This time, I'd like to share my encounter with Kean Etro, the men's designer at Etro, a friend who always energizes me and with whom I can forget time, returning to a childlike state to laugh together.

A Man Who Embodies the Importance of Playfulness

Founded in 1968, Etro is an Italian brand known for its paisley patterns. Kean, the second of the four Etro brothers, is in charge of its men's collection.
I met him about two and a half years ago. It was through a project for the magazine "LEON."
My ongoing page in "LEON," which I consider my life's work, is a "Dream Collaboration" project where I boldly ask famous international brands, "Can't you make a product like this?" At that time, Etro was the brand I approached for this collaboration.

Well, the concept and story of that project went something like this...

"Jet setters lead incredibly busy lives. Naturally, business meetings run long on trips, and an extra night or two is common. The problem then becomes underwear. A stylish man doesn't just grab any old thing as a makeshift solution. Oh, wait, I found it right here! And where is it? In the breast pocket. Yes, the pocket square. Usually, it's an Etro paisley adorning your chest beautifully. But when unfolded, it transforms into elegant briefs. Perfect for any unexpected situation with Nikita-chan (laughs)."

So, ladies and gentlemen, did that make you laugh? (Sweat)
When I explained this project to the Japanese press representative, they gently declined, saying, "Perhaps it would be better if Mr. Shimada himself presented this idea..." So, I decided to present it to Kean directly in Milan.

The title was "American Italian Mushroom."
This image, resembling a giant mushroom cloud, is Kean's sharp and witty warning to America!?

Moreover, the presentation day was the day before the show, a crucial time for collection preparations, when tensions were high. But I thought, "What the heck, let's just go for it!" and explained the concept to Kean in my own unique, energetic English, using plenty of gestures.
Kean listened intently to my story, even though it was our first meeting. As soon as I finished, he burst out laughing! "Your idea is hilarious! Let's start designing right away! How about something like this?" he said, and began sketching. Then, he took me to a fabric warehouse filled with deadstock materials, usually off-limits to outsiders. Finally, after ditching some interviews and appointments, he said, "You must be hungry, right? How about lunch? Our canteen is delicious. Come eat with us." We then dove into a lively lunch, where we talked not about the upcoming show or fashion, but about art, the Dalai Lama, and women. The most engaging topic among them was a collection of works by Hiroshi Sugimoto that I had brought as a gift.

Connected Again Through Hiroshi Sugimoto's Work

When I briefly explained Sugimoto's work and its theme of time, Kean said with deep emotion:
"I too deal with the transient nature of fashion, but I always aim to express eternal time. I imbue it with my own message. It's my message, regardless of trends. Love for the disappearing nature, for ethnic minorities, for all living beings... See, this T-shirt is one example."
Kean showed me a T-shirt printed with Geronimo, a member of an endangered tribe. He himself had studied ethnology and had even traveled to Hokkaido to meet the Ainu people of Japan... Once again (laughs), through the work of Sugimoto, whom I revere as my mentor, I had found a "comrade" with whom I shared a common language.

The invitation for the Fall/Winter 2008 Milan Collection was a real potato! And it came with soil (laughs).
Returning to nature, returning to the fundamental origins of humanity – that is Kean's message.

The runway was covered with a vast amount of real soil, and piles of vegetables!! After the show, these vegetables were...
...served to the tables of the less fortunate. Not offering any charitable explanation for this is also part of Kean's aesthetic.

Since then, every time I visit Milan for the collection twice a year, I go to the Etro headquarters with a small gift for Kean. Sometimes it's an art book (this time, a collection of "Choju-giga" works), or once, based on Kean's comment that "My name is KEAN, so FAKEAN would be funny," I designed and made a T-shirt with the word FAKE on it, inspired by a T-shirt I was wearing. When I gave him that T-shirt, Kean was delighted and said, "You know, I wanted to wear this T-shirt for the finale of the show, but they stopped me because it was the autumn/winter collection" (touched).

Last month, when I visited Kean, it was the day after the show, but our lunch meeting lasted over two hours and was incredibly lively. Kean recently remarried (for the second time), and he deeply respects his beautiful wife, often telling me, "You know, a muse is important, Aki!" (laughs).
He also quietly confided that for this season's collection, he was inspired by the beautiful natural gradation from the white sky to the horizon and into the sea, as seen in Sugimoto's "Seascape," and had created a shirt based on it. To think that my work could inspire his designs... I was truly moved, feeling the immense reward of being an editor! (laughs).

Kean: Actually Shy and Naive

Even before I started this series for Openers, I had often told various people about Kean's wonderful personality. When I told him I wanted to introduce him in this series, he gave a shy smile and said, "Oh, actually, I'm quite shy and don't like being in the spotlight. Even at the finale of the show, it's a struggle. My heart pounds like crazy." I suddenly remembered how, in the past, he would often wear gorilla masks or other headgear when it came to portraits. "Ah, so Kean is actually a very shy and sensitive person," I realized anew. Then he proposed an idea: a portrait from behind. With great humor, he explained:
"In Italian, there's a word 'DE.' It means 'OF' in English, like 'of something.' If you attach it to the beginning of my family name, ETRO, you get DEETRO, which means 'behind' in Italian. So, my portraits should be from behind. What do you think, Aki? Quite a good idea, right?"

Kean playfully nibbling on a potato during the finale.
So, this gesture was a way to hide his shyness... I finally understood.

He always injects wit and teaches me the wonderfulness of humor. That's Kean.

Speaking of which, Kean is very close friends with my mentor, Paul Smith.
"Paul is an important senior and a friend. When his store opened in Milan, we jokingly decided to swap places for a day and pretend to be shop staff at each other's stores! (laughs). So, Paul worked at my store, and I worked at his, serving customers.
Of course, the customers were surprised, asking, 'Why is Etro at Paul's store?' (laughs). I actually sold a lot of Paul's clothes! It seems I have a talent for sales too (laughs)."

The people I like, the clothes I like, the world I like.
Every time I encounter moments like these, where I can feel connected across various boundaries, I might be exaggerating, but I think, "I'm glad to be alive."

Thank you, Kean.
Please continue to be a good friend,
who always makes me laugh.

I'll bring more material to make you laugh too (laughs).

As a side note, besides reuniting with Kean, I had another harvest in Milan. I checked out the David Lynch exhibition that I had missed in Paris! Of course, I skipped my schedule (laughs). After a disappointing New York trip, I felt like I had made up for it a bit.