Where we are now and where we will be in the future, as seen through activities that go beyond fashion.
Looking back, it has been nine years since "White Mountaineering" started presenting in Paris. Do you think anything has changed as you have continued?
Aizawa:About 13 years ago, I held my first overseas exhibition in New York. At that time, there was a trend of how to showcase casual, traditional-minded clothes. When I came to Paris nine years ago, I found that the trend was changing at a very fast pace, with the street trend becoming stronger, including in the maisons.
In the midst of this, I myself was determined to develop our own unique style while keeping a side eye on the mainstream of fashion. Naturally, I am also in a position where I must consider sales, so I have been doing things my own way while keeping a close eye on the scene to make sure that my axis is not blurred. After nearly 20 years of running the brand, I realized that it is important to offer clothes that I like the most, clothes that I would wear, and things that I would use.
The blouson by Wild Things is not only functional, but also has an exquisite use of color. The collaboration with Globe-Trotter also includes a mini-sized bag.
I think you may have returned to the basics of clothes making after having experienced various things. While some brands have left the Paris Fashion Week, I think it is not easy to keep doing shows.
Aizawa:Paris Fashion Week is not everything, but it may be important for creators to stick to this field to some extent until they achieve results, as long as they have chosen this field.
Based on our past experience, we have been in communication with show directors, casting, sales, and other local staff for many years. The staff involved in the Paris show has remained almost the same over the past nine years.
As for models, more and more models have expressed an interest in participating in the "White Mountaineering" show. Naturally, it is very difficult for a Japanese brand to participate in a fashion week where major maisons and brands from around the world participate, and to gain recognition. It is reassuring to know that I have the support of my local colleagues, and it allows me to concentrate on my craftsmanship. A brand cannot be created by a single person, so I believe that creating such an environment is one of the factors to keep the brand going.
The show casts a variety of models with a mature atmosphere.
So, "White Mountaineering" has gained considerable recognition in Paris. On the other hand, Mr. Aizawa, while building a career as a designer, you are currently working beyond the boundaries of fashion. What are your goals for the future?
Aizawa:The Corona disaster has changed my life drastically in practical terms. Until then, I had been doing a lot of work in Europe and the United States, and at the time of the Corona disaster, I was working with Lardini in Italy, but as you know, the Corona epidemic was spreading from Italy to Europe. I could no longer go there, and the style of work that had been the norm became impossible.
Naturally, as we kept in touch, I was intimately aware of the great damage that had been done, and as this spread to Japan as well, I think my awareness as a designer changed.
This led me to move forward at once with the Karuizawa lifestyle that I had been warming to for some time. I began to think about what I could do within Japan, and it also gave me an opportunity to rethink my future lifestyle.
Thankfully, the Corona Disaster has increased my work, and I have been involved in an increasing number of projects that have nothing to do with fashion, such as collaborating with "UNIQLO," designing uniforms for "Yamato Transport," and directing "NOT A HOTEL," including its architecture. I also became involved in the management of "Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo" as a director, and now I am also a member of the board of directors.
I sometimes get misunderstood because I expand the field of design beyond fashion, but I consider fashion to be the most important core of my work. There is no environment where fashion does not exist, even in fields other than fashion. There is no such thing as not wearing clothes. The uniforms of "Yamato Transport" may be the most worn by the people involved with the company in their lifetime. It is also important for a hotel uniform to fit in with the building and its interior.
Fashion differs depending on the car or motorcycle you ride. If you are particular about your car, the clothes and watches you wear will also change accordingly, and there are various styles of motorcycles as well. I am now most interested in connecting my hobbies and interests in fields seemingly unrelated to fashion to the clothes I wear. Actively entering into a world I have never seen before and expanding my hobbies will create business opportunities and help me see what I need.
Models wait offstage for the show to begin.
Do you think that working in a different world and with UNIQLO has changed the way you perceive fashion?
Aizawa:That's right. Through UNIQLO and other projects, I have had the opportunity to make my work known to a wide range of people. As I have been saying for a long time, fashion is in a sense a design field without clients, and if I say that it is about pursuing my own world view, it becomes an artistic context. In this context, I think it is very meaningful to be able to design and create products on the condition that they will be worn by many people.
I think that if you focus solely on fashion, you may neglect other aspects of fashion. I think it is best if fashion comes naturally from a complex of various elements, not simply fashion.
As you say, that is the true way fashion should be. Listening to you today, I could understand your thoughts on fashion.
Aizawa:After all, I like clothes and making them, and I don't think that will change in the future. People sometimes mistake me for not being serious about fashion because I do so many different things, but I am more serious than anyone else, and I am committed to it.
By trying out different genres, one can increase one's knowledge and incorporate them into fashion. As a person involved in fashion education, I feel that it is not right to stick only to the world of mode.
Of course, there are times when I hit a wall, but I truly believe that there is meaning to what I have continued to do because I have convinced myself that I am capable of doing it. I may have reached an age where I can only see the future through experience, but I want to continue to take on challenges.
