The sporty design fits the mood of today's fashion.
PROFILE
Born in 1977 in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. In June 2021 and March 2022, he will hold an exhibition titled "Stylist Naoki Ikeda's Selection," in which he will delve into a specific, localized object from his own perspective.
Instagram : @_naoki_ikeda
In March of this year, Ikeda-san held an exhibition on Ray Petrie, the leader of a legendary British creative group. Through his achievements, you also introduced the surrounding music scene.
Ikeda:I love books as well as clothes, so I have a vague understanding of the culture in that area. However, I honestly didn't understand much about music. On the other hand, there is no doubt that music has had an influence on fashion. That is why I wanted to incorporate music into my own mind through the Ray Petry exhibition.
Every time I talk to Ikeda-san, I am amazed at the amount of knowledge he has.
Ikeda:Music is the only thing I really don't understand. However, as I explored Ray Petrie from various directions in this exhibition, I came to understand the rise of reggae in the UK. Many punk musicians like John Lydon of the Pistols are reggae lovers. There is a history of reggae DJs spinning music in front of punk bands, as well as being involved in the launch of the new wave. As I looked into the history of reggae, it became more and more interesting, and I began to see connections with various cultures.
When you want to dig for something, how do you go about it?
Ikeda:I have a lot of books. For example, I am not that familiar with classical music or rock music. However, I can enjoy such music more deeply if I use books as a medium. I guess you could call it "book-reading music. Do you know what I mean?
It is true that the same thing can be said for everything. You have to know the relationship before and after the work, and you have to know the creator of the work before touching it.
Ikeda:I don't want to be influenced only by past interpretations or preconceived notions, but it is interesting to know the context.
So, do you go to bookstores a lot?
Ikeda:It's my favorite. I really get a lot of inspiration from books. I often look at Western books as well, and of course it is quite difficult to read through them, but sometimes I am inspired by a particular passage.
I know it's a little late for this, but when did you first become interested in fashion?
Ikeda:I think I was in the sixth grade. I still remember one time I was wearing a round-necked sweatshirt and a hoodie on top. My older sister saw that and told me to reverse the order in which I was wearing it. I did so, and even though I was young, I looked good. That must have been my fashion awakening.
It was the awakening of fashion and the beginning of your stylist career.
Ikeda:I like to combine clothes rather than just the clothes themselves. I was also into cocktails for a while (laughs). (Laughs) So I guess I like styling rather than creating clothes from scratch.
I guess it's like taking something that already exists and looking at it from a new perspective, redefining it.
Ikeda:That's exactly what happened. When my sister pointed this out to me, I felt like what I had was revived by my change in perspective.
