The sneakers are doing all sorts of things I hate (laughs)

──How did you two meet?

Then you launched the brand "TroisO," and we saw Okonogi's unique side for the first time. His appeal, or rather, his edge... he is a designer. What does it mean "to design"? In a world overflowing with similar items, the act of designing something from scratch truly carries the spirit of Issey Miyake.

──What are your impressions of this debut collection?

ShimazuThey're doing all sorts of things I hate with sneakers (laughs).

OkonogiThese tiny parts... it's ridiculous (laughs).

Designed from the "W" motif of "White Flag's"

ShimazuThe stitching must be different because the materials are different, right? It's tough work. But you can't create something new without doing this. A designer who only makes shoes wouldn't be this meticulous. But Okonogi does the impossible, and it works! That's how you evolve. The fashion scene feels a bit stagnant right now. If you remove the tags, everything looks the same. I don't dislike American nostalgia, but it gets tiresome when everyone's wearing the same thing. Still, it's the era of "red light, cross together and there's no fear," so perhaps it can't be helped (laughs).

The uppers are largely based on trekking shoe designs. If you over-design them, they end up looking too "designed." Since it's a shoe brand, I plan to offer about three models next season with different approaches using materials and colors. I'm thinking of releasing "Pablo" again with some modifications.

Perhaps furniture will emerge from this?!

──This is exclusively a shoe brand, correct?

OkonogiFor now, it's starting as a footwear brand, but it won't necessarily be "only sneakers" in the future.

ShimazuNot being tied to clothing is actually exciting. From a creative standpoint, it's not strange at all to be doing shoes. It's interesting work. That's why I'm glad I could help with this. Like me, it's not about "doing only this." People often say, "Shimazu is so rock 'n' roll," but I'm not Yuyu Uchida (laughs)! I DJ, I do shows. I do everything. The common language of building something, destroying it, and then building something else... all creators share that. Nothing is impossible, so you just have to do it. Push it to the limit. I suspect clothing will emerge from this, and I'm looking forward to it! Or perhaps it will go in a completely different direction, not clothing at all. Maybe furniture will be born from it.

That's the cheapest price for a fashion-forward sneaker. I'm good at creating a fashion-forward feel, so I wanted to show that it could be done, including the price point.

I have no intention of making this a brand that can do shows.

Currently, I'm working with someone who has been making sneakers for me for 15 years since my ISSEY MIYAKE days, and after working together for so long, they can complete about 80% of the first sample just from my design sketches (laughs). Even so, we remade it four times before the presentation. That's how product creation works.

Naturally, fashion has trends that come and go. But I want to create things that will endure as designs. As I mentioned, that could even be furniture. People who love making things can design anything if they have a drawer full of ideas. It's not just fashion design or styling; it allows for diverse conversations, which is enjoyable.

──What styles do you recommend pairing them with this fall?

He'll likely use Lady Gaga as a catalyst, so that could be a trend, a trendy thing.

OkonogiAs per the brand concept, the designs are intricate but not overly assertive. They're made to match anything, so I hope people enjoy them freely. If we release items other than shoes in the future, we might be able to show how to coordinate them. However, I have absolutely no intention of making this a brand that can do shows; I want it to be a brand where individual items can be sold separately.

Ways of thinking about many things are returning to the Woodstock era.

──The brand name and concept are quite striking.

Okonogi"White Flags" means surrender, raising a white flag. And white is a color that can be dyed any color, that can create anything, that is completely nothing. Instead of model numbers, the shoes are named after pacifists and Nobel Peace Prize laureates.

The exhibition for the first collection was held in February this year, and shortly after, the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred. While we had already embraced peace, our focus has shifted more in that direction, or rather, we want to direct it that way. With these thoughts in mind, and after discussing the concept with Shimazu, we created the visual imagery for this project. I was thrilled when they prepared military clothing dyed completely white!

The visual imagery is now available on our website! http://wfn10.com/

ShimazuWe weren't trying to do anything new; we were inspired by Magnum Photos from the 1960s. There's a famous photo of a hippie surrounded by soldiers, placing a carnation into a gun barrel. It was the beginning of the "Flower Power" movement, which advocated "Flowers, not weapons" and protested the Vietnam War. You've heard of "Flower Children," right?

That was the time when the movement protesting the Vietnam War began.

I want to create something that conveys a message.

This time, receiving the term "White Flags," and with the idea of expressing a "message of peace," the movements of the 60s came to mind. GDP and GNP aside, I feel that ways of thinking about many things are returning to the Woodstock era. Society and the economy have advanced at an incredible pace since then, and now we are being forced to reconsider things. With that perspective, we decided to express it entirely in white.

──Where did the keyword "peace" come from?

OkonogiNot just "peace," but pure, unadulterated white.──It also implies the idea of creating something from scratch. With so many things in the world today, whether it's clothes or shoes, I wanted to convey a message. Currently, very few brands strongly convey a message, but in the 70s and 80s, brands that did were often criticized, yet their clothes still have power and endure today. They aren't items that look the same once you remove the tag. The return to the mindset of the 60s and Woodstock era means that if we don't re-express the messages that were common then, today's younger generation, who don't know older cultures, won't be able to reach that point by going back in time.

If I feel like making something, I'll make it.

That's why I'm so happy to have created this visual with Shimazu and Rosemary! I think we've created a powerful first message.

──You mentioned the possibility of items other than shoes; what are your future plans?

OkonogiIf we can create something good, we'll make different items. The common practice is to be busy with production every year, but I don't think that leads to good products. Things that are carefully nurtured for one or two years are truly well-made, and I believe those are the things that will last. So, if I feel like making something, I'll make it!

──Thank you very much.

White Flags
http://wfn10.com/

GEM projector
Tel. 03-5459-4420