Twelve Famous Designers Coordinate Outfits for anan
Clothes from designer brands have a very strong association with fashion shows. Many people decide on their own that they couldn't possibly wear such clothes, and, without even trying them on, hesitate to approach them. The ways the clothes are worn and the makeup shown at fashion shows are intended to express the designers' ideas more strongly. So, for the readers of anan, we asked twelve designers to demonstrate that their clothes can be worn in ways different from their fashion-show presentations, in a very everyday and youthful manner. As a representative of anan's readers, the magazine's exclusive model, Miyako Kōda (甲田益也子), met twelve designers, spoke with them, and tried on each of their clothes. In other words, through the individuality of each designer, Ms. Kōda underwent twelve different transformations. And not only in the selection of clothing—the designers' messages were also reflected in the hair, makeup, and even the locations chosen for the photographs…
Yohji Yamamoto
(First page)
"I want to make the makeup look as though she reads nothing but books and doesn't eat proper meals, you know. An atmosphere of someone who is young but seems to have a lot of worries. I don't like the feeling of someone who eats shortcake!"
Cardigan, Jumper Skirt (Pinafore Dress), Trousers, Coat by Y's. Shoes by Y's for men.
(Second page)
"It'd be enough if people who made up their minds, saying “I'm going to wear it,” would wear it—with the feeling of becoming one of our companions…"
He says that he designed this Autumn / Winter collection with such an intense way of thinking behind it. He apparently also thought, ‘They probably won't sell. There's no way they'll sell.’ (Although, in fact, they seem to be selling quite well.)
"But when a collection is over, I don't feel any satisfaction at all. I always feel defeated and miserable. The time when I'm preparing for the next one is the most enjoyable, because I'm working with the feeling that this time I'll make something good."
These words are somewhat different from the dynamic image of his clothes. At present, he is thinking about various things concerning next year's Spring / Summer clothes.
Ms. Kōda is just like the image of her that you see in magazines.
This was the first time Yamamoto had met Ms. Kōda for this project—today, the day of the photography. He had said, "I want to choose the clothes after meeting the person herself", but had already selected several pieces based on the image he had of Ms. Kōda from her photographs.
"This jumper with khaki trousers, and then a jacket. But because she's thin, it would be better to wear a knit underneath. For this miniskirt, two jackets layered together. If the collar is too open, then this type. I wonder if trousers would be better than a miniskirt…"
We were surprised by his unexpected ability as a stylist. He works quickly, and his combinations are varied and skillful. Once the fittings were finished, it was time for his advice on hair and makeup.
"A contemporary, young-girl feeling. Yes, I like the feeling of someone who reads nothing but books and doesn't eat meals. An atmosphere of someone who has a lot of worries despite being young. A little pale…"
As for the hairstyle, after looking at Ms. Kōda's face for a while, it was decided on a style that completely exposed the line of her face.
"Perhaps it's a little too black all over, but this washed skirt isn't completely black. This jacket has unfinished cut edges, and it's made by experimenting with various fabrics used for the underside of suit collars. Researching materials is enjoyable." he says.
I like materials with a tactile quality, so I end up using a lot of cotton.
Kōda: Are there any colors you dislike?
Yamamoto: Disliked colors... There aren't any colors that I absolutely never use. However, colors have personalities and emotions too, and I don't like colors that are frivolous and stupid. Even with the same blue, there are frivolous colors, aren't there?
Kōda: Even intense, raw colors?
Yamamoto: I think intense colors are good in their own way. I don't dislike them. Also, the feeling of the material is important. I like natural materials that have a tactile quality. So I inevitably end up using a lot of cotton.
Kōda: I like natural materials too. And between men's clothes and women's clothes, which are easier to make?
Yamamoto: Men's clothes are difficult, you know. I think about various things, but somehow I end up thinking that the forms that have existed for a long time are better. Rather than altering men's clothes, I think women's clothes are made in such a way that you can do various things with the clothes, hair, makeup, and so on.
Kōda: Is it strange, after all, to dress in a way that makes it look as though the clothes themselves are walking around?
Yamamoto: It's strange when it looks as though the clothes themselves are walking around. But if the person wearing them has the right attitude...
Jacket, Skirt, Tailcoat by Y's. Boots by Y's for men.
Rei Kawakubo
(First page)
“I wanted to try removing the concept of Western clothing. A loose, voluminous coat, cut in straight lines without a fixed shape. Each person is free to wear it in their own way. But clothes with a hard, severe quality suit thin people even better than I had expected.”
Knit Sweater, Pants, Coat, Gloves by Comme des Garçons.
There are a great many women who like Comme des Garçons clothes and want to wear them. And there are just as many fans of Ms. Kawakubo herself. In appearance, she is so small and delicate that one wonders where all that power comes from. She is also a person of few words. Her shows always attract attention. In this Autumn / Winter collection, there were the large coats, the jagged-patterned knits, and so on. Everyone must wonder what sort of ideas—or rather, what sort of philosophy—gave rise to these clothes. Her answer is:
"I don't really think about anything particularly difficult when I make them. I just wanted to try removing the concept of Western-style clothing. A coat cut in straight lines, without being made into a fixed shape, so that each person can wear it freely in their own way. As for the jagged pattern, it's simply one kind of pattern that suddenly occurred to me."
(Second page)
She Has the Atmosphere of Someone Who Appears in a Painting by Yumeji.
When Kawakubo met Kōda, who says she had been a fan of Kawakubo's for some time, for the first time, Kawakubo said in a quiet voice: “She seems like someone who would appear in a painting by Yumeji”. And what she selected was a black coat, knitwear, and trousers. This coat is one of this winter's voluminous, dynamic coats, cut in straight lines. I thought it might look too heavy on the slender Kōda, but when we saw Kōda come out of the fitting room, everyone was expressing the same opinion:
“Hard-looking clothes really do suit thin people, don't they?”
“Try wearing the coat generously, as though it were a large scarf,” said Kawakubo.
The knitwear underneath the coat is a slightly oversized, round-neck knit. The trousers are nine-tenths or eight-tenths length, respectively. For people who are concerned about the length of their legs or the thinness of their ankles, trousers reaching the ankles would also be fine. And a style combining a miniskirt with tights would also suit this coat. But perhaps black would be better after all?
People Are Too Caught Up in the Image of Comme des Garçons.
"Everyone seems to be too caught up in the image of Comme des Garçons. The reason there is so much black and navy is simply that I like those colors, that's all,” she says.
Now, as for the makeup, lipstick was omitted because it was considered too feminine and disliked. Instead, the eye makeup was made a little stronger so that the eyes would have more intensity. At this point, Kōda, who had been somewhat nervous, finally began to speak.
Kōda: Um, is it true that the people working in your shops, Ms. Kawakubo, have their fashion decided for them?
Kawakubo: There's nothing like that. They're completely free. I wonder if they naturally come to resemble one another…
Kōda: Do you like films? Which do you prefer, American films or European films?
Kawakubo: If I had to choose, European films. I like the world of black-and-white films, too…
And so, for this photo shoot, because we wanted a monochrome atmosphere, the location was decided upon as the interior of a building under construction in Aoyama. Like the coat, it is a world of simple, straight lines that changes according to the person who inhabits it (the person who wears it).
Knit Sweater, Pants, Coat, Gloves by Comme des Garçons.
When Rei Kawakubo, Yoshie Inaba, and Others Took Matters into Their Own Hands, Department Store Displays Turned Out Like This!
Speaking of Isetan in Shinjuku, two years ago, when the store's interior was renovated, it created a display space that was described as “unlike a department store,” attracting attention. Using that space, something that once again became a topic of discussion was the “Autumn / Winter 1982 Collections: Japanese Designer Series". The idea was to open up the space to four brands—Comme des Garçons, Nicole, Kansai Yamamoto, and BIGI—and have the designers themselves display their works.
The setting was “The Stage,” a 70-square-meter space on the first floor of Isetan, used exclusively for displays. It is ordinarily used to communicate the store's messages from time to time, but traditionally, the first-floor selling area of a department store has been regarded as a place where sales can be expected simply by arranging merchandise there. For this reason, when The Stage first appeared, it took those involved in the industry by surprise. This time, however, even if only temporarily, the space was handed over to four designers. “It was quite an adventure for us as well,” said Yasuhiro Tsuji of the Public Relations Department, who was responsible for decoration.
The impetus came from the sales-floor staff. From around May, they had repeatedly been saying, “We want Japanese designers to make displays in that space.” This eventually took shape as the present series. It seems that the fact that buyers from America had begun visiting frequently since around the previous year was also part of the background. More specifically, everything—the theme, the content of the display, and all expenses—was entrusted to the designers. To put it plainly, the method adopted was: “We won't interfere, but we won't provide any money either.”
The series opened with Comme des Garçons. The display, which was also described as resembling a construction site, consisted simply of dirty sheets and cardboard boxes scattered across the floor, with merchandise hung from pipes running above them.
Rei Kawakubo said: “I wanted to express a different kind of beauty, based on different values—that even things normally considered dirty can be beautiful.” This was a characteristically Kawakubo-like experiment, considering the importance she ordinarily places on “space.” And in a department store, where displays tend to remain within the bounds of conventional beauty, it was certainly the one that attracted the most attention.
