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June 22, 2015
dunhill | Chef Keisuke Matsushima's "Winning Attire"
dunhill
The Japan National Football Team's Official Suit: "Victory Wear"
Chef Keisuke Matsushima on the Essence of Victory
There are men who compete on the world stage.──dunhillFor 14 years, dunhill has provided the official suits for the Japan National Football Team. The concept behind them is "Victory Wear." This time, we invited Chef Keisuke Matsushima, who has been competing in the South of France and has maintained a Michelin star for eight consecutive years, to experience this "Victory Wear." We also spoke with him about his own approach to facing challenges.
Interview Photographs by SAITO RyosukeStill Photographs by JAMANDFIXStyling by INOUE YusukeText by IWANAGA Morito (OPENERS)
A Chef is a Conductor
──What are your moments of challenge, Chef Matsushima?
Every day is a challenge. As a chef, I'm in a management role, so greeting suppliers and checking on the day's produce, like what vegetables are available or if good fish has come in, is the most crucial part of my daily competition. If I can manage these aspects diligently, I can confidently purchase quality ingredients. Maintaining this stability is more important than technical skill.
In Japan, people tend to imagine a chef wielding a frying pan. However, in Europe, a chef is a complete conductor. It's not about standing in the kitchen as a cook, but rather a position focused entirely on management.
Of course, culinary skill is important, but even more so, one's sense is tested.
For an excellent chef, having a clear vision of what customers want and what you want to propose is a more essential skill than being an excellent cook.
──What do you do to refine your sense?
I make sure to play, eat, and drink well. It's important to experience firsthand what moves people. Conversely, if I've enjoyed something I've experienced, I want others to relate to it. Because I find it delicious, I want them to enjoy my values – that feeling is crucial.
I also value inspiration from nature. I go to the mountains and the sea, and recently I've become passionate about scuba diving. Seeing fish there and sea urchins next to them makes me think, 'Ah, next week it'll be sea urchin and sea bream.' As the seasons change, the sea changes, and the fish do too. It's like I'm translating that to the table.
──At "Restaurant-I," which you opened in Japan, you advocate for local production for local consumption.
That's actually the same principle. When I return to Japan, I make it a point to visit farms, mountains, and the sea whenever I have time to gather information. Then, I simply work to deliver the "seasonality" I feel there directly to the plate.
There's a phrase, "wild intuition." I believe it refers to people who can grasp information very quickly. For example, when I go out with fishermen, I see them intuitively understanding the day's sunrise, ocean currents, and temperature, and then setting their nets in the right spots to catch fish.
Restaurant I, Harajuku, Jingumae
That's all based on making judgments from one's own experience. I want to cherish that same intuition.
Wearing a Suit = "Victory"
──When do you typically wear a suit?
I usually dress casually, but I wear a suit for formal occasions. I've lived in the South of France for about 15 years, and it's a place where people live very relaxed lives. This applies to business as well. For instance, even at a dinner on a boat, which is a business setting, suits are rarely worn. We have candid conversations, negotiating under the table. Once an agreement is reached, we then sign the documents in suits at a formal gathering. So, a suit is an item for facing crucial moments, like finalizing contracts or negotiations.
In Japan, many people wear suits every day, which might dilute their impact. For me, because such opportunities are infrequent, the very act of wearing a suit becomes an unmissable, pivotal "moment of victory."
──The suit you are currently wearing is the official suit that dunhill provides to the Japan National Football Team.
Is that so? Actually, I know quite a few players on the national team. Not just the Japan team, but friends from the French team also visit my restaurant. In that sense, football is a sport that's close to me.
When it comes to clothing, players with strong ambition and drive always try to look good. By "looking good," I mean wearing fine things to aim for a higher stage. In that regard, I believe paying attention to one's attire is important for raising one's consciousness.
I suspect this suit is also something one puts on with that kind of mindset. When you wear something special, don't your feelings for it become stronger? Wearing it, I truly feel that this suit is a special item befitting a moment of victory.
dunhill
The Japan National Football Team's Official Suit: "Victory Wear"
Chef Keisuke Matsushima on the Essence of Victory
Interview Photographs by SAITO RyosukeStill Photographs by JAMANDFIXStyling by INOUE YusukeText by IWANAGA Morito (OPENERS)
Official and Authentic "Victory Wear"
The Japan National Football Team's official suit, "Victory Wear," features the traditional British "St. James's Fit" silhouette and is offered as part of a made-to-order program. The fitting Chef Matsushima experienced at the AlfreddunhillGinza store was for the official suit, with staff providing attentive service and a detailed fitting.
The suit, born from meticulous measurements, fits the body while maintaining a structured finish that, in true British tailoring style, conveys both integrity and strength. The jacket is a single-breasted, two-button design with side vents and slant pockets. For the trousers, any variation available in dunhill's custom tailoring program, such as single-pleat or flat-front models with side adjusters, can be selected.
Special Details Throughout
The JFA suits, provided to the Japan National Football Team since 2000, have been upgraded year by year. The lineup includes not only jackets and trousers but also shirts, ties, belts, and cufflink button covers.
The suit features light blue pinstripes that stand out against the navy fabric, and this year's model also includes subtly appearing dark red pinstripes. The button covers and cufflinks adorning the cuffs are inlaid with "sodalite," a power stone that enhances the will to achieve goals and dreams.
The belt uses "chassis leather," which mimics carbon fiber, a signature material of dunhill, and is beautifully complemented by a silver buckle that showcases exquisite metalworking techniques. Inside the jacket, the Japan National Football Team emblem is sewn, signifying that this is a special suit exclusively permitted for dunhill.
When facing moments of challenge, "attire" is indispensable. The "Victory Wear" that dunhill dedicates to men competing on the world stage will undoubtedly become a reliable companion in those crucial scenes.
MATSUSHIMA Keisuke
Born in Fukuoka Prefecture in 1977. Studied the fundamentals of French cuisine at "Ecole Tsuji Tokyo." After working at "Vincennes" in Shibuya, he moved to France at the age of 20. After honing his skills in various locations, he opened "Restaurant Kei's Passion" in Nice on his 25th birthday. In its third year, the restaurant received one Michelin star in the prestigious "Michelin Guide 2006." In 2006, he renamed the restaurant "KEISUKE MATSUSHIMA" and reopened with an expanded space. In 2009, he opened "Resutaurant-I" in Jingumae, Tokyo, with the theme of "local production for local consumption in Tokyo." In 2012, "KEISUKE MATSUSHIMA" received its eighth consecutive Michelin star.
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