PROFILE
Yusuke Seki is a designer who runs "Yusuke Seki Studio. He lives between Tokyo and Kyoto, and has designed many spaces, including "Sniite," where he conducts interviews, and "OGAWA COFFEE LABORATORY" in Sakurashinmachi. In Kyoto, he has a studio and a machiya called "Sekinoya," where he also works as an artist-in-residence.
yusukeseki.com
Architectural design and fashion.
Q: First of all, I would like to ask you about your work.
Yusuke Seki ("Seki"):I first became interested in design when I saw an Eames chair. When I was in high school, I saw it in a magazine and thought, "What is this? I was like, "What is this? For high school students, chairs are like school chairs, and they don't usually buy them themselves.
It is true that not many people are interested in buying.
Seki:I asked my art teacher what kind of design he was talking about, and he told me about Sori Yanagi and so-called "mid-century design" of the 1960s. That was the first time I became aware that there was such a thing as design.
Someone has designed the things we take for granted.
Seki:When you look at the things around you from this perspective, even a cup of coffee or an ordinary sash is designed. Someone has drawn a design, or in other words, there is an intention behind it. There is so much design in the world that I thought there was nothing that was not designed. In fact, that's not true at all (laughs). That's when I decided that I wanted to become a designer.
So you started out with an interest in chair design?
Seki:That's right. In the process of studying for art school, one of my seniors advised me, "It is good to study in the product department because you want to make chairs, but you should broaden your vision and aim for a career in which you can design an entire space. If I could design spaces, I would certainly need interior design, and I thought that would be closer to what I wanted to do.
What did you have in mind at the time, what did you want to do?
Seki:I wanted to do work closely related to fashion. I thought that if I could create spaces, I might be able to design stores for fashion brands. I decided to pursue spatial design and architectural design, and here I am today.
Speaking of fashion, you are a fan of the backstreet fashion culture that was a movement in the 90's and early 00's, aren't you?
Seki:Yes, we do. I have been greatly influenced by brands that represent the backyard culture, such as GOODENOUGH, UNDERCOVER, and A BATHING APE®. They inspired me not only in design but also in many other aspects. In fact, I even considered whether or not to become a fashion designer.
So that's how it happened!
Seki:So, if I trace the source of my motivation for this job, it is fashion. However, the relationship between architecture and fashion is not yet closely connected, so I feel I am in a bit of a dilemma. I have always wanted to make these two cultures more compatible. There are not many initiatives with fashion brands, so I would like to do more in the future.
I think fashion is a collection of coordinated clothes. Space design is also a collection of small designs, such as chairs and desks.
Seki:Yes, it is. The difference is that in the case of spatial design, the viewpoint of the people in the space becomes important. Furthermore, when it comes to the world of building from scratch, you have to take a more detached perspective, which is a different aspect. I could have been a pure architect, but that was not what I was aiming for. I still love fashion and culture, and I guess that is what led me to my current direction.
