The first guest of 2020 for "POGGY'S FILTER," hosted by Motofumi "POGGY" Kogi, is Yuta Hosokawa, the driving force behind the brand READYMADE, which boasts strong support from various renowned artists. READYMADE's bags and apparel, crafted from vintage military materials, redefine the concept of remakes, establishing a new value in street luxury and leading to numerous collaborations with prestigious top brands. As one of the key figures who understands READYMADE deeply and has been significantly involved in its growth, POGGY delves into the brand's history and philosophy through a conversation with Hosokawa. We were also joined by Hiroyuki Oda of Antract Co., Ltd., who has been in charge of READYMADE's sales for many years, offering his valuable insights into the brand.

POGGYI believe it was through Oda-san that I first met you, Hosokawa-san?

Yuta Hosokawa (hereinafter Hosokawa)That's right. I think you were here at Antract's showroom for some reason when POGGY-san also happened to be visiting?

POGGYBefore that, I had come here for an exhibition and saw a READYMADE bag. I asked Oda-san, "What is this?"

Hiroyuki Oda (hereinafter Oda)Then, some time later, while POGGY-san was attending to Sharifa from LIBERTY FAIRS, you asked, "Sharifa wants to see it, may we stop by?" So you visited again. Hosokawa was also here then, so I introduced him to POGGY-san. There was a sample M-65 jacket with patches hanging, so I had POGGY-san try it on. The moment POGGY-san posted a photo of it on Instagram, inquiries came in, and it was decided that we would supply to Alchemist in Miami. Roma from Alchemist probably contacted us after seeing that photo.

POGGYEven before that, Virgil Abloh had posted about READYMADE on Instagram, hadn't he?

HosokawaVirgil often carried the bags.

POGGYHow did Virgil find out about READYMADE?

HosokawaA store in New York called Hirshleifers posted my bag on Instagram, and Virgil reacted, asking "Whose bag is that?" Hirshleifers then contacted me, and I jokingly told Virgil, "I'll make one for you too," which led to us meeting. We met at the Hyatt, and that's how the collaboration came about.

POGGYWas that around 2014?

HosokawaYes, it was. OFF-WHITE was only on its second or third collection at the time, I believe.

POGGYIt was also in 2014 that I met you here.

HosokawaThat's right. The timing was around the same for everyone.

POGGYWhen I first saw a READYMADE item, I felt the "power of the object." Remakes using military materials are common, but this had a power that went beyond mere remaking. What is that about?

HosokawaI think it's a matter of taste, but I wanted to create something that couldn't be made at home. I didn't want to do simple remakes, like just attaching pieces or making a drawstring bag from fabric. While recycling is a great thing, I believe there are limits to doing it entirely. There are also techniques possible only in this era, and I wanted to incorporate those. It's like applying makeup, perhaps?

POGGYThe fabric you use often has markings like "from such-and-such army." Normally, that might be considered a bit unsettling, but you've made it into something else, which is amazing. I heard from an American customer who said, "This unit is the one my father belonged to."

HosokawaYes, there are stories like that. I like the feel of the stenciled lettering. The English lettering written by Japanese people is too clean for me. The handwriting from that era is something I can't imitate, and designing it would be harder. So, I use it as is for the design.

POGGYBefore starting READYMADE, you dealt in vintage clothing, right?

HosokawaYes. I worked at a vintage clothing store in Osaka. I also started making clothes around that time. I was doing it at the request of friends, but I wanted to do it myself, so I started READYMADE.

POGGYWhat was the first item you made with READYMADE?

HosokawaIt was a bag. I made just one and took it to Maxfield in LA. That was in 2013, so it's been 6 years now. I was around 30 or 31, and I felt I was getting older. I thought if Maxfield didn't take it, it meant I lacked talent, and I would give up. But they bought it immediately. That bag sold the next day. Since then, we've had a continuous stream of reorders from Maxfield. That's how READYMADE began.

POGGYWhy did you decide to approach Maxfield first?

HosokawaI think I first learned about Maxfield when I was in the third year of junior high school. Chrome Hearts was popular then, and Kyosuke Himuro and others wore it. Himuro mentioned he bought it at Maxfield. I later saw articles about Maxfield in magazines, but being young, I didn't have the chance to visit. However, Maxfield left a strong impression on me as a very cool store. When I became an adult and started visiting LA, I was finally able to go to Maxfield. So, when I started the brand, instead of having an exhibition in Japan and getting placed in various stores, then going overseas, I thought, wouldn't it be better to go straight to Maxfield, show them, and get their verdict? It seemed faster to climb to the top first and then work my way down, rather than climbing step by step from the bottom. It was a simple reason like that.

POGGYDid your wholesale accounts increase from there?

HosokawaInitially, I only worked with Maxfield, but I wanted to supply to other stores. When I consulted with the people at Maxfield, they said, "Please keep LA exclusive to us. But how about holding an exhibition in New York? We'll invite customers for you." They really did invite many customers, and that's how I quickly secured overseas wholesale accounts.

POGGYAt that time, were you running READYMADE by yourself?

HosokawaI started alone, but eventually, I realized it was impossible. I worked with one other person for about four years. Now there are three of us.

POGGYYou disassemble military duffel bags and tents yourself to create bags and clothing, right? That must be quite a lot of work.

HosokawaIt was truly hell. I seriously thought, "I'm never going home!" while doing it.

POGGYMilitary fabrics vary by era, with some being thinner or thicker. What are your criteria when selecting these fabrics?

HosokawaI particularly like cotton materials from around the 1950s and 60s. Synthetic fibers started appearing around the 1980s, but they have a strong odor and are unusable. Old materials are truly amazing. So, I mostly use materials from the 50s, 60s, and sometimes from the late 1940s, just after World War II ended.

POGGYRemakes like this are something people working in vintage clothing stores might think of as a business. I imagine they consider remakes at an accessible price point. The fact that you've transformed them into luxury items is what I find remarkable.

HosokawaI didn't set out to do it specifically, but there are many remake items, aren't there? However, to me, they didn't seem particularly stylish. I felt they were a step down from the original. I wondered if I could do the opposite. For example, if you remake a bag into a new bag, could it become a better bag? That's how I started.

POGGYDid the term "upcycling" also start being used around the time of READYMADE?

HosokawaThat's what Buscemi told me when I met him. He said, "What READYMADE is doing is luxury upcycling."

POGGYI see. Getting back to our conversation, when we met in 2014, we had dinner together and talked a lot. Then, for the renewal of UNITED ARROWS & SONS, we invited READYMADE to participate.

OdaPOGGY-san suggested, "How about making a mod coat with this material?" READYMADE had never made a mod coat before, but Hosokawa said, "Actually, I was thinking the same thing." So, we attached a lot of vintage patches to the sleeves and managed to complete just one for the opening. Without even inspecting it (laughs).

POGGYThat's right (laughs).

HosokawaIt sold immediately.

OdaIt sold in 2 seconds, so we couldn't even display it in the store.

POGGYThe following year, I was organizing <POGGY'S WORLD> at Liberty Fairs in Las Vegas, so I asked if they would exhibit.

POGGYI had been to LA a few times, but that was my first time in Vegas.

OdaLooking back, that was an incredible time. We did everything we wanted to do. We increased the variety of bags, made one-of-a-kind stuffed animals, and brought jackets. People in LA, and we ourselves, were still unknown at the time. But thanks to POGGY-san's name, many people came. We made friends there and started communicating with various people. That was quite significant.

HosokawaAnd the timing was good, I think.

POGGYNow everyone goes to Paris, but back then, the Las Vegas trade show was still vibrant.

OdaMany Japanese people were also attending then. But I turned down all offers from Japanese buyers, so some might still hold a grudge (laughs).

POGGYThat year (2015), you also did a collaboration with Chrome Hearts, didn't you?

HosokawaThat was for Art Basel in Miami.

OdaA year after Roma from Alchemist saw the photo of POGGY-san wearing a READYMADE jacket, Roma arranged for us to collaborate with Chrome Hearts.

POGGYI wonder why Roma proposed a collaboration with Chrome Hearts?

HosokawaPeople sometimes ask, "What's your favorite brand?" I probably mentioned it then.

POGGYIndeed, you always said "Chrome Hearts."

HosokawaHearing that, when Roma spoke with Richard Stark (founder of Chrome Hearts), he apparently said, "You know, there's this Japanese guy..." I had also expressed interest in collaborating, though it wasn't a formal offer, so that's how the conversation came about.

OdaWhen Roma went to LA to meet Richard, he asked, "Could you lend me 3 or 4 samples?" So I sent them. Richard apparently saw them and asked, "Can I take these home?" Roma said he had never heard of Richard wanting to take samples home before. He thought, "This might actually happen." Then, Richard's daughter, Jessie, saw the MA-1 jacket from the samples Richard took home and said, "I want this!"

POGGYAnd that's how the READYMADE MA-1 came to be called the "Jessie Jacket."

OdaYes. And then we received a formal confirmation from Chrome Hearts saying, "Let's do it."

POGGYCome to think of it, when Roma showed Richard the READYMADE Instagram, it had about 1,500 followers. Richard apparently said, "This is just the right amount."

OdaHe said it shouldn't be more or less. It's not known by everyone, but it's growing – that's what's good. So, he liked that aspect. He said he wouldn't have done it if there were 10,000 followers.

POGGYRichard's attitude is truly admirable.

OdaHe also mentioned that it had been a long time since he saw Jessie wanting something so much. That was also a significant factor. And we also worked with Virgil at that time.

HosokawaWe made a triple-name bag with Chrome Hearts and OFF-WHITE.

OdaThat was also the first time Virgil and Chrome Hearts collaborated. The READYMADE bag had all metal parts from Chrome Hearts. Virgil then did live painting on it using paint he bought from a local hardware store.

HosokawaVirgil painted stripes on the bag. That bag also sold out instantly.