PROFILE
In 2017, he launched his own brand "TANAKA" based in New York City. He launched "TANAKA NY TYO LLC" and has been designing globally in New York, Europe, and Asia. After graduating from Tokyo Mode Gakuen, she gained experience at Yohji Yamamoto as a designer of knitwear and cut-and-sew clothing, and then joined Fast Retailing, where she headed the women's global design team at UNIQLO's Tokyo, Shanghai, and New York offices.
PROFILE
From 2020, he will be a full-fledged creative partner of " TANAKA ". He has been involved in domestic and international projects, and his strengths lie in creative direction and spatial direction. After graduating from Bunka Fashion College with a degree in Stylist, he worked for Fast Retailing in Tokyo, Shanghai, and New York as the leader of the men's global design team, focusing on UT, activewear, and knitwear.
PROFILE
After working in sales at a vintage clothing store and a select store, she worked as a buyer for two stores before moving into PR. 2012, she participated in the launch of "Wism. Currently, she is working as a conceptor for the store.
We want to make something that looks cool no matter when or who wears it.
. Since "TANAKA" and "wism" have teamed up to create this special item, we were wondering if you could tell us the story behind the project. Before we get into the main topic, could you start by telling us how you and "TANAKA" first met?
Hori family:One day, I saw a senior colleague of mine in New York named Mr. Tanaka, who was posting about "TANAKA" on his Instagram. I thought he had started his own brand, so I contacted him. He told me, "It's not my brand, but there is a wonderful brand called 'TANAKA. I thought he had started his own brand, so I contacted him and told him, "It's not my brand, but there is a wonderful brand called 'TANAKA.'" Including that story, I think we had a very good encounter.
That was the beginning of the "TANAKA" line at Wism, wasn't it?
Hori family:Yes, I did. I sent an e-mail from the brand's website and got a reply right away . I was invited to visit the next exhibition, and that was the start.
Tanaka:It was a period of intense Corona at the time, so I returned to Japan but was quarantined in a hotel in Yokohama, and I never got to meet Mr. Horike.
Hori family:. yes, yes. Instead, I remember Mr. Kuboshita standing dignified in the hall and saying to me like, "Wism, I know you" (laughs) .
Kuboshita:. That was during the 22AW exhibition in Tokyo, wasn't it?
long vowel mark (usually only used in katakana)Last season, "Wism" made a special order to "TANAKA" to produce a denimFrom the beginning, did you plan to create something together?
Hori family:. When I went to the exhibition for the first time, I really felt the brand's aesthetic sense. To be honest, from the very beginning, I had the feeling that I wanted the two of them to create something special for "wism. However, at the time, "TANAKA" was not yet fully launched in men's stores, so we decided to start with a solid in-line line sales. From there, we had a special order last season, and we came to this project in stages.
TANAKA is known for its denim, but this time you made chinos. What was the inspiration for this?
Hori family:My fundamental desire was to make something that would never go out of style, and that would look good no matter when or who wore it. However, denim is already available inline, and I was very confused about what to make. In the end, I decided to go with chinos, because I would not normally wear them myself, but I wanted to try on something made by Mr. Tanaka and Mr. Kuboshita.
It is true that I don't have an image of Mr. Horie wearing chinos.
Hori family:In my generation, there were icons who wore chinos in a cool way, such as Kimura Takuya in "All About the Young" and Toyoetsu (Etsushi Toyokawa) in "Say You Love Me. Because I was fighting that illusion on my own, I couldn't pick them up, even though they are universal.
. That is why, in making these chinos, I used Kimura and Toyoetsu as keywords.
Tanaka, what did you think about such a subject from Mr. Horike?
Tanaka:I was like, "Oh, Kimura..." (laughs). Of course, I am of the same generation as Mr. Horike, so I had a vague idea of what he was talking about and the style he was trying to convey, but his image was a little different from what I had in mind for the product. But that image was a little different from what I imagined the product to be. So, to be honest, I didn't really make the products as Mr. Horike requested (laughs).
Hori family:But it turned out to be a good one, and I can tell it as a very funny story (laughs).
