PROFILE
Mixed martial artist, born in Yokosuka, Japan in 1975, made his professional debut as a mixed martial artist in 1996. Since the dawn of mixed martial arts, he has competed in numerous rings, including "Professional Shuto," "UFC," "HERO'S," and "DREAM. Twenty-five years after his debut, he is currently expanding his activities by participating in jiu-jitsu tournaments and grappling matches. On the other hand, he is also known as a fashion lover and supervises "UCS" and "ONEHUNDRED ATHLETIC". He also holds "UNO DOJO" at "Gold Gym" in Harajuku and Omori, Tokyo.
Once again, I began to feel that it was an amazing brand.
You are known as a fighter who loves fashion, and I heard that your love for fashion started when you were in high school.
Uno:Yes, I did. My mother was going abroad on a trip, and I requested a pair of sneakers as a souvenir. I was a member of the wrestling team at the time, so I asked her for shoes made by a certain sports manufacturer, but they didn't have any, so she bought me a pair of Michael Jordan model bashes instead.
At the time, I was not at all familiar with sneakers, and when I wore them on wrestling expeditions, many athletes would say to me, "You have nice shoes," and I would wonder why they were nice shoes. So I started to look into various magazines to find out why they were good shoes, and that was my entrance into fashion.
You weren't interested in fashion before?
Uno:I was never particular about brands. But those sneakers were the catalyst for me to start looking for clothes that go with the shoes.
Corduroy is a classic winter material. Pants made of this moderately voluminous fabric go well with preppy coordinates. To match the dark brown pants, the sweatshirt, cap, and shoes are all in burgundy, creating a minimalist color scheme with a sense of unity.
What did you enjoy about fashion?
Uno:It was the fun of coordinating clothes. There was also a vintage clothing boom at the time, and I learned the joy of getting good clothes at low prices. I couldn't get a part-time job because I was involved in extracurricular activities, so I was always going to flea markets and digging for clothes. While doing so, I came to know about brands, and I would look them up and wonder what kind of brand they were. I started to know more and more about brands, and I started to research them. That is how my world was expanding rapidly.
Have you been wearing "Gramichi" since that time?
Uno:I first wore them when I was about 18 or 19 years old. There was an outdoor boom along with the vintage clothing boom, and I wore them as pants to go with outdoor brand jackets. At a flea market in Yoyogi Park, I saw someone wearing a pair of thermal leggings layered under a pair of Gramichi shorts, and I tried to imitate him.
What kind of image do you have of this brand?
Uno:The impression is that they are easy to put on and easy to move around in. The gusseted inseam allows the legs to open 180 degrees. That's really great.
I see that such functionality is important for martial artists.
Uno:Yes, I agree. If the legs don't open or rise, it directly affects performance. Since I make sportswear myself, I pay much more attention to functionality than in the past, and when I look at "Gramichi" from that perspective, I have a new appreciation for what a great brand it is.
