FEATURE|The back side of the collaboration between COMOLI and L'ECHOPPE, born from a gem of a fabric.
Behind the scenes of the collaboration between COMOLI and L'ECHOPPE, born from a gem of a fabric.
Keijiro Komori, designer of "COMOLI," and Keiji Kaneko, buyer of "L'ECHOPPE," have been friends for 10 years. The two were excited to discuss a certain fabric, which led to the release of a special-order item from the two. What are their thoughts behind the seemingly authentic jackets and coats? This project will not be presented in the form of an interview, but rather as pieces of their words spliced together.
."This special order started with the fabric. There is an Italian textile designer whom I have always been very fond of, and he made this fabric. He makes very unique fabrics, and if you don't do it right, they will float out of the lineup. I went to France just to see an exhibition of his fabrics.
."The moment we saw pants made of this fabric at the exhibition, we both thought, "Oh my God! and we both got excited. I think what Komori and I both immediately imagined was that the color was Gurkha-ish. When we think of chino, we tend to imagine American-style pants, but this is a completely European or European color.
."It is a British military khaki. It has a beige-like color with brownish tints" (Komori)
."The fabric has a Japanese Japanese element, a French work feel, and a British military feel in color. And perhaps because it is made by Italians, it also has a bit of a glamorous look. The mix of these elements is just what I like. It's a mix of the best of each country.
."I think the main feature is that it contains hemp" (Kaneko)
."It's slightly raised, which makes it look strangely mature and elegant. We add hemp to harden the texture, but it's not too dressy or gauzy or rough. The textile designer always lands somewhere in between. That's exactly what I'm aiming for with the fabrics I usually make for Komori," says Komori.
."Each item has a base garment. The jacket is a British Army hospital jacket from the 40s. It was made to be worn by wounded soldiers during the war. It is a combination of a tailor's jacket and a uniform. It is the ancestor of the clothes we make at [Komori], and it is also a textbook for all designers.
."It is the very original. Many designers have used this jacket as a motif. So I was nervous about making clothes based on it again now.
."Maybe it is because of the history between me and Kaneko-san that we both reacted to this fabric. We can't help it since we have seen similar things for more than a decade" (Komori)
."While I had seen and continued to make similar items, I thought this fabric was definitely different. Komori also liked the fabric so much that he wanted to make items other than pants, but in the end, only pants were made inline. It seems that Komori was tickled by my reaction to the fabric, and this special order was a spontaneous item.
Jacket ¥54,000+TAX
."The coat used as a base is a Burberry Chesterfield coat from the 1950s. It is not a dressy coat that would be worn over a suit, but a so-called sport coat.
."When I was making this special order, I remembered something: since I was about 21 years old, Mr. Kaneko has looked at a lot of clothes for me. There were times when he praised me, and there were times when he gave me bad advice. The items I made this time were not made spontaneously, but at Kaneko-san's request, so they somewhat resemble the atmosphere of those days, which reminded me of the old days," said Komori.
."I was not Komori's direct supervisor, but he certainly told me many things in great detail. Perhaps because of this, I was very nervous when I brought the sample to him this time as well.
."The act of having the person you care about the most look at you. It was not an exam, but I still felt nervous. I wondered if I could make something that would satisfy the current Mr. Kaneko, but I wanted to make it.
Coat ¥88,000+TAX
."I knew that it was no good to aim for something strange, so I decided not to do anything too subtle. Mr. Kaneko can see right through that kind of thing. If he responded to this fabric this time, I thought it would be good if I just made it with an honest heart.
."I am not the type to do tricky things by nature. Moreover, this time I had a base, so all I had to do was to keep the balance.
."The materials were also determined within a predetermined design. With what we could do limited, how far could we go in response to the theme?
."The finished product was perfect. There was no need to do anything extra, but as long as it was made by "Komori," it had to be balanced in a way that was typical of "Komori. When I saw the sample and tried it on, I could feel that he had put his hands on it properly. It came out with the perfect amount of salt, just as I had hoped.
."I make my clothes so that I look my best. I know my own body best. To be honest, the base items that Mr. Kaneko brought this time were specifications of clothes that I do not wear very often. However, the key point this time was how to make it look like "komori" without tweaking those parts that personally bother me. For me, the best way to do this is to create something that is uniquely me, even though I didn't make major changes to the base.
."The clothes Komori makes are based on design drawings. He works to give shape to the lines and forms that he envisions. Therefore, even if there are items that are used as references, or even if there is something like a source material, the end result of Komori's clothes is something completely different. That's why I think this time it was a very different way of making clothes," said Kaneko.
."This effort is what we call an ordinary special order, but it is filled with a lot of personal feelings, making it very memorable," said Komori.
."Since we had no intention of making a reprint in the first place, I think it would have been difficult to make a reprint without something from the creator. I don't usually wear "Komori" clothes, but now I feel like I want to wear them (laughs).