—I understand you two have known each other for a while.



SanoIt all started when I first met him and was struck by something. He was wearing a stylish pair of shorts at a time when they weren't yet fashionable, and my heart just melted. It was love at first sight (laughs). We've been in touch ever since, and I always find something inspiring about Editor-in-Chief Suzuki.


—Was it his fashion sense?



SanoCertainly, his fashion was my first impression. When we talk, if I bring up a topic, he sublimates it within himself and expresses his own thoughts with his unique style on a grand scale. When I speak with him, I get glimpses of the adventurous spirit of a boy, which always makes our conversations enjoyable. Even when he wears AS collection jewelry, he mixes it with his fashion in ways that go beyond my imagination, conveying a sense of fun.

Sano(Laughs)



SuzukiI can't create, so I can't make things myself. But you, Ms. Sano, have that talent and build yourself up with it. You have a vision for jewelry that suits the wearer, as well as jewelry that fits the season and the times. That's why you propose jewelry that I wouldn't have thought of myself, but that suits me perfectly. Like a fortune teller whose predictions are always accurate, you pinpoint exactly what suits me.



All(Laughs)



SanoWith most customers, I can only suggest jewelry within a certain safe range. But Editor-in-Chief Suzuki absorbs things in an unusual way in many respects (laughs), so even if I propose something outside his expectations, he readily accepts it. When top creators incorporate jewelry into their fashion and naturally convey that to those around them, it gives meaning to bringing creations to life.



In the most primitive form of human faith, sun worship, gemstones were therefore sacred. They were also, like the sun, the source of power for all living things. This means that gemstones empower the wearer. Jewelry, in this sense, possesses a kind of magical power. It is also a medium that connects us to another world while being here, a medium for "interacting with the other world." What is this other world? It's impossible to define, but it's something different from our world. If it could be defined, it would be the same as our world. Therefore, it is another world. In this space of "here and now," there can be a passage to another space. The same applies to time. Not all time aligns with the time measured by quartz or radio clocks. There is time with different phases. Time feels longer when sad and shorter when happy. Tomorrow is not today, and today is not yesterday. One can think of it as "tomorrow is a continuation of today, and today is a continuation of yesterday," but then the future, as the 'other' to the present, cannot exist. The same applies to places; the meaning of this place where we are now and the place next door is not the same. Therefore, all places and all times are different. Perhaps only those who can see things this way can truly understand the significance of jewelry. Thus, jewelry is not about lifestyle; it is something that "opens a different circuit when worn." Therefore, the time that flows before and after wearing jewelry differs. Or rather, one becomes conscious of it differently. Jewelry is a medium that guides our consciousness in that way.



—That's profound.



SuzukiIf we consider jewelry in that way, it's a bit different from lifestyle. Rather, I believe it connects to one's worldview. This is because jewelry negates the homogeneity of space, which is naturally assumed in modern consciousness. To put it simply, spatial homogeneity refers to metric space. Of course, there's nothing wrong with metric space. One meter is 100 centimeters and 1000 millimeters, and it's the same in Japan, Africa, or America. However, not all space can be covered by the metric system. Without even resorting to the theory of relativity, space is not homogeneous, and what is a dreadful space for one person might be a pleasant space for another. In other words, space in terms of meaning is not the same. Therefore, it's possible to see that in the space of "here and now," there is a passage to another space. The same applies to time. Not all time aligns with the time measured by quartz or radio clocks. There is time with different phases. Time feels longer when sad and shorter when happy. Tomorrow is not today, and today is not yesterday. One can think of it as "tomorrow is a continuation of today, and today is a continuation of yesterday," but then the future, as the 'other' to the present, cannot exist. The same applies to places; the meaning of this place where we are now and the place next door is not the same. Therefore, all places and all times are different. Perhaps only those who can see things this way can truly understand the significance of jewelry. Thus, jewelry is not about lifestyle; it is something that "opens a different circuit when worn." Therefore, the time that flows before and after wearing jewelry differs. Or rather, one becomes conscious of it differently. Jewelry is a medium that guides our consciousness in that way.




—So you place your trust in Ms. Sano's jewelry.



SuzukiOf course. And I think Ms. Sano's jewelry has great taste. It has power and taste.



SanoThank you. I'm very happy to hear your words about jewelry being an "encounter." In Japan, we haven't quite reached the point of expressing individuality through jewelry yet. I'm moved that you feel that encountering jewelry leads to something new, as you have. People tend to think, "This is good enough," as they get older.



SuzukiAs I get older, I increasingly feel, "This isn't good enough" (laughs).



SanoNo, no (laughs).



SuzukiI think jewelry should be worn without a reason. Whether it's good or bad, you wear it because you think, "Oh, it's beautiful, I want to wear it." There's no logic to it. It's like seeing a flower and thinking, "It's beautiful, I want to keep looking at it." And as you wear it, you later discover the reason why you liked it. So, when Ms. Sano tells me, "Try wearing a turquoise ring," and I think, "Yes, a turquoise ring might be good," and I try it, I later realize that such things suit me. If something resonates with you when it's suggested, you should wear it on impulse. That's my opinion. It's more interesting to wear something whose meaning you discover later, rather than wearing something whose meaning you already understand. It's somewhat similar to how life is worth living precisely because tomorrow is unknown. When you've lived earnestly through an unknown "tomorrow," you finally understand its meaning. If you think of "tomorrow" as the same as "today," then "tomorrow" has no meaning. I want to encounter jewelry like "tomorrow."




—Do you ever consider your outfits based on jewelry, Editor-in-Chief Suzuki?



SuzukiAs a man, I haven't really thought about deriving outfits from jewelry. If jewelry and clothing are mismatched, I think about how to make that a stylish point.



SanoBut the combination of jewelry and style like yours, Editor-in-Chief Suzuki, is rare. Because jewelry has power, it can sometimes overpower the wearer. However, you have established your own style and possess strong power, so the jewelry blends in seamlessly. I would be happy if more people could wear it like that. When I design, it's also interesting to think about creating for someone like Editor-in-Chief Suzuki. Jewelry truly suits those whose individuality is genuinely wonderful.



—Indeed. If you had any advice for men on how to wear jewelry, Editor-in-Chief Suzuki?








—Is the relationship between jewelry and fashion, in a sense, an adventure that arises from the desire to wear something you like?



SuzukiHow many men are there who want to wear jewelry simply because they like it?



SanoThere are! (laughs) Many these days.



SuzukiCome to think of it, yes. I met such a man recently. For people who like jewelry like that, advice isn't really needed, is it?



SanoThose individuals generally have their own style.



SuzukiBut if someone who had no interest in jewelry until now suddenly thinks, "I want to wear this piece," that's the moment to acquire it. In any case, I believe that purchasing anything is driven by impulse. And impulse has a reason. By the way, Ms. Sano, what are you working on in terms of production right now?



SanoI'm preparing to exhibit at an international trade show this year.



SuzukiThe jewelry you're wearing today is also lovely. When did you make that?



SanoThis was quite a while ago. The necklace isHigh Jewelrypart of the line, but it was created with the concept of wearing high jewelry casually every day, rather than with formal attire.



SuzukiMen find it difficult to do something like this.



SanoWell, Editor-in-Chief Suzuki, you might do it someday (laughs).







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