[FOCUS IT.] An ideal collaboration that fulfilled a beautiful cycle. A happy encounter between Captain Sunshine and John Smedley.

Over here, since the Corona disaster, we have seen a major change in the fashion industry. Buyers are no longer able to easily go overseas to buy, and more and more products are being planned and developed in Japan. This has resulted in a clear increase in the number of special order products. Fashion lovers who check magazines, websites, and instagrams on a daily basis may have noticed this.

We, as the media, are constantly informed of various special order products, but the item introduced here has a truly beautiful story behind it, and although it has been on the market for a little while, we wanted to share it with you all. We are very happy to be able to share with you the story behind the items we are going to introduce here.

Founded in Derbyshire, England in 1784, this year marks the 237th anniversary of the British fine gauge knitwear brand "JOHN SMEDLEY" and "KAPTAIN SUNSHINE" which mixes tradition and innovation with a modern balance based on high quality materials and reliable sewing. KAPTAIN SUNSHINE", which mixes tradition and innovation with a modern balance based on high-quality materials and reliable sewing, have collaborated for the first time.

One of the ideal forms of collaboration.

I heard that this collaboration started with a knit polo that belonged to Kojima-san.

Kojima: Yes, that's right. I bought it at the Brooklyn Flea, a flea market in New York City, a long time ago. It was quite inexpensive, but I remember I was very hesitant about buying it. First of all, it had this big collar, and it was very 70's style. In addition, it was an XL size, so the sleeve length was quite long.

. or rather, a piece of clothing with a peculiar taste.

Kojima: Yes. To be honest, I didn't wear it that much right after I bought it, but I started wearing it in the past few years. Recently, compact collars have been the basic style, but recently I've been thinking that large collars like this might be possible, and that led to this project.

John Smedley was in charge of planning this event, wasn't it, Mr. Horiuchi?

Horiuchi: Yes. I am a freelance designer, but I have been involved in the John Smedley project at Lee Mills Agency for the past three years. . I have been indebted to Mr. Kojima and his company "Clip Crop" for a long time.

Kojima: I'm the most popular designer right now. No, really (laughs).

I've heard rumors (laughs). Now, this knitwear was the beginning of this project, wasn't it? The release says it is a U.S. brand, but the tag says "Abercrombie & Fitch.

Horiuchi: John Smedley has been doing OEM and collaborations with various brands for some time, so I think this is one of them. I don't think there are that many places in the U.S. that can make high gauge sweaters, so when Mr. Kojima showed me this one, I knew it would be ours at a very high rate.

Kojima: I also immediately thought it was made in England and the shape of the collar made me think it was a "John Smedley" shirt. Then there is the cat's eye button.

Horiuchi: The domestic staff, including myself, thought it would be a great idea to use this knitwear as a base for the project, and when we confirmed this with the home country for an appluval, we immediately received a reply saying yes.

The one on the right is Jackie.

Horiuchi: Moreover, I was contacted by the person who actually worked on this. She is Jackie Turner, a senior design manager who worked on special products with Vivienne Westwood and Margaret Howell. Incidentally, she retired from her position after working on this product with Captain Sunshine.

I see. That's a very good story.

Horiuchi：It must be a great honor for a producer to have an event where a product he worked on becomes vintage, a Japanese designer finds it in the U.S., and it comes back to him.

1970 DORSET ¥46,200 SIZE：M/L（HEPBURN SMOKE)
This is a super high gauge knit unique to "John Smedley" knitted in the traditional 30G with high quality merino wool 100% raw material. The large, curved collar tip and ample volume are the most distinctive features, and the size is such that it can be worn as a single piece.

(MIDNIGHT)

(DARK COCOA)

Kojima: Mr. Horiuchi and I had been talking about doing something together for a long time, but we had kept this one under wraps for a long time. This time, we finally decided to do it.

Horiuchi: Long-sleeved polo shirts are a difficult item to find, although clothing lovers may pick them up. . They inevitably make you look like an old man. However, this dynamic collar looks very fashionable now, and I thought it was great that Kojima-san's brand is doing this now.

Have you ever made a long sleeve polo for "Captain Sunshine"?

Kojima: This is the first time for knitwear.

I see. So it was quite a challenge. . Please tell us about the original, and how it differs from the current long-sleeve polo.

Horiuchi：Our long-sleeved polo shirts called "DORSET" have always been part of our in-collection collection. The sizing, collar size, and button design have changed with the times, but we have always used this basic style. Probably, this "Abercrombie & Fitch" is also based on the "Dorset" style.

The atmosphere is quite different from the current one.

Horiuchi: Yes. . First of all, the size of the collar is the biggest difference. . Since it is a British brand, there is a part of it that is made on the premise that it is to be worn with clothing. They can be worn as innerwear for jackets , shirts, and so on.

Horiuchi: In such a case, most of today's tailored jackets are compact, so the collars are inevitably small as well. By the way, this collar of "John Smedley" is called an English collar, and it has become an iconic specification of the brand.

Kojima: The buttons are also unique. The old John Smedley buttons are cat's-eye buttons, which are considered to have two holes by those of us who like old clothes. Nowadays, however, they are often four-holed for reasons of strength and the like.

Kojima: The blurring of the color of the buttons at that time was characteristic, and I took that as a hint to create these original matte buttons. We dyed, processed, and tried it out many times, and we were quite particular about it.

Kojima: I also made the names for this project. The regulations in the home country were quite strict, so we had to go through a number of trials and errors before we finally received the OK.

I like the color of the letters "Captain Sunshine". The logo looks like a royal warrant.

Horiuchi: And the size. At the time, they were quite loose-fitting, but that fits my current mood. As Kojima-san mentioned earlier, I think there is a sense of feeling that you didn't feel so good when you bought it, but now it fits you.

The in-collection "DORSET".

Horiuchi: As you can see, the in-collection is quite compact in terms of shoulder width. . We intentionally designed the shoulder width to be narrow. English men's style is tight-fitting. That is the dandyism of the other side of the world.

Kojima: The premise of the jacket is that it should be placed inside the jacket in the first place.

The "1970 DORSET" of this collaboration.

Horiuchi: Yes, that's right. However, the intent of this project was not to wear it as a suit-in, so in talking with Mr. Kojima, we relaxed the shoulder width considerably.

. However, it is not oversized or extremely drop-shouldered.

Horiuchi: Exactly. The current "Dorset" is a bit unbalanced when worn with a wide lapel jacket, but with this collar, it should go well with Italian-style jackets and the like.

But is there a reason why you are starting to think that a big collar is a possibility?

Horiuchi: I think the recent trend has been a minimalist, less-restrictive atmosphere, but I feel that the mood is gradually shifting toward an American feel, washed out pieces, or a vintage feel that people are interested in. . In that sense, I think this collar width fits perfectly.

Kojima: Yes, that's true. That's how I feel.

Horiuchi: John Smedley is a European brand, so it has a somewhat modern base, but it was very interesting to have a session with Kojima-san, who is well versed in American culture. It was very interesting to have this session with Mr. Kojima, who is well versed in American culture. Quite a few people have already purchased our products.

Kojima: But I was already nervous when I brought the story to them. After all, it was a long-sleeved polo (laughs).

Horiuchi: No, no. I had a feeling that there was no doubt that Mr. Kojima would come up with this idea, and we have placed the items in our directly-managed stores. Actually, that in itself is quite rare.

Kojima: I am grateful. And I am really relieved (laughs).

Horiuchi: This collaboration model is not that much of a design. It is an arrangement while keeping the unchanged goodness of the brand, and I think that is a good point. . We didn't overdo the design just because it was a collaboration.

Kojima: This time, there was a clear story leading up to the manufacturing process, so it was fun to work on it. . I was able to buy all the colors myself, and it was a great initiative.

How was it? Many of you may be allergic to long-sleeved polo shirts, but we believe that this gem is an item filled with a quiet energy that breaks away from the conventional image. Some retailers are already running out of colors and sizes. If you are interested in this item, please buy it as soon as possible.