I don't think I'm good enough as I am now.
Matsuura: If I were to take on the challenge of making clothes with Mr. Kaneko, I would like to make this shirt. Oxford regular collar shirt. Reproduce this stitching with plastic buttons.
Kaneko: The front of this shirt was made as a dress shirt, but looking at the sleeve details, it looks like a work shirt. In short, it was probably made as a uniform for military personnel. The front is made to look good with a tie and a jacket.
Matsuura: I would buy this shirt if it were available again.
Kaneko: Let's make it together!
I'm sure that if you two share your wisdom in making clothes, you will create something wonderful.
Matsuura: I think so. Of course I am attached to this shirt, so I want to take good care of this one, too.
As we talked, I realized that what people bring and what they choose when they go on a long trip shows their lifestyle and values.
For short trips or business trips, I tend to focus more on functionality, but for longer periods of time, I might choose something that I love.
Kaneko: It would be interesting if Mr. Matsuura waits at the airport for people going on business trips to overseas fashion weeks and checks their luggage (laughs).
Matsuura: I would like to see it. That would be interesting to see people with different ideas. I think I have learned today that when you have lived that long, you can talk a lot about your possessions and what you love to use. And then there are hats, bags, glasses, and so on.
Kaneko: I am also curious about those glasses.
Matsuura: I've been looking for these glasses for a long time, as they were handmade in the 60's by a French optician's workshop called "FRAME FRANCE". They are exactly the same ones that David Hockney or the architect Philip Johnson used to wear.
It has a unique shape, doesn't it?
Matsuura: These are not just round glasses. The cranes are short and quite unique. I recently bought a pair of these round glasses, which are used by creators such as painters. I bought them recently. I was particular about using glass lenses like in the old days. Because they are made of glass, they are truly transparent. When my eyesight became weak and I needed glasses, I tried many different types and decided to narrow it down to one for the rest of my life, and I finally came across these glasses.
Kaneko: So you found these items. When we met before, you mentioned that you had gotten rid of some old cars. When did you change your mood, or rather, your way of thinking toward reducing things?
Matsuura: That was about 10 years ago. I liked to collect watches and cameras as well, but when I turned 45 or so, I lost interest in owning things.
Is it because of your age? Or does the mood of the times also have some influence?
Matsuura: I think it's an age thing. Collection takes a lot of time and effort, and it adds a lot of worries. It makes me feel less comfortable, doesn't it?
You say that if you get one thing, you should let go of one thing.
Matsuura: Yes, that's how I made it. I have a tendency to push myself to the limit when it comes to things that I like, and as a result, I got tired of it. So I decided to stick to a certain style of clothes, watches, and glasses.
I got rid of my Leica camera, but recently that boom has resurfaced. Nowadays, we can easily take pictures with our smartphones, but I'm starting to feel the interest in film once again. In the past, I used to enjoy taking snapshots of my daily life and developing the film, but now I can do it with my smartphone. But I became interested in what I would be shooting now if I were using film. So I decided that I would like to buy a Leica anyway, and I plan to buy another one.
Kaneko: What model is it?
Matsuura: M2. The lens is a "Summicron" 8-element lens in black paint. I am planning to go to Fukuoka to buy it. I'm going to meet up with a collector at the airport, see what he has, and then buy it and go home (laughs).
Kaneko: So that's the camera you want to get there.
Matsuura: You have to do that to get it.
I hear that the price of film has skyrocketed recently.
Matsuura: That's right. What will I shoot under such conditions?
Is that an interest in yourself?
Matsuura: Yes, that's right. What do I want to shoot?
Kaneko: I am curious. So that phase has come again, hasn't it?
Matsuura: It is an interest in oneself.
Kaneko: That's what I like about him. I like the fact that he is still honest about his interests, even though he is getting rid of many things. You are still buying new things.
I thought you were getting sharper and sharper by reducing the number of things you have, but it seems that you are still greedy (laughs).
Matsuura: I am always wavering. I can't give up my desire to be popular, after all (laughs).
Kaneko: There is a lot of talk about motives today (laughs).
Matsuura: I think that behind the adolescent's thoughts of what kind of person they want to be and what they want to wear is the desire to be "popular". I think it is healthy to think about what you want to own and what kind of life you want to lead in order to achieve this goal.
Kaneko: I should think about being popular too (laughs).
Matsuura: First of all, I think we need to think about the definition. What do I and Mr. Kaneko mean by "mote"?
I don't think I am satisfied with the way I am. I think I have weaknesses and something lacking, and if I can add to them, I can become more attractive as a person. That is why I am always looking for something new.
Kaneko: Indeed. I never stop searching. I don't want to add more things, but my hands are always on the search.
Matsuura: I'm not saying, "I don't buy it."
Kaneko: That's right. I'm kind of glad to hear a very good story this time.
Matsuura: I would like to create something together.
I guess I would have to say regular-collar Oxford shirts.
Matsuura: I want to make a shirt. I want to make a white one.
Kaneko: It would be nice if there were. Let's make it together!
