FOCUS IT.] OZISM is back. What is the future of the life project created by these two brilliant men, Jun Takahashi and Takayuki Fujii?

The capsule collection "OZISM" was released last December. It is a serene project born from the daily and intimate interaction between Jun Takahashi of UNDERCOVER and Takayuki Fujii of NONNATIVE.

From the beginning, we had stated that "OZISM" was an ongoing idea, and now we are pleased to announce the release of our second new product. Therefore, we are pleased to present another small talk (small talk, chit-chat) with Jun Takahashi and Takayuki Fujii. Paris, Hayama, fashion, Hayama, and so on.

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OZISM, Crossing the Sea.

In our last interview, we had the opportunity to chat with the two of you about your lifestyle, or rather, your daily stories.

Takayuki Fujii and Jun Takahashi. Non-native and Undercover. What is the narrative of this inevitable collaboration?

I hope to do something like that again this time. First of all, what was the reaction to the release of "OZISM" last year?

Fujii:I was a little worried about whether they would accept my samue or not, but I'm glad they gave me a good response.

After that, you took them to Undercover's women's exhibition in Paris, right?

Takahashi: Yes, that's right. That was in March of this year.

I'm curious to see how people overseas reacted when they saw this collection.

Takahashi:As Fujii mentioned, this is the kind of collection that Japanese people like and dislike. It is not for everyone. Still, there were many people who were interested in Japanese culture, and I think that was a good thing.

Fujii:It was a very new experiment for us, and of course for "Undercover" as well. So it may have seemed a little different to the people who come to see "Undercover.

OZISM" = "Ozu-ism," so is Ozu's name recognized around the world?

Takahashi: I don't know. But I guess you have to be a movie buff to understand.

You also went to Paris Women's Fashion Week in March 2023 for your first overseas presentation, didn't you?

Fujii:Yes. The feeling of the Women's Fashion Week is comfortable for me. It is not rushed.

Takahashi: Right now, the men's fashion week is a bit like a festival.

Fujii:I've never been to the men's side, but looking at your instagram, I get that impression.

Takahashi: It's more like a street celebrity festival. The people who come to the festival are not originally from the fashion world. Women's fashion is not so different in that sense. Mode fashions are presented as usual, and there are people who come to see them. There is not much excitement.

It's true that during the men's fashion week, the whole city seems to be in a state of excitement.

Takahashi: Everyone is going to show themselves off.

Fujii: Like a fashion showdown.

Takahashi: Yes, yes. That's what I've always felt uncomfortable about. Sometimes when I go to the men's section, I feel that kind of atmosphere.

I think there is a good aspect of bringing together people from all walks of life.

Takahashi: It's getting exciting, maybe that's what you mean.

Fujii:Paris, I used to be a bit uncomfortable with it.

Takahashi: Oh, I see.

Fujii:I wonder. Maybe I felt nervous. Now that I am able to go there for work, my feelings may be much different.

Takahashi: Indeed. There's a difference between going there for work and not.

Jonio (Jun Takahashi), do you go somewhere to get inspiration for your creations?

Takahashi:Almost never. I go abroad at least twice a year, so I don't have time to go out much more. I've always been a bit of a stay-at-home kind of person, so I don't like to go outside as much as possible.

Fujii:lol

Takahashi: However, I do go to various places, but I don't want to go there if at all possible (laughs). (laughs) Or rather, I can't really find the right time to go there in the first place.

I wonder when I should take the time to do this.

Takahashi: Yes, it's not easy to get one. So, for example, there are times when I want to go to Thailand, but after the women's show in September, I can't go because the men's show starts right after the women's show.

How did you come up with the story of the tai?

Takahashi: A friend of mine runs a hotel, so we are talking about going there together. Traveling is very tiring, so I can't go often, but as long as it is at the right time and with the right content, I guess. I am sure I will get a lot of inspiration when I go there.

Fujii: Shows and such?

Takahashi: In the case of the show, that term has been imprinted over the past 20 years or so, so the body can respond properly. Including the time difference.

Fujii:Ah, I see. By the way, you were doing men's shows before Corona, and now you are doing women's shows. Which do you feel more comfortable with?

Takahashi: Speaking of seasonal things, men's shows in June are pleasant, aren't they? Well, for me, it's just a matter of which show I want to do, so I thought I wanted to do men's, and at that time (2019 SPRING-SUMMER "THE NEW WARRIORS"〜tilde2020 AUTUMN-WINTER "FALLEN MAN) was doing, and you couldn't do both, so you were taking a break from Women's at that time.

Brown, brown potential.

The new collection that will go on sale this time includes new models, and since it is autumn/winter, there will be more outerwear made of nylon material.

Fujii:Yes, that's right. Then there are things like fine-tuning the shape of the continuations.

The new brown color is impressive.

Fujii:Lately, I feel that brown is the color of the world.

Takahashi: Really? But brown is surprisingly easy to wear. You can wear it as if it were navy.

Do you wear it a lot in everyday life?

Takahashi: I wear it quite a bit. I also wear beige and khaki. But I don't wear a variety of clothes at all. I wear the same clothes all the time and change with the seasons (laughs).

Fujii:Yes, that's true. Once you get hooked on something, you don't tend to stay with it forever, or you don't look for it and buy it. The other day I was buying a lot of things at a store in Kyoto.

Takahashi: That's right. Once I decide on this color and this color in this shape and buy it, that's all I do for that season. I am a designer, but I am not a fashion fanatic.

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In that sense, the "OZISM" collection has many items that can be worn anywhere and anytime.

Takahashi: Yes, that's right. I used to wear this all the time in winter.

It could also be worn when you are painting.

Takahashi: Yes, but I haven't finished it yet. When I paint, the clothes are already a big mess.

That's right.

Takahashi: But that might be cool. It's like going out to eat without changing. In short, it's work clothes.

Fujii:They say that even if it is dirty or grazed, it is still cool. In terms of brown, someone wore a brown suit in an Ozu film. I don't know who it was. I think it was "The Autumn of the Kobayakawa Family.

Takahashi: Eh, I wonder who it is. It looks like someone like Chishu Kasa might be wearing it.

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A must-see, must-read zine.

I heard that you also produced a zine for the "OZISM" 2023AW collection, and the cast is extraordinary.

Fujii:Jonio-san asked me if I would like to put it out, so I made it, and yes, there are some impossible people in it (laughs).

Takahashi: Basically, I asked my friends overseas to appear. I would send them items and ask them to wear them and take pictures. Also, everyone looks good in samue.

Fujii:It doesn't feel different.

And yet, Sean Stussy and all that. It's amazing.

Takahashi: I asked them to take a picture and I also asked them some questions. Takahashi: I asked them to take a picture, and I also asked them a few questions: "What was the most difficult thing in your life? And how did you cope with it? and "What do you usually endure? and "What do you usually endure?

"What do you usually endure?" This is a very good question. I think you can see many things just by answering this question.

Takahashi: It is a question that shows how this person has lived his/her life. Takahashi: The question is "How has this person lived his/her life? They are all old men, so they have a lot of life experience. They have overcome many things, and I think it's cool to see that.

Fujii:People like that really suit you. It's not often that you get into something like this.

You have all but two of the performers from overseas.

Takahashi: It was rather easy. He had done some interesting things in his own way, and considering his age, I didn't have any doubts. At first, there was a Japanese candidate, but..,

Fujii:On the contrary, it was difficult. In the end, we decided to use only people from overseas.

Is this a gift for those who purchase "OZISM"?

Fujii:Yes, that's right.

I'm looking forward to it. I hope everyone will take a look at this zine. By the way, what is the next "OZISM" for 2024SS like?

Fujii:The number of molds will increase considerably. Also, we use Japanese paper as a material.

I see.Previous Interview.But you mentioned Japanese paper.

Takahashi: I would like to continue this "OZISM" steadily and update it a little. In fact, it's okay if there are some things we don't update.

That's right. It is nice to have the first product that you made for a long time.

Takahashi: You noticed it when you used it and wore it, and you are going to improve it or something like that.

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Tokyo and Hayama.

Jonio, how often do you go back and forth between Tokyo and Hayama these days?

Takahashi:Generally, I work in Hayama from Monday to Tuesday. Sometimes I go on Sundays. I hope to start building the house in Hayama this year.

You mentioned that you were going to build a new base of operations.

Takahashi: If I can do that, I will go there more often, and eventually I am thinking of moving there completely. I think I've said this before, but I don't think Tokyo is the best anymore. When I am in Akiya or Hayama, just going to the beach and hanging out is relaxing and great.

Fujii:That's true. When you are in Hayama, you don't feel like you are being chased.

Takahashi: Yes, yes. First of all, cars are slow. When you are over there, you feel a little bit relaxed, don't you? There is nothing to do there. I don't get bored at all.

Fujii: That's right. I always run along the same path.

Takahashi: That's totally fine. Also, there was a festival at Moriyama Shrine the other day. That was great. It was a bit intense. I don't know what it was, community or tradition, but it was like a really nice festival in the countryside, including the atmosphere of the place.

Fujii:I went to quite a few things this summer. Bon dances, for example.

Takahashi: Yes, I did. I saw the Zushi Fireworks Festival, and the Morito and Isshiki Fireworks Festivals. At the Moriyama Shrine festival, there were some young people from the neighborhood association wearing happi coats and such. They were so cool. They had "Isshiki" on the back. I wonder if there is any room for that kind of thing.

Fujii:We are always looking for people who can help us make them, so we can do it once they join us.

It is difficult to get involved in a community like a neighborhood association, isn't it? If a child is going to carry the mikoshi, he or she has to show up at various places.

Takahashi: I grew up in Gunma, and when I was a child, there were neighborhood association festivals and I carried a portable shrine, so I have seen the regional characteristics in the past.

Fujii:There are many children.

Takahashi: Yes, yes. My kids are already country kids. These days, they don't just go two days a week, but they are interested in various places. I'm interested in the indigenous things that have taken root in the area. I'm looking at things on the premise that I'm going to settle down there. That's what makes it interesting. It totally changes the way you look at things.

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When you talk about Hayama, I think it's great that you two seem to be enjoying yourselves. The "OZISM" is the result of communication fostered in such a place, isn't it?

Takahashi: Yes, that's right. In summer, I would wear this to the beach house around 5 p.m., have a couple of beers or highballs, and then walk home and go to bed. That's what I want to do.

That's a nice way to live.

Takahashi: I would paint a picture, go to a local restaurant with the paint still on it, and on the way home take a five-minute look at the ocean. That's the kind of clothes I want to wear as I get older. I don't care if it ends up costing about 5,000 yen for the top and bottom set (laughs).

Fujii: It might be a good idea to ask some uniform manufacturer (laughs).

Takahashi: Like the clothes that all the people and old men in Hayama-cho wear. It would be really cool if we could make something like that. It would be cool if we could make something that has elements that are different from the traditional jinbei and samue. If these clothes can be used in the town, they can go all over the country.

It could be a new form of business.

Fujii: Like the "OZISM Festival".

Takahashi: Uniforms and workwear have not developed well in Japan.

Fujii: It's obvious, isn't it?

Takahashi: Mr. Onozuka (Akira * founder of zucca) does white coats. In my opinion, Mr. Onozuka is a pioneer.

〈〈〈〈〈〈〈〈〈〈〈〈〈firstrow...〉〉)HAKUI〉.

Takahashi: Not to follow up, but I think it's good that Fujii is doing Japanese workwear and Japanese modern in a new way. As for myself, I never thought that I would be so involved in an area like Hayama, but now that I am in such a place, my awareness has changed a lot, and I really hope that it will become a Japanese workwear with a regional flavor. I imagine that this is the final form of this project.

Takahashi: I'm sure this would look great on an old man wandering around the area.

Fujii:There are many old men wearing "Patagonia" in Hayama, aren't there? Maybe you could do something as an extension of that.

Takahashi: Yes, that's right. The Japanese flavor really fits the atmosphere of that area. Maybe we can do something like that next time. Maybe we could have local people, such as the head of the neighborhood association, or cool or interesting local people wear the clothes.

That is an interesting way to get involved.

Fujii:You could start by making something light, like a T-shirt.

Takahashi: Actually, the best thing to do is to find someone to wear samue.

Fujii:I would also like to think of a way to make it a little cheaper. I'd like to make it so that people can get it at a more reasonable price.

I think it is really nice to have clothing that is rooted in the community and with the community. It may take some time to realize this, but I am personally looking forward to it.

Photo_Akio Yamakawa