PROFILE
Director of JOURNAL STANDARD, born in 1975, joined BAYCREW'S in 2000. He joined BAYCREW'S in 2000 and worked as a store staff member and buyer before assuming his current position.
PROFILE
Born in 1973, he became an independent designer after working as a buyer for Edifice, Inc. After working as a buyer for Edifice, he became independent. After working as a buyer for Edifice, he became independent and launched "Reshop" in 2015.
PROFILE
Deputy Editor-in-Chief of HOUYHNHNM, born in 1978. He runs HOUYHNHNM's Running Club ♡, a free running community.
The Three Persons. How we interact with sports in our daily lives.
Yamamoto:I am a regular runner and run full marathons, and sometimes participate in long races such as 100 km or 100 miles. What kind of sports are you involved in on a daily basis, Matsuo-san and Kaneko-san?
Matsuo:I also run on a regular basis. However, I am not a competitive runner and am not interested in marathons or other races. In my case, my main activity is mountaineering. My style is fastpacking and speed hiking. I also enjoy trail running in low mountains.
Kaneko:My main activity is bicycling. I also enjoy an off-road sport called cyclocross. I also do a little running, although I injured my foot about a year ago and am taking some time off.
Yamamoto:I see. What do you think is the relationship between fashion and sports for the two of you? Since I started running in earnest about seven years ago, my values toward fashion and things have changed completely. I have always loved fashion, and I know how fun it is, but the more I got into running, the more I felt that dressing up or being particular about being fashionable was empty. Now I only wear clothes that I can run in.
Kaneko:That's pretty extreme (laughs).
Yamamoto:If I want to run, I can always run 100 miles. This is my standard for choosing clothes and things.
Matsuo:I totally understand what you are talking about, Mr. Yamamoto. It is not uncommon for me to choose wool or synthetic fibers for T-shirts instead of cotton, or a backpack instead of a tote bag. I guess I am similar in that I am conscious of choosing clothes that are always ready to run. I am not as rigid as Mr. Yamamoto, though (laughs).
Yamamoto:There is no reason why clothes that are comfortable when running should not be comfortable in everyday life.
Matsuo:In fact, JOURNAL STANDARD has been selling items that can be used for serious sports and activities for many years. These items include waterproof and breathable rain jackets, high-performance mountaineering shoes and running shoes. I myself often go climbing in the 3,000-meter mountains of the Northern and Southern Alps, and Journal Standard has clothing and gear with real functionality that can be used in such harsh environments. I don't say that out loud because this is a select store with fashion at its core.
Kaneko:I used to commute to work by bicycle, and at that time, I focused on functionality in my clothing choices. Now, however, I tend to make a clear distinction between sports attire and work attire. However, I still like functional clothes, and I am conscious of this when I choose them, and when I look around my wardrobe, I see that many of them have some kind of functionality. Men's fashion, to begin with, is often shaped by some kind of functionality, such as sports, work, military, and so on.
Yamamoto:Your company "Reshop" used to make running wear under the label "LERC," right?
Kaneko:That was truly a fusion of functionality and fashion, running wear with a military wear motif. With today's technology and fabrics, anything can be made depending on ideas. I feel that the groundwork for creating products that combine fashion and sports is much more complete than before.
Yamamoto:Yes, it is. However, I have to admit that sportswear in general still has a stiff atmosphere. I think it has the potential to become even better with ingenuity.
