not to go to university. I was in the commercial department, and I felt I had to get a job to reassure my parents. When I took the entrance exam, I passed a pharmaceutical wholesale company. That was in September or October of my third year, and I didn't have to go to school until graduation in March of the following year. So, I decided to get a part-time job, and I started working at a boutique right across from the school. It was strictly a women's clothing store, and the owner's daughter and son, who were about five and three years old, were there. I was basically a babysitter. Of course, I also minded the store, but during weekday afternoons, there were no customers. The owner's favorite magazines, "an・an" and "Croissant," were stacked there, and I read them every day. Then one day, I discovered a book called "The Stylist's Book."
OkuboThat was in 1982.
SukezaneYes, exactly that. I was interested in fashion, so I eagerly read it. But among the female stylists, only Okubo appeared. I realized for the first time that there were male stylists. 'Oh, so this is a job that exists.' Reading Okubo's background, it said he was at Onward. But it also said he found it boring and started 'going to POPEYE.' What does 'going to POPEYE' mean? I didn't understand. For a high school boy who had a job offer, it was very mysterious. What did that really entail?
OkuboIt wasn't exactly 'going,' I was doing amateur modeling. And POPEYE was a very free space.
SukezaneAfter graduating from high school, I worked for three years delivering medicine to hospitals. Then, by a strange coincidence, I was invited to POPEYE, and that's when I finally understood Okubo's 'going to POPEYE' story.
OkuboIt was fun, really. I learned a lot. I was allowed to do whatever I wanted. For fashion pages, I even conceived and executed them entirely with freelance photographers.
(Okubo takes "The Stylist's Book" from the bookshelf)
SukezaneOh, this is it. I read it while thinking, 'I've got a job offer, but is it okay to work for a pharmaceutical company?' I also read "Success Stories" thoroughly.
OkuboI also worked on "an・an," but when I started reading "VOGUE" and "Per Lui," I increasingly wanted to do shoots like those in foreign magazines. As a result, my current work became rapidly boring.
Sukezane"Per Lui." I still have many back issues at home.
OkuboBruce Weber's photography at the time was incredibly impactful, wasn't it?
SukezaneIt was cool, wasn't it?
OkuboSo, for the YAMAHA Motor "55mph A BOOK FOR MOTORCYCLIST" project, everyone had that image in mind. The photographer was Yasushi Handa. He shot it with amber lighting. Golden hour, perfect.
SukezaneWhat was that book about? It's very cool.
OkuboAll shot overseas. Italy, Spain, Morocco... It was like a men's retreat. The budget was extremely tight.
SukezaneWas the AD Shuichi Yokoyama from Diamond Heads?
OkuboYes. Senior Yokoyama. It was just the four of us going from our side: the senior, myself, Handa, and Handa's assistant. We hired local coordinators. For the Morocco and US shoots, Jack, who went to the front lines in the Vietnam War and is featured in my book, joined the crew. There was also someone from Dentsu. So, including the coordinators, it was a shoot with only five or six men, and it was incredibly tough. We changed hotels every day. It was rough, but we were all focused on making a good book, and it was fun.
— Okubo, what did you think of Sukezane's work?
OkuboI thought it was very high fashion. I had never seen anything like it before. I have two former assistants, Keisuke Baba and Tsuyoshi Noguchi, but Sukezane's style was different from theirs. I thought, 'Suke-chan is so stylish.' Baba and Tsuyoshi couldn't do what he did, so it was fun for me to watch. Your book, Suke-chan, features 60 items. Looking at it, I think, 'I like this outfit,' and 'I like that outfit.' Some brands overlap with mine, like Comme des Garçons, but the items themselves are completely different. That's what makes fashion interesting. What I want and what Suke-chan wants are completely different. That's what makes it fun to watch. Every stylist has their own 'style,' but you, Suke-chan, have your absolute style, don't you? I also think I have a style, even though it changes day by day. I believe I have a style.
Photo by OPENERS Editorial Department
Tomoki Sukezane's SHOP-A-HOLIC MEMORIES
By Tomoki Sukezane
Published May 1, 2026, by Sou Sweet Publishing Co., Ltd.
SukezaneI change too, you know. It's not so much changing as encountering things I didn't know before. Okubo, what do you do with your clothes? They must be piling up, right?
OkuboThey pile up. It's a hassle. At my previous office, I had a huge amount of clothes. But the person I was doing business with embezzled company funds, and I had to move. So, we had to deal with the clothes. I put them in a sort of used clothing event. I didn't sell the things I absolutely didn't want to part with, but I still remember most of the items I let go of.
SukezaneAren't you trying to get them back?
OkuboYes. I bought back an Emilio Pucci jacket that appeared on Mercari.
SukezaneHaha. Where did you originally buy that?
OkuboAt a vintage shop in LA. It was a wonderful shop, and the owner, a woman, was also wonderful. Pucci suited her.
SukezaneAre there any shops you'd like to visit recently?
OkuboYes. But rather than specific shops, I want to go to Milan again. I want to go to Florence again. I've only been there for work, so I haven't been able to relax properly. I want to see it properly again.
SukezaneDo you mean you want to go to Pitti Uomo?
OkuboYes. When I went back then, the people attending weren't that interesting.
SukezaneIndeed, it wasn't very interesting in the past. Pitti Uomo was quite subdued.
OkuboNow it looks interesting. So, I want to go see the people.
SukezaneIt's flashy now. It's become a bit of a spectacle. You want to see that, right?
OkuboYes. I want to see the people. I want to go to NY to see people, and I want to go to LA too. There aren't that many stylish people in LA, but I like the atmosphere, the sense of freedom.
SukezaneYou could also say it's unfashionable, couldn't you?
OkuboYou could.
SukezaneThat's the nuance, isn't it? 'This is fine!!' (laughs).
OkuboExactly. There's a certain unfashionableness in clothes that are closely tied to daily life.
SukezaneFor designers, people like Tom Ford and Hedi Slimane eventually go to the Hollywood Hills. They have houses there too. What is that about?
OkuboIt's partly the climate, but there's a certain comfort in LA, isn't there? There's also the temperature difference between day and night.
SukezaneAnd it reliably becomes sunny in the afternoon, right?
OkuboAt night, it gets a little chilly, and you feel like, 'Let's dress up a bit and go out.'
SukezaneYou feel like, 'I should change clothes, not just wear a T-shirt.'
One of the key figures who met at a turning point in their lives was Mr. Yoichiro Hata from Magazine House.
SukezaneThere are several important people who appear in both my book and Okubo's book, right? Like Gen Tarumi and Katsuyuki Yoshida. And another person we both know is Yoichiro Hata, a former editor-in-chief of "an・an" and "POPEYE" at Magazine House.
OkuboYes. I feel like I survived thanks to Mr. Hata's words. I was an amateur model for POPEYE at Magazine House, and during that time, I quit the company I was working for and became an assistant to Mr. Katsuhiko Kitamura. I was fired from POPEYE, but around that time, Mr. Ishizaki from the "an・an" editorial department approached me about doing a preppy feature. However, I couldn't write the manuscript as intended, and it didn't work out. As I was wondering what to do, Mr. Hata said, 'It sounds interesting, so I'll keep it. Why don't you assist Harumi (Kajima)?' That one word from him is why I'm here today. Another thing I remember about Mr. Hata is when he told me during a meeting, 'Okubo, you're not listening at all' (laughs). 'Yes.' 'You're thinking about something else, aren't you?' 'Yes.'
SukezaneI've been told that before too! (laughs) 'You're not listening to anything.' Mr. Hata also told me, 'Just come to Tokyo. If you can't make it, I'll pay for your train ticket back.' By the way, is Okubo's book this year his first? You mentioned before that you wanted to publish a book, didn't you?
OkuboYes. I wanted to compile something. I worked on this book for about two years. The trigger was the work I did for Noritake KInashi's autobiography "Minasan no Okagesama desu" (Shogakukan), which came out two years ago. I did the styling for the cover and other parts, and the editorial team at Shogakukan was in charge. That same editorial team was in charge of my book. The editor in charge at the time casually said, 'Okubo-san, let's publish your autobiography.' I had been thinking about publishing a book, so I thought, 'Ah, it's finally happening,' and I was a bit excited. We decided to aim for it as I was turning 70. The editor in charge was brilliant, and since he was a former athlete, he was also physically imposing. Unfortunately, he passed away suddenly at the age of 41. It was sad. After that, the editorial director of that team took over and saw it through to publication. I am truly grateful.
SukezaneI published a book called "Tomoki Sukezane's Secret Pleasures" with Magazine House in 2013, where I wrote about my experiences and observations in this industry. This new book is a bit different in direction. While looking at the vast amount of clothes and accessories in my home and storage units, I've always thought, 'When will I have to let these go?' My family is constantly angry with me because I keep accumulating things. But as I look at each item, I remember the stories behind them. I thought that if I wrote about them in a book, I might be able to let them go without regret. I've been thinking about this for the past four or five years. I also turned 60 last year, and suddenly people started saying things like, 'You're 60 now.' So, I decided to write about 60 items, inspired by the age of 60. I thought I'd write about 60 items.
OkuboReading Suke-chan's book, you have detailed memories of each item.
SukezaneYes. This time, I wrote a book focused on objects. The stories in Okubo's book are all like incredible movie scenes.
As you get older, various things happen. But you enjoy them as part of life.
SukezaneYou're 10 years older than me, Okubo. Last year, I found a brain aneurysm during a check-up, and I had surgery in January. I had never had any major illnesses until this age, but I thought, 'It's finally happened.' You're not in perfect health either, are you, Okubo?
OkuboNot at all. I have myasthenia gravis, and they told me, 'It will never be cured.'
SukezaneFrom now on, both of us will age like this. Do you have any thoughts about it?
OkuboThe people who give me work now all know about my condition. They understand about my illness. People like Noritake Kinashi say, 'You can go home early,' and 'You've already picked out the clothes, just take the bento box home.' Danjuro says, 'Are you alive?' It's been three years since I got sick, so I generally understand my condition. Once a shooting date is set, I can get myself into good condition for it. I want to do as much as I can when I go to the set. I still have desires, so I think I'll be okay.
SukezaneDesires like, 'I want to wear this,' or 'I want to wear that'?
OkuboI'm 71 now, but there's fashion that you can wear at 71, right? I'm thinking about how I want to approach things as I head towards 80.
SukezaneDo you have anything you're aiming for in the future?
OkuboWhat could it be? I've gotten tattoos in the last 10 to 20 years. Once you're over 70, you should just do whatever you want, right?
SukezaneLike getting more tattoos?
OkuboYes. I thought there weren't many people like that. Looking at my seniors, like Gen Tarumi and Mr. Takio Kikuchi, they are absolutely amazing. To me, they are very stylish, love clothes, and are cool. I want to present myself in a different style from them. I want to show my unique style. You, Suke-chan, also have your own unique way of dressing, and I'm looking forward to seeing how you change as you get older. Baba and Tsuyoshi haven't changed at all when I watch them. In that sense, you're the only one who seems likely to change, Suke-chan, so it's interesting to watch.
SukezaneIt's amazing that they don't change, but Baba-san and Tsuyoshi-san are also changing little by little. That's what's interesting, I think.
OkuboWhat kind of old man do you want to be, Suke-chan? Is there anyone you want to emulate?
SukezaneI think Gen Tarumi and Katsuyuki Yoshida are very cool. Also, Yohji Yamamoto. I had dinner with him once, and I thought he was a very interesting person. He arrived in an old Cedric. He said, 'I came by car.' 'I'm driving a Cedric now.' So I went to see it. He said, 'I bought two.' Both from the same place, of course used, for 600,000 yen each. He bought them in bulk.
OkuboYohji-san is cool. I like his relaxed style. Yohji-san is also 82, isn't he? Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are also 82. Paul McCartney is 84. I think Keith Richards' way of dressing is also cool. That relaxed feel. His wrinkles are also relaxed. Also, as I wrote in my book, Shintaro Katsu. It was already strange from the fitting. He was amazing. He cracked jokes constantly and was very entertaining.
Photo by OPENERS Editorial Department
The Stylist
By Atsushi Okubo
Published May 20, 2026, by Shogakukan Inc.
SukezaneKatsu-san is amazing! There's an old movie called "Akunō" (The Outlaw), which I love. I own almost all of Katsu-san's movies on DVD and VHS. I used to watch them all the time, and he was incredibly funny, wasn't he? He must have lived a chaotic life, but there aren't many people like that.
OkuboThere aren't. There's never been anyone like Shintaro Katsu before or since. I don't think there will be anyone like him again.
SukezaneThere's a story that when Katsu-san was young, he visited Hollywood. He went with his father (Kineya Katsutoji, a shamisen player) and his older brother (Tomisaburo Wakayama). He said that James Dean appeared on set wearing a wrinkled shirt. I read that he thought, 'Cool!' when he saw that. It's fascinating, isn't it?
OkuboWhen I styled him, he had already created a perfect look from head to toe before the shoot, so there was no room for hair and makeup. So, I really wanted him to wear the socks I had prepared, but I couldn't bring myself to say, 'Please take off your socks.' I couldn't.
SukezaneAre you glad you chose the job of a stylist, Okubo-san?
OkuboThis is all I can do. I believe being a stylist is my calling. I don't think I'll be doing it until I'm 90 (the obi of his book quotes Danjuro: "Please do it until you're 90"). I think I'll know when I can't do it anymore. I'll quit then. For now, people still seem to find me useful. Also, when I wake up in the morning, I think, 'I want to wear this,' and I still want to enjoy wearing clothes. So, I think I can still do it. I'm thinking about how to enjoy the next 10 years. When I turn 90, I truly want to do as I please.
SukezaneAren't you already doing as you please?
OkuboDo you think so? Is that so? Am I doing as I please? Then, I guess I won't change much in the future either.
SukezaneIt will be almost 40 years since I entered this industry through the magazine POPEYE. Magazines aren't doing so well these days, are they? I find that very sad, so I think it would be interesting to create a magazine that I'm truly satisfied with one more time.
OkuboI would definitely like to participate. My assistant is 29 years old now, and when I show her old magazines, she says, 'I want to do something like this,' and 'I want to do something like that.' She says, 'We don't have that now, Okubo-san.'
SukezaneSo, there are still people with that kind of feeling.
OkuboYes, yes. They go to vintage clothing stores like VELVET. Then they say, 'Wouldn't it be great to create a styled page using clothes like these?' I say, 'You're right. We don't have free improvisation now.'
Sukezane'Free improvisation'! That's a great phrase. We don't have free improvisation, do we?
OkuboIn the past, everything was 'free improvisation.'
SukezaneIt would be great to create a whole issue with 'free improvisation.'
Tomoki Sukezane
Born January 25, 1965, in Kyoto. Began his career as an editor at Magazine House's "POPEYE" editorial department. Currently serves as a fashion page director for "Casa BRUTUS," "ENGINE," and others, while also styling for artists, working on commercials, and handling brand creative direction. He has covered Paris and Milan collections for over 30 years.
Atsushi Okubo
Born in Hokkaido in 1955. After dropping out of Bunka Fashion College, he began his training as an assistant to Mr. Katsuhiko Kitamura in the editorial department of "POPEYE" magazine. He became an independent stylist in 1981 and achieved success styling for "anan," advertisements, and musicians. He has produced top stylists such as Keisuke Baba and Tsuyoshi Noguchi, and at the age of 70, he still styles for Noritake Kinashi and Hiroyuki Sanada. In 2006, he launched his own apparel brand, The StylistJapan® (until 2024), and in 2024, he established a new brand, LASTMAN, for a limited run of 8 seasons.
Afterword
This conversation took place at Okubo's atelier. It's a bright room on the top floor of a building, flooded with natural light. In the back, there's a bed with colorful cushions, where he says he sleeps. "I don't close the curtains, so at night, when the NTT lights far beyond the window go out at midnight, I go to sleep. In the morning, I wake up when the sun rises." Yoyogi Park is nearby, and he often goes for early morning walks. Sukezane lives on the opposite side of Yoyogi Park. These two lived through the "good old days" when Japan's economy was vastly better, and morale was high in the creative fields of magazines and advertising. They are now exploring how to "create something interesting" in a different way than in those times.