Continuing from last time,this is the latter half of 'POGGY'S FILTER' vol. 13, featuring Yuta Hosokawa of the popular Osaka-based brand READYMADE. We'll delve into fascinating stories, from the legendary pop-up at Maxfield to the highly publicized collaboration with Travis Scott last year. Continuing from the first half, Hiroyuki Oda of Antract Inc., who handles READYMADE's sales, also joins us for a talk session with POGGY and Hosokawa. Please enjoy their conversation.

POGGYWhen did you collaborate with Chrome Hearts and OFF-WHITE? What season was that?

Hiroyuki Oda (hereinafter Oda)We weren't holding exhibitions back then, so it wasn't about a specific season. POGGY told me, 'Oda-san, I saw something amazing in LA. Brands that don't do exhibitions are cooler from now on,' so we initially didn't have any.

Yuta Hosokawa (hereinafter Hosokawa)That was in LA, when Jerry from Fear of God showed us samples packed in his car trunk, right?

POGGYIt's true that Jerry's concept of 'No Show, No Showroom, No Exhibition' struck me then, but looking back, it was a pretty irresponsible statement (laughs).

OdaBecause a global icon like POGGY said it, I told Hosokawa, 'You shouldn't have exhibitions!' (laughs). The brand started selling, but we didn't have an exhibition for about three years, which caused a lot of internal friction. But I kept insisting 'we're not doing one,' until someone got angry and said, 'Are you kidding me?! This isn't a game!' That's when we decided to have our first exhibition in Shibuya.

HosokawaAt that time, READYMADE was still more of a hobby for me.

POGGYSo you were more like, 'Lucky we're not doing exhibitions!' (laughs)?

HosokawaYes (laughs). Maxfield bought everything we made, so we weren't really in a bind.

OdaMaxfield had a policy back then that we couldn't sell elsewhere. So, if any items we wholesaled to other stores didn't sell, we'd have them all returned and buy them back through Maxfield.

POGGYNowadays, there are brands that don't do exhibitions or rely solely on Instagram instead of a website, but READYMADE was an early adopter of that approach, wasn't it?

HosokawaWe still don't have a website. We don't do mail order either. There's something interesting about being exclusive. If you don't know something, you try to find out, right? If everything were immediately accessible, it would probably end too quickly.

POGGYIndeed, READYMADE is quite shrouded in mystery.

HosokawaPeople still occasionally ask, 'Is it a Japanese brand?' But that's fine.

POGGYNormally, when a new product is made, brands might think, 'Let's pitch this to this magazine' or 'Let's approach this select shop.' But READYMADE doesn't do any of that. Instead of Japanese magazines, publications like HYPEBEAST pick it up. Or friends around you generate buzz. READYMADE was probably one of the first in Japan to do things this way.

HosokawaIt really feels like the people around me made it popular, like they carried it on their shoulders.

POGGYYou were selected as one of HYPEBEAST's 'Top 10 Emerging Fashion Brands 2017,' and around that time, you were collaborating with many different entities and traveling extensively.

HosokawaYes, I was traveling a lot.

POGGYYou set records at Maxfield. What kind of records were they?

HosokawaIt was the daily sales amount. All the products were gone from the racks at Maxfield (laughs).

OdaAnd that was on the pre-opening day of the pop-up. The official opening was the next day, but there was nothing left to sell (laughs).

HosokawaApparently, some customers started lining up from 5 AM the next morning (laughs).

POGGYAt that time, there was the collaboration with Fear of God, Just Don, and A BATHING APE...

HosokawaAnd we made a bag for around 15 million yen. We also made a bear with Daniel Arsham, and Yohji Yamamoto dresses...

OdaTo create that dress, Hosokawa was allowed access to the archive warehouse where past collection pieces were stored.

POGGYThat's incredible! Recently, the collaboration with Travis Scott has been a hot topic, but who was the first musician to wear or use your items?

HosokawaActually, the first person to buy my bag was Ozzy Osbourne. I think it was probably the first bag I ever made. He bought it at Maxfield and gave it to his daughter.

POGGYNo way! (laughs)

HosokawaSo, Ozzy Osbourne might have been the very first (laughs).

OdaAnd his daughter carried that bag around a lot. At the time, Ozzy Osbourne was quite famous, appearing on TV with his family, and every time he was photographed by paparazzi, he was carrying a READYMADE bag. Those photos appeared in tabloids, and we were thrilled, saying, 'It's in the paper again!' (laughs).

HosokawaAfter that, models like Bella Hadid and other influencers started wearing them.

OdaAmong musicians, perhaps Erykah Badu made the biggest initial impact. She even came to our atelier in Osaka.

HosokawaOne day, I suddenly received an email. I didn't know who Erykah Badu was at all, so I was thinking, 'Who is this person saying they want to come to the atelier?!' (laughs).

OdaWe didn't expect her to come in person, but she arrived in two black cars. She said, 'Please, let me wear this for tonight's stage.' We gave her a sample, and she wore it for her performance that day. She appeared at the Billboard Live Osaka in a boxer's style, wearing the non-saleable boxing gloves we made for APE, right from the first song (laughs).

HosokawaThere were other instances, like Jay-Z wearing our items or artists using them in music videos, but the first time we truly collaborated and created something specifically for someone was with Travis, wasn't it?

POGGYDid Travis buy READYMADE items at RSVP in Chicago?

HosokawaInitially, it might have been through Easy (former store manager at RSVP and Travis's manager).

OdaWe later learned he was buying them at various tour stops. In the beginning, he seemed to buy them without really thinking of them as READYMADE. Even though we didn't gift him anything, he posted them on Instagram and wore them frequently.

HosokawaTravis had his hotel room in Las Vegas robbed, and the READYMADE down jacket that was stolen was something he really wanted back. So, I sent him a replacement. Later, when I went to LA, he contacted me and said, 'Let's meet.' I went to his house, and he asked me to make him pants. He gave me a vague concept, and I designed and created them.

POGGYYou've also created pack T-shirts with Travis. For example, the vintage duffle fabric READYMADE uses is a limited resource, isn't it? After READYMADE gained attention, many counterfeits appeared, and prices increased. Was starting the pack T-shirt line an idea born out of the difficulty in sourcing that fabric?

HosokawaThat's part of the reason. Also, I'm not particularly fond of remaking T-shirts or hoodies, and we don't do that at READYMADE. So, for the pack T-shirts, we use recycled cotton.

POGGYThe pack T-shirt series features collaborations with a stellar lineup of individuals.

HosokawaI wanted to build this series around collaborations, so I planned it that way.

POGGYWas Damien Hirst the first one?

HosokawaIt was VERDY. We made it to coincide with HYPEFEST. After that, it was Damien, Travis, Babylon LA, and Dr. Woo.

POGGYThat's an incredible roster. What's amazing about READYMADE is that these things happen naturally for you, Hosokawa-san, rather than through conscious effort. It doesn't seem like you're calculating too much.

HosokawaThat's right. I don't calculate at all.

OdaBut fundamentally, Hosokawa makes all the decisions.

HosokawaBut it's very fluid. For example, 'Wouldn't it be interesting to sell it this way?' But that's about it.

POGGYIs your criterion simply 'Do I want to do it or not?'

HosokawaThat's a huge factor. Whether it's fun or not. Also, not betraying people who have supported me. People who were with me before we were successful, I try to value that sense of loyalty. Like, 'I'll keep wholesaling to this shop until they decide to stop.' And if asked, 'Why did you collaborate with them?' I'd say, 'Because we're close.' I don't think any other reason is necessary. Even if it's not ideal from a business perspective, if I want to support them, that's enough for me.

POGGYNot because they're likely to sell well?

HosokawaExactly. Of course, if it sells well, I'm happy. But I believe the most important thing is the relationship between that person and me, rather than the clothes themselves. I value relationships that will last even after the connection through clothing ends. When I first started wholesaling to Maxfield, a friend from my hometown who had married an American and was living in LA happened to be there. I don't speak English, so I asked, 'Can your husband come? He speaks English.' I brought him along. Her husband was a firefighter, and by bringing him, we were able to secure the wholesale deal. So I told Maxfield, 'From now on, please buy from this firefighter' (laughs).

OdaThat couple is still handling READYMADE's sales in the United States.

HosokawaAt first, I said, 'I'll pay you, so do this as a side business.' My friend didn't have a job in LA at the time, so it might have been some pocket money. It all started from conversations with friends like that.

POGGYAnd now it's become a significant business.

OdaHer husband still works as a firefighter. So, he takes paid leave to attend our exhibitions in Paris.

POGGYIs that so? (laughs)

HosokawaIt's great to work with people who have been in the fashion industry and understand fashion, but I've always wanted to continue working with him.

POGGYThat's very characteristic of you, Hosokawa-san. Lastly, could you share your vision for the future?

HosokawaI don't really have one. I'm the type of person who is focused on doing what's in front of me. I'm planning to launch a new brand for the next fashion week, and I'm currently working hard on that with artists in LA. A vision for the future... what would that be? I've never thought about 'wanting to achieve billions in annual sales' or anything like that (laughs). I don't aspire to be famous either. Perhaps the greatest happiness would be if the people close to me could make a living from it.