In the 1990s, the term "vintage" was used to describe vintage clothing that did not meet the definition of "antique," but was still valuable. Nowadays, there is a movement to find new value in "new vintage," even in old clothes from the 1980s onward, which were called "regular" at the time. In this project, four vintage clothing stores with different styles propose new ways to enjoy vintage clothing. Each of them will talk about the charm of vintage clothing with their own sense of style.
Starting this time, all the stores have been replaced and the 9th season has restarted. The 65th edition, which will be the top batter, will be presented by Mr. Horiken of "LeeLoo.
Text_Tommy
Edit_Yosuke Ishii
HORIKEN / LeeLoo Owner
Vol.65_Techno, rave T-shirts
-What is the New Vintage for you, Mr. Horiken?
The basic premise is "things that are cool to wear now": things that have not been featured much in the regular vintage since the 80's, but that are still valuable and cool. I think this is the "New Vintage".
-What are LeeLoo's unique criteria there?
In addition to the coolness and quality of the design of the item itself, we are interested in items that can be connected to or match the various cultural and historical backgrounds of the time. For example, brands or artists closely connected with the music scene. I myself am a fan of such things, so I am always interested in hooking up with them.
-So, what are the new vintage items you will be introducing this time?
I used to like rock music, but recently I have been listening to a lot of techno music as well, so I would like to talk about techno and rave items. In the past few years, vintage band T-shirts have skyrocketed in price, and hip-hop and jazz T-shirts are also attracting attention, but I feel that there are surprisingly few vintage clothing stores that deal in those genres....
-It may be due to the fact that many of the stores are bought in the US.
I think that is one of the reasons. The roots of the brand can be traced back to Detroit in the U.S., but from there it spread around the world, especially in Europe, and Berlin in Germany is famous for being at the forefront of the techno scene. We go to both the U.S. and Europe to buy T-shirts, so we have brought T-shirts that we found during our travels there.
-First of all, here it is.
Warp Records T-shirt 29,900 yen (Reelu)
Warp Records is a music label established in 1989 in Sheffield, England. The label mainly deals with beat-based music such as techno and IDM (Intelligence Dance Music), and its artists, such as Aphex Twin, are well-known. This is a merchandising product of the label. It is like "Sub Pop" in the US, and although it was sold at Warp Records at the time, I think the absolute number of copies available in the market was small. I think it was in the early 2000s.
-I see. I like the oatmeal color. Like the skulls that often appear on hard rock T-shirts, are there any designs that are "unique to techno and rave"?
Compared to band T-shirts and wrap T-shirts, the graphics are minimal and simple. The prints are often small, with just a little text. In the 80's and 90's, the style was to wear a large T-shirt and large bottoms for ease of movement and dancing, but in the 2000's, a trend toward smaller T-shirts and larger bottoms was born. This is the style now known as Y2K. However, for this issue, we have selected larger sizes from the viewpoint of "what is cool to wear now. Next is the 2001 model of "Love Parade," one of the world's largest rave events held in Berlin, Germany since 1989.
Love Valade T-shirt, 19,900 yen (Leeloo)
-Is it dead stock, judging from the tanning marks?
Yes, I have a few of them! The previous owner probably kept it folded up, maybe by a window or something. The body is by B&C. As the tag says "EUROPIAN STYLE," it can be found in secondhand clothing over there. Unlike in the U.S., where toughness is appreciated, the fabric is a bit thinner and softer in many cases. The "Love Parade" is usually heart motifs, but there are several other designs that come out each year, so it's worth digging around for. And finally, here is a collection of T-shirts that were worn at events like this.
-Is it a brand name?
The brand, or rather the company that makes them, is all "THE BLACK SHEEP". The ©️ logo is also on the label. I often see rave T-shirts like this, and the graphics on all of them are excellent and cool. The black T-shirt has "LOVE DOVE" printed on it, which is supposed to represent the "white dope" of ecstasy (synthetic drug MDMA) that was popular in the 90s. The print is also a bit off-putting and appropriate. The appropriateness of the print is also "typical" (laugh). The body here is a "Supatees" body, which is sometimes seen in Euro items.
The Black Sheep T-shirt, 19,900 yen (Leeloo)
-This one is only letters, but it still seems to have some meaning.
The Black Sheep T-shirt, 19,900 yen (Leeloo)
This is also an ecstasy story, and "methylenedioxymethamphetamine" is the official name for MDMA. It is somewhat straightforward, but the key point is that it is not obvious at first glance by the use of text formation without line breaks. The "CASHBAY" on the body is also unusual because it is not seen very often. And the third one is "just like that! The third one is "just like that!
The Black Sheep T-shirt, 19,900 yen (Leeloo)
The "e" stands for ecstasy, and "135+BPM" is the tempo of techno. The "e" stands for ecstasy, and the "135+BPM" is a techno tempo, and the words "TEKNO" and "RAVE" are also included. The gradation of the colors on the album is supposed to express the feeling of tripping on drugs. These three records were given to me by a DJ who used to DJ at rave parties in the area in the 80's and 90's and was familiar with the club scene.
-What does Techno Rave T mean to you, Mr. Horiken?
In my mind, music is something that is inseparable from life, and I believe that it is also closely related to today's fashion. For example, Richie Hawtin, a famous British techno musician who also appears in "Love Parade," has composed the show music for the "RAF SIMONS" collection, and the designers of "Balenciaga" and "Vetements," who have been leading the industry for the past few years, have been working for "Ray Pertee" for years. The designers of Balenciaga and Vetements have also been going to rave parties for a long time and still use techno music in their shows.
-What advice do you have for incorporating it?
As I mentioned earlier, in the rave party photo albums of the time, they were worn with baggy pants and ice blue faded jeans. On their feet, they would wear heavy boots or sneakers with a bit of volume. It is also cool to match them with high fashion brands, so I would like to make such suggestions. I myself often wear "Balenciaga" or "Rick Owens" with boots that look a bit shapely on the feet, and I hope that people will enjoy it depending on their mood.
HORIKEN / LeeLoo Owner
The owner of LeeLoo, a store that selects a wide range of "cool clothes" from the 1940s to the 2020s, regardless of age or brand. He proposes the enjoyment of fashion that is possible only in the 2020s, while respecting the culture of each category, and without being bound by genres such as work, military, street, hippie, rock, and high fashion. On May 3 this year, the store relocated from Koenji to Shibuya and reopened.
Instagram:@leeloo_shibuya
