Avant-garde author William S. Burroughs created  “Interzone” to represent a metaphorical, stateless area loosely based on post war Tangier, which became a haven for criminals, artists, drug smugglers and tax-evading tycoons due to it’s falling between various rules and laws. The head-quarters of Tatsuro Horikawa, the mastermind behind infamous Japanese clothing phenomenon Julius, seems to occupy a similarly ambiguous place.

Prologue

Located somewhere in-between various well-known areas such as big city Shinjuku, shopping paradise Shibuya and trend central Harajuku, Sendagaya is hard to classify and the Julius HQ even harder to find. The Atelier is a concrete bunker, whose entrance can only be found hidden behind tight rows of black, high-powered motorbikes and the designers own “Batmobile” lookalike BMW, which he uses for inspirational runs around the city and to connect him to his factory-like Industrial Art Space on it’s outskirts. Once down the steep stairs, one can enter a concrete warren of black clad disciples all intensely engaged in various aspects of disseminating the Julius Aesthetic into the outside environment. It looks more like an anarchist sect or religious cult than a fashion movement, and in
fact, “fashion” is not really a word that Tatsuro Horikawa cares much about. In the space there is original Horikawa designed metal furniture and several of his own bronze art pieces and paintings as well as giant prints from the latest MA shoot. It is here, that he oversees every aspect of the creation of his collections, from the coating on the denim to the music mixed specially for the cat-walk and the pictures for the look-book. Everything is done in-house and much of it, for example the photography and styling, personally by the designer and his assistants.

The man himself is also difficult to track down. Doing much of his designing very early in the morning and finding much of his inspiration very late at night, early evening is the time he spends in production meetings and testing out new designs. In fact it soon becomes apparent that the designer and his staff are usually dressed head to toe in prototypes from future collections as well as his own archive, resulting in pieces on the Paris runway which have already been road-tested to the limit. When in residence, surrounded by staff, clothed totally in black, covered in esoteric tattouage and with his trade-mark intense gaze, he is instantly recognisable. One might say that his soft spoken voice and shy friendly manner come as somewhat of a welcome surprise.

The Discussion
 

You were born in Kyushu in the south of Japan where the people are supposed to be passionate, energetic and hard-working. Tell about your background.

I was born in Kyushu but I moved to Tokyo as early as possible. Tokyo is very much a part of who I am, but it is not the everyday Tokyo of tourists and salary-men, but more of an alternate Tokyo of the mind. A big influence on my early years was the manga and movie “Akira” which tells of Neo-Tokyo, a post apocalyptic megalopolis. It is this Tokyo which is MY Tokyo, it exists in my consciousness and in the consciousness of a whole generations who saw “Akira” , “Blade Runner” and “Mad Max”. It is a Tokyo shaped by Techno and Industrial Music and underground culture which exists right alongside the “normal” city and I was very much immersed in this kind of cyber-punk reality. My personal background is 100% based in the underground culture and I will always exist here in the Neo-Tokyo underground.

When I was younger and active in the underground rave scene, of course we experienced many problems with authorities, just as did the youth all across the world. Techno was like the second coming of the Punk revolution and a lot of people tried to crush our rebellion. We were doing a lot of experimentation and pushing against the limits of control. I guess this shaped my thinking also.

Neo-Tokyo sounds like the “Interzone” concept of W.S. Burroughs. He once said that he wrote in order to create the world he wished to see exist. Is this why you design?

Well, Julius was born 7 years ago, we just celebrated the 7 year anniversary because 7 is a very special number for us, for many different esoteric reasons. However, to get the whole story about me and about Julius, you need to go way back to 1996, to my first clothing related project, NUKE. Its very much a part of our story and history, but because it was underground and because of language barriers etc. between East and West, people tend to think that Julius suddenly arrived in the last few years and compare us to some of the newer western brands, without knowing just how deep our roots go. I think this is a cause for a lot of confusion when people talk about who did what first, particularly regarding underground culture and the use of industrial motifs, but this was what NUKE was all about.

I was creating artworks immersed deep in the techno underworld. I was going out to these really intense clubs and doing graphics and visuals, graffiti etc. I was reading lots of Burroughs, William Gibson who was the father of cyberpunk, and the graphic work of Moebius and Enki Bilal which included steampunk touches. Eventually we got a lot of requests and decided to print some of the work onto t-shirts and thus Nuke was started in 1996.

Basically, all my work is trying to balance my darker interests; fetishism, Cyberpunk and industrial cultures with the lighter spiritual side of my creation – the Zen and Tibetan Buddhist influence in my work which has lately grown to include the spirituality of many different cultures. But these things all started with Nuke. For Nuke to become Julius was more of a name change, and a change of our company structure. In a way we stopped being a bad boy outfit and became a professional company, but we were and still are pure underground artists and this is never going to change no matter what happens. Even after debuting in Paris and going international I feel that we are closing the circle and I am returning back to my early roots.

 
In addition to the techno and punk influences, Julius famously seems to have very strong industrial and military references.

I have been talking about my very early influences and of course these still have a strong hold on me, but nowadays when I talk about “Industrial”, I am thinking more of people like Richard Serra who works with metals and steel to produce really industrial scale Art pieces. Its very uncompromising stuff and this is my attitude also. There are other visual artists who I talk about a lot when describing my work, like Joseph Beuys and Christian Boltanski who are not so much industrial but are very, very modern. And of course Anselm Kieffer who combines monumental work with an intensely personal spirituality. A balance I wish to achieve also.

The Military aspect is much easier to explain; it gave birth to an aesthetic of practical, functional and very cool minimal clothing which is a central part of what we do. Recently this has become our concept of clothing for urban SURVIVALISM. As times get harder and tougher , as we move further into a Neo-Tokyo type reality, we are creating clothes to deal with the new harsh conditions and to protect our inner sensitivity and spirituality.

In recent years the label has expanded quickly overseas, was this carefully planned or did it happen more on its own and were you happy with the expansion?

Well, I cannot say it was carefully planned because there is always an element of chaos in my work and process which keeps things exciting and fresh. I think this was more just inevitable! The truth is, I always designed with an international idea in my mind. These were not collections made just for Japanese or Asian people, these were expressions of the feeling I wanted to express at the time. As much as I am influenced by my background, I feel like a citizen of the planet and not limited to one cultural outlook or style. There were people around me who urged me to go to Paris, to show as many people as possible what we were actually doing here. They were worried that too many labels were beginning to make their names using some of our ideas and influences but this never really bothered me. People are telling me the same thing about showing our women’s wear again and this is something we are beginning to consider for the near future.

I am happy to reach as many sympathetic people as I can with what we are trying to do. This is the reason for having a runway show. However creating a show each season is difficult because it makes us part of the “fashion game” and we have to play by certain silly rules, some of which we do not particularly respect. In the end it is all worth it if we can make something beautiful and meaningful for the world.

 
So it can be assumed that Paris hasn’t changed Julius?

No, not at all! Except I feel the pressure of always needing to show something “new”. To tell the truth the whole Paris fashion circus is totally not my style. My style is something I take over there, not from it. It does make me try harder to create a space between Julius and other labels. I am happy to try to create greater originality in my creative expression.

How are the Julius garments born?

My process stems from my youth as I have mentioned, everything is a continuation of that but recently my process begins when watching movies, listening to music while driving through the city, traveling and experiencing art. I get a lot of inspiration from the atmosphere of all these things. I try to imagine how certain things and places will look in the near future, the whole environment of these places. What kind of place will NYC be, how will Prague look? and then I guess I begin to sketch what I can imagine and this becomes the basis of the collection and thus reality. Just as Burroughs wrote what he wanted to see, I can design for my future reality. I can create Neo-Tokyo or NYC right here and now or at least in the next 6 months. I take these ideas and together with my team we make them a practical reality.

I am not sure about other labels but as you can see we have been a very strong, close-knit team here that is capable of trying many new and unorthodox techniques in order to produce any effect we may desire. We try to experiment with new techniques and materials as much as possible and try to vary our approach as I definitely believe that no interesting result can come from boring, repetitive methods. We try to do as much as possible in-house and hands on, just like painters and sculptors in their studios. Most of our manufacturing is done here in Japan but we do sometimes outsource special fabrics to places like Italy, when it is absolutely necessary. We also make sample after sample and every member of staff gets to test out any item for practicality, durability and ease of use. If they do not like it, it does not get produced.

 
Recently there seems to have been a slew of similar “dark” labels and designers, some Japanese, some American and more recently some Europeans. One of the things that seem to unite them is the use of draping, something that until recently could usually be found mostly on women’s clothing.

As much as I try not to pay much attention to what others are doing, I think that there is indeed a fundamental difference and I think that is a very important one. As you mentioned “draping” comes from a classical, historic tradition and is usually associated with a feminine, elegant look. I think that this can be seen in the designs of most of the labels you are referring to. Julius does include design which could on first glance conform to this aesthetic. However, I think my design is coming from a very different place and I can sum it up in one word - damage.

When I create a painting, sculpture or item of clothing i am trying to externalize a feeling that I have inside of me and often what I feel inside are very mixed dark emotions; pain, frustration and anger at society. This comes out in the clothing as damage to the structure and to the fabric. I hate the image of conventional beauty and when I see something looking too perfect, I like to attack it and this results in what people see as drape, which is actually a dragging and distortion of the material upon the body of the wearer. The clothes actually have to be well made and high quality because of the punishment that they receive. When I style a photo shoot I really like to drag, twist and manipulate the clothes into new shapes and attitudes. Just like in people, I think that this distressing process is often the best way to expose the soul hidden beneath.

Tell a bit about GOTH_IK, the upcoming FW2010 collection.

The unusual spelling of the theme is very much intentional. Julius has often been compared with Gothic culture and I wanted to explore some of the connections between my design and that world in all its forms. I also wanted to perhaps rescue and rehabilitate the genre whose name seems to have become cheapened and misunderstood in recent times. This is not what people have come to assume from this word. This is MY own personal take on the subject.

People tend to forget that gothic culture encompasses not only the music and an interest in the occult, but also architecture, art, literature and so on. I took time to rediscover these influences and try to juxtapose and combine gothic elements in terms of both the high and low-brow forms - the classical and the sub-cultural sides. So as well as clothing influenced by the eighties darker post-punk groups such as Bauhaus, I also want to combine this with the tailoring of a vampiric dandy and the draping and simplicity of a monk from that era. I want to take it into the abstract. I want to destroy the cliche and to redefine it. I want people to come and see our runway and have their assumptions and expectations challenged with a new perspective.

Epilogue

At this point, it was time for Horikawa to disappear back into the heart of his underground domain to oversee another of the countless projects which seem to constantly be revolving around him. Before he left, we pressed him on a story which sounded like shadowy legend in the face of the hard-edged industry of his (Neo-) Tokyo lair, and one which he had failed to mention when asked about his personal influences or background. A few seasons ago he had, uncharacteristically for a fashion designer, taken the step of posting a protest on the Julius website in solidarity with the people of Tibet in the face of the invasion by the Chinese authorities. When asked about this, he had mentioned a trip to Tibet and I was anxious to hear more details about this and how it had affected him if it was indeed true. Occupied Tibet seems like a long way from either Interzone or Neo-Tokyo for that matter.

At first reticent to go into details, Horikawa eventually revealed that the trip did indeed take place 3 years ago in 2006. He crossed over from China into Tibet in October of that year and then made his way by jeep to Lhasa. There, he spent over 2 weeks in a temple and befriended one of the monks who taught him, amongst other things, over 200 different ways to arrange the traditional Tibetan Buddhist robe (also the source of the Julius “blood” red color). It’s very obvious that he sees this trip as something of a spiritual pilgrimage, a word he often likes to use to describe his collections, and he mentions the fact that he felt closer to what he describes as the spirit of God than he had experienced until that point in his life. He also revealed that through a combination of travel and altitude sickness as well as frequent contact with Tibetan sake, he had ended up in the hospital and in an extremely dangerous state. It is quite obvious that this “secret” episode from the designers life is also one of the most important keys to it and one which explains just as much about what he is doing with his Art as did Beuys’ plane crash in the Crimea, Warhol’s childhood illness or Burrough’s shooting of his wife.

As our actual world and lives become more and more like Julius’ apocalyptic Neo-Tokyo / Interzone visions, one wonders where Horikawa will try to take us in the coming months and if he will ever truly find peace and the balance between the dark and light forces he continues to invoke and use in his creation. 

view the upcoming FW2010 collection for Julius here.   

Written by Marc R.
Edited by Arto M.

Artisanal maker of hand-made garments, Cavarzere Italy based designer Geoffrey B. Small has gained decades of experience using unique and special fabrics for his garments. Small narrates his way through the importance of fabrics and why they are a starting point in his design process.

by Geoffrey B. Small

I can remember vividly the first time I walked into a great clothing store of its time in the 1970’s when I was a teenager. The store was named Louis Boston, and its buyer at that time was a legend named Murray Pearlstein. Above all, I remembered touching and seeing beautiful, understated fabrics and fabric combinations everywhere. Things to wear that I had never seen or thought about before. Some of it was French, some English, some German, some amazingly even from the USA, but the largest variety and invariably the best and most interesting were all from Italy. Pearlstein was one of the first in the US to be bringing in well-made European clothing and upcoming new designers of the time such as Ralph Lauren who was designing a then-spectacular new tie collection called Polo, and Walter Morton, an offshoot collection made by the Hickey-Freeman people in Rochester, New York.

A few years later, I had been bitten by the bug, and decided that come what may, I would dedicate myself very seriously to trying to make a career somehow, in possibly designing and creating clothes like this. You see I had fallen in love… with clothes.

Great clothes, that is.

By that time, an upstart new fashion movement in Milan was setting the new standards of cutting-edge design in the world and I was working hard at studying all of the best players working there way before most anyone in the US had ever heard of them. At the heart of the new Milan movement was the ability for ambitious designers to have access to an extensive Italian textile industry capable of making the most beautiful and innovative fabrics for them to work with in their new collections.

And perhaps the importance of fabric was best exemplified to me by two examples then who would later become mega-names and household words in fashion: Giorgio Armani and Missoni.

Missoni was being designed and run back then by its founders Tai and Rosita Missoni, and their work during the 70’s was legendary. They were specialists in textiles and knitwear, and they were popping off the most amazing patterns, colors and textures on machines in Sumirago near Varese, and then rockin’em during the then early-fledgling industry fashion weeks being held in Milan. Their fabric was their knits, and they were beautiful different from what Missoni is doing today). Each one was a masterpiece, and that was the key to their whole story. The fabric. You could make anything with that stuff, even underwear, and sell it at any price. You had to be a design idiot to blow it. Whatever you decided to make out of those materials, would be beautiful…and sellable. So they were doing simple classic shapes, cardigans, V-neck and crew-necks, some dresses etc. The garment designs themselves were basically nothing new or special…classic maybe the best word. The fabric was everything. With the Missonis, I learned fabric lesson Number One in design: fabric is 90 percent of a garment design. Start with a great fabric and combine it even with a mediocre no-brainer design, and it will still work. You’ll end up with a piece that can be sold for a very high price in small quantities without a problem or for a lower price in large quantities—what we call a “hit” or a “winner” in the industry. But try and do the reverse, and you will very likely not get the same results. A spectacular design no matter how great and original, done in a mediocre or cheap fabric will almost always remain a mediocre or cheap garment, and remain just as difficult to sell and get people to like. And that goes double once you actually put on the garment and feel it on you and your skin.

The key concept is that the fabric is more important than the “design,” –if you view the “design” as your sketch or shape and proportion alone. This is a common mistake among a lot of designers, they think the sketch is the thing. But a sketch cannot be worn by anyone, and the sketch can only represent what can actually be executed in the cloth. So masters always work with the cloth in mind first. Even if they are great sketchers. They will draw their designs with the cloth already in their mind.

The late Christian Dior’s method is a fine example. Dior was as good a sketcher as any designer that has ever lived. But to believe that his drawings were not totally based first on his fabric decisions is a great mistake. After finishing a collection, he would start very early on the next collection, going over fabric offers and ordering sample bolts of fabric from the fabric houses. The bolts would arrive within a few weeks, and Dior would take a good look at all of them and then “go on vacation.” Actually, he would disappear for weeks on end, somewhere in France. Nobody in the entire company could, find him and as they had more and more millions of dollars at stake on him alone each season, many would begin to worry and panic that he was dead or something. I believe he was facing enormous stresses and trying to escape so he could clarify his mind and think.

Created and backed by the giant French textile magnate Marcel Boussac, he was the world’s first industrial fashion designer. Before any of us even walked. he was having to deal with the intense growing pressures of a new post-war industrial fashion system where a single designer’s ideas and decisions could either continue to provide work to thousands of people or leave them suddenly jobless each time he had to decide which design to do with what fabric…and face the myriad of hundreds of visual and technical decisions that go into making a real designer collection.

The pace and scale of this industrial cycle are both very intense and unnatural, and if you don’t watch out it can kill you. And that’s what happened to Dior.

He died at 50, only 10 years after the house was founded in 1947. The “escapes” were very likely his nervous breakdowns, and his attempts to save himself and think clearly enough to form the framework of the next collection while there was still time. He would be drawing both during this time in secrecy and upon his re-appearance in Paris—all after he had that very good look at the new fabrics before his escape. The fabrics were imprinted in his mind, and at the right moment, away from the madness in Paris and the Avenue Montaigne headquarters bearing his name, he could begin to draw the concepts of the garments knowing exactly which fabrics were going to be used for which designs.

Like all great masters, Christian Dior put fabric first as the foundation of his design work.

Balenciaga: “ down to the last centimeter–no more, no less.”

For masters, the master of masters is Balenciaga. Not to be mistaken with what is being called Balenciaga today . The real Balenciaga was a real human being named Cristobal Balenciaga, and he founded and ran the greatest couture house in the history of the métier. When he was still alive, the great Christian Dior himself called him “The Master of us all.” I do too. He was a contemporary of Dior when he was alive and he ruled the Paris fashion weeks so much, that he created his own; and showed consistently a full month after all the other designers had finished… forcing international clients and buyers to make an entirely separate trip to Paris every season just to see his new work.

And for them, it was more than worth it. Unlike Dior, Balenciaga could not draw well, and had to employ someone else to sketch, but boy could he make clothes. And just like Dior, he started first with his fabric houses before deciding anything. He was legendary among the fabric companies for knowing exactly how many meters to order of each fabric as soon as he looked over them. No more, no less. As a master craftsman, he was the only major couturier in Paris who could sew and make his own garments himself, as such, he knew the exact fabric usage lengths in his head for every design he made. So, when he told the great Swiss silk maker Abraham for example, an exact length to send him of a fabric as he was looking at their collection, he knew exactly what design he was going to make with that fabric….in his head. Fabric came first, then the design it would be executed in. And with a watchmaker’s efficiency, he was able to immediately order the exact length of cloth needed to make the prototype and the pieces for his exact couture clients he knew would buy the design once they saw it. No more, no less. Not a centimeter of waste.

Unlike almost all of the great Paris couture houses, Balenciaga did not lose money in his couture operations, and as a result did not need to license and sell the name to all sorts of product lines and deals. Instead, he made a fortune just making and selling some of the greatest pieces of clothing ever made. He never licensed, closed and retired voluntarily, and never intended his name to be used again for anything else except for the work done in his lifetime. Work which set the standard for all other clothing designers to follow.

Balenciaga was no accident, he came to Paris in his forties from Spain after personally starting up and running an operation involving 3 successful couture houses over 20 years in San Sebastian, Barcelona and Madrid. Technically, operationally, financially, and artistically, he was perhaps the best prepared couturier to ever attempt to found a Paris couture house, bar none. And his success is a testament to such preparation.

 
The New Industrial Fashion Design Movement

A few years after Balenciaga retired, another great master was just beginning one of the greatest careers in the history of the field. But unlike Balenciaga, he was of a new age and era that had nothing to do with couture, but had grown out of the licensing and ready to wear industries pioneered by the Christian Dior, Pierre Cardin, and Yves Saint Laurent businesses. He was by far, the most prepared industrial-style designer to ever enter the field and like Balenciaga, he would eventually dominate the industry for several decades.

His preparation was flawless, and involved 20 years of work prior to starting his own label. Dropping out of medical school in his twenties, he started working in retail at La Rinascente, Italy’s 2nd largest department store chain. He worked there for years, climbing up to buyer and then eventually becoming fashion director of the chain. Like Ralph Lauren who began his career with Brooks Brothers, his intimate knowledge of corporate retail and how it worked would play a key role in building a massive and unprecedented distribution for a designer brand in the years ahead.

And like all great masters, he knew his fabrics very, very, well. Spurred by his close friend and eventual partner, an architect named Sergio Galleotti, in the mid-1960’s, he answered a help wanted notice in a Milanese newspaper for a design job at a growing new collection called Hitman that had been created by Nino Cerruti. Nino Cerruti was the grandson of the founder one the great Biella fabric-weaving houses. Founded in 1881, the Cerruti’s had grown from copying the best English wools and providing them to tailors in every Italian town and city, to supplying the growing new ready to wear factory-made clothing industry that was rebuilding Italy into one of the new European boom economies after the war. Cerruti was ambitious, and had risked the entire family fortune on not only supplying the fabrics, but buying the garment factories, and making the clothes too. And something in Paris had caught his attention.

An ex-assistant at Christian Dior who had witnessed the first licensing deal in history there had set off on his own to make his own couture house and fortune in the mid 1950’s. But by this time, couture houses were many and business was not easy for the new startup. After several years of struggle, the young couturier, changed course, and changed fashion forever. Rather than only pursue haute couture for women, he literally invented the concept of men’s designer fashion, and it would be based in a new growth industry of ready to wear and licensing instead of artisanal couture. By the mid 1960’s Pierre Cardin was one of the biggest stars in global fashion and at the head of a whole new exploding market: men’s designer label fashion. He parlayed his accounting background with the first licensing deals he saw at Dior and was focused on becoming the king of licensing. By the mid 1960’s the cutting-edge “new french designer menswear” was the coolest look on the planet, and no less than four out of every five neckties sold in France had Pierre Cardin’s name on it. Cardin would go on to build a billion dollar brand with over 900 licensees in 90 countries and become one of the richest men in France.

None of this went unnoticed in Italy by the young and ambitious Nino Cerruti. The concept of ‘designer’ and ‘Paris’ was the key for his next big move. In 1966, Valentino Garavani had broken the barrier for an Italian to show in Paris with his immensely successful “White collection” during the women’s Couture week. So Cerruti had vision and bet everything in 1967 on his first men’s show and a new shop on the Place Madeleine named Cerruti 1881. Several years earlier as Cerruti himself had to be 100 percent focused on the new Paris venture, he had needed someone else to manage the existing ready to wear collections that he had created that were already being produced in Cerruti-run factories using Cerutti woven cloth, and sold in the Italian market under the label “Hitman”. And so the help wanted notice was run in the newspapers in Milan looking for that person.

The legend is that the job interview lasted only a few minutes. The young fashion director of La Rinascente, Giorgio Armani, was escorted into Nino Cerruti’s office and stood in front of him as Cerruti was seated behind his desk. Cerruti was said to have looked at him up and down, head to toe, paused a moment, and said “well, you look alright.” Then, he reached into a folder and pulled out 10 different samples of fabric, put them on the desk, and instructed the applicant to select which fabrics he liked and which fabrics he did not like. After looking over the pieces briefly, Armani made his selections and stood back waiting for a response. “You’re hired,” Cerruti said, “you will be responsible for designing our Hitman collections.”

The entire decision was based upon fabric knowledge and taste.

Once again, fabric came first. And Cerruti was making history during this time. His Paris launch was a landmark success, and suddenly men’s designer fashion was not just coming out of French houses like Pierre Cardin, Daniel Hechter, Yves Saint Laurent, Dior, Lanvin and Ted Lapidus…but now the first Italian had entered the fray very successfully and Nino Cerruti would become a household name in men’s fashion, even in America, by the early 1970’s.

Armani would work for 6 entire years at Cerruti, and there he would learn the other half of his spectacular preparatory foundation that would enable him to build what would eventually become a 5 billion dollar a year empire under his own name. Cerruti was a great master and he taught Armani the lessons of his revolutionary vertically integrated designer concept which could design and make everything from the cloth to the clothes to selling through its own stores. Above all, more than just about any other designer in the history of the field, Armani really learned about fabric and its total production process at Cerruti. After all, it was the roots of the family business.

I will never forget digging through a L’Uomo Vogue magazine in 1978, that I had just spent about 20 dollars on when I was a student (I grew up in Boston, and that was an enormous sum for a magazine at the time) and finding a 2-paragraph interview with no photos buried in the back pages on a then practically unknown new avant-garde up and coming designer in Milan who was doing some great work and beginning to be talked about in informed industry circles. His name was Giorgio Armani and he said “To be a competent designer today and for the future requires that one knows and master every aspect of the process from the creation and making of the fabric and texiles, to pattern making, cutting and clothing manufacture, to distribution, and then selling through on the retail floor. Only by mastering all elements of the entire process will one be able to adapt to and withstand all the competition and challenges that will present themselves now and in the future.” I was permanently influenced and inspired by those words and their fundamental reality and integrity. I didn’t know it then, but even though it was one of Giorgio Armani’s very first press quotes, that was Nino Cerruti talking too.

One of the first retail store customers to ever buy my collection back in 1993 was a legendary buyer named Charles Gallay. Gallay was one of the greatest avant-garde buyers of all time and worked in Los Angeles, where he had an intense rivalry with a rival store whose very recognizable name I will not mention in this text. Gallay was the first buyer in America to bring in designers such as Jean-Paul Gaultier, Azzedine Alaia, Martin Margiela, Comme des Garcons, Yohji Yammamoto, myself and Rick Owens to the American market. A visionary maverick, Gallay would find and buy the lines first based upon his passion and convictions alone, and then by sheer force of will and talent, proceed to convince the market to go a new way, one movie star or Hollywood producer at a time. Once the market had been built, the famous rival store would come in and take the line as well and make a killing with it commercially. The rivalry was a fierce one, and at times even bitter, Charles would find the designer and build the market, the famous rival would make the money and take the credit.

And in Milan in 1975, Charles Gallay was also the first to buy Giorgio Armani’s very first collection, and he recounted his experience years later…. “in a tiny room with a single light bulb hanging down over a table of fabric swatches, it was just the 2 of them, Sergio and Giorgio. Sergio Galleotti wrote the order with me and Giorgio was right there looking over my shoulder–checking all the fabric selections that were being made for the order and making sure that he liked them.” Even for Armani’s very first customer in the United States, fabric was first once again.

Armani changed and dominated men’s fashion for almost 2 decades, and at the heart of this influence was his use of fabrics. Natural subtle quiet colors that from a distance never shocked but upon closer inspection surprised the viewer. He took or reinvented the best of classic fabrications from Italy’s thriving textile industry and presented them to a growing and affluent world designer label market that he had very much helped to create and develop. Combined with a very precise reinterpretation of 1940’s and later early 50’s American and European clothing style, he was able to forge a look that was able to successfully transition from its ultra avant-garde introductions in the late 1970’s to a mass market worth over a billion-dollars by 1990…influencing an entire generation of menswear and later, womenswear too.

The importance of fabric in great clothing design is both obvious and fundamental. And it fueled the enormous designer made-in-Italy boom during the 1980’s where the biggest names achieved unprecedented sales volumes of hundreds of millions and even billions of dollars-a-year.

Yet even by the middle of the 1990’s, few designers, even in the highest echelons were giving it the quality and priority it truly deserved any more . Part of this had been a result of consistent, dragging industrial-costing pressures where many of us in the field had been conditioned into prioritizing the saving of every possible fraction of a penny, on every meter of cloth used in the design of any article, that will be put in a collection that was intended to be sold and produced.

Another part, had been the constant introduction of synthetic yarns and fibre contents in the materials from textile producers to achieve various characteristics like shine, stretch, weather-proofing, and also costs. Many very successful designers went with this flow and developed creative uses of these new industrial “high-tech” fabrics including Prada, Helmut Lang, and even Comme des Garcons and Margiela. Armani himself had also championed many of these types of fabrics with synthetic components beginning in the mid to late 1980’s. All of these effects seemed logical in an industrialized global market with a sizable middle and upper middle class interested and capable of buying designer clothes and fashion.

But then all of a sudden, the whole world started to change….

End of Part 1

Located in the Salesas district of downtown Madrid – a mostly residential area with a handful of small shops scattered here and there – Suus is a small boutique selling exclusively men’s footwear and accessories in a niche market.

Accessories-only stores, particularly for men, are a rare find nowadays as such boutiques often cater either to a very traditional style of footwear, or are an outlet for a specific brand. So it’s no wonder that the owners of Suus, one previously involved in fashion and the other in furniture design, acknowledged the idea as somewhat risky. But as they’ve found out, the concept has proven successful. “We’ve been very happy with the response”, says co-owner Raul. “Now we actually have ladies complaining of not having a similar location catering to them in the city.”

Suus was simply born out of the desire of having a retail space specifically for men, with the focus being on shoes and accessories. “This is our first experience in retail, it was a risky idea, especially for a men’s store. But we think that a great pair of shoes is the most important piece in a wardrobe” Raul explains. “We believe a unique concept like this works. Besides, nowadays it’s a real luxury to be involved with something you love doing.”

Inside Suus, the space is divided into two zones; the entrance space where pieces are on display, and an elevated space in the back providing more privacy. The well lit interior, featuring clean geometric lines and a dark wooden floor, was redesigned upon opening the store, but certain elements like the old marble stairs were preserved.

The footwear carried by Suus varies from more classic styles from NDC Made by Hand and Giorgio Brato to more edgy design from Japanese labels The Viridi-Anne and Julius, alongside artisanal European labels such as Maurizio m.a+ and Augusta. Bags and accessories from the same labels complement the footwear selection. “We are always searching for new and inspiring products, the market is so narrow that we are obliged to refresh our offer to our customers each season” Raul says. When starting off, the store carried some more known labels, which would be recognized for not just quality but also a name. “Now we try to focus simply on quality. We enjoy working directly with the designers, to exchange opinions and improve together, you can’t do this with big names. Some of our customers don’t necessarily know the labels we carry, but they appreciate the design and quality involved.”

This coming season, Suus will continue to evolve as it brings a handful of new labels to it’s customers in Madrid, including Japanese labels Individual Sentiments and Devoa alongside Damir Doma. Additionally, the owners hint about the lack of a clothing store in the city to complement Suus. “We just might go for it”, Raul ponders.

Residing between New York and Germany, artist Robert Knoke has gained recognition for his extensive series of portraits featuring a range of subjects from cultural figures to fashion icons. Following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, both painters, Knoke knew what he’d do from an early age.

Growing up in his father’s studio in Hanover, Germany, Knoke never thought of doing anything else than becoming an artist. It was only later during his studies that he found out that “artist” might not be a real profession and that he’d eventually need to study something “real”, which he never did. After finishing school he studied art for a year, but decided to leave after a year, travelling to see family he had in New York. He ended up staying for a while and since then, travelling has become an important aspect of his work. Knoke’s encapturing black and white portrait series features a wide array of people, ranging from fashion personalities like Rick Owens and Bernhard Willhelm to artists such as Terence Koh and musicians Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince of The Kills. Done with conventional tools like ballpoint pens and markers, the series has been an ongoing project for him since 1991. It has since been displayed at Ruff Club New York and Apartment Gallery in Berlin.

What sparked your interest towards portraits?
I think I just like to meet people. Working as a painter is a very lonely job so by choosing this subject matter, I can get a little company. I used to do different kind of works before, such as video installations, photo collages, performance stuff and so on. The portrait series was always a side project, I never showed it. It grew slowly since 1991. Three years ago, I decided to just work on the portraits. Now, its developing into different directions; I did a music video for my friend, DJ and musician Spencer Product, and it became a “moving portrait“ of him. I like to work in that medium a lot, so I will probably continue doing music videos in the future as well.

Tell a bit about your work process.
I always have to meet the person first and take photos myself, that is the first step. I have to see what kind of look and expression I want to get. Then later I do the drawing alone by myself. It kind of irritates me to have someone sitting in front of me, so I really prefer to take photos first and work from them. When I start drawing, I forget about the person and really try to focus only on the drawing. So it’s not really about a portrait anymore. I don’t even like the term “portrait“ when describing my work; I draw people but at the end, it’s not about the person anymore. It’s only me, markers and a paper. That’s it. I’m only concerned about the quality of the drawing – that the lines, strokes, fingerprints and smudges I leave on the paper are strong enough to make the images striking. But in the process of drawing, I try not to think too much. Thinking is very contra productive. It happens or it doesn’t.

There seems to be somewhat of a focus on fashion personalities in your portraits alongside musicians.
Most of my subjects introduce me to other people, so that is the reason why everybody in my series is somehow connected with each other. I’m not particularly focusing on fashion personalities. But as soon as you step into that world, you get in touch with so many people. It just happened over the last 2 years, in which I got introduced to the fashion world. Music, art and fashion are very connected to each other any way. I’m doing Leo Fitzpatrick’s portrait soon, he is an actor and an artist.

You mentioned that you photograph the people yourself, how much interaction overall is there between you and the person you’re drawing?
Hmm.. That is hard to say because it really doesn’t matter in the end, whether there is much interaction or not. That might sound funny but I think it’s true. It’s of course always a pleasure to meet my subjects. We have fun doing the photos but when it comes to the drawing process, it doesn’t matter if I had a good time with them or
not. Since I’m not photographing for a magazine, I don’t really need to create a certain mood to bring something out of a model. The shoot is actually very simple and quick, it’s not so good when someone starts to pose too much. I like it very minimal and simple. As long as my subjects don’t start to smile on the photos, everything is cool. The rest is just up to me. So, if a drawing doesn’t work out, it’s not about my subjects. That is my problem. I can’t really explain this. It’s just like any other artistic work I would do. I could draw an apple instead of a head. It either turns out to be strong or it turns out to be weak. So my drawings are not dependent on the subjects. It’s just more entertaining for me to meet people than apples.

Is there anyone in particular you’ve been fascinated to work with?
I can never tell, if the portrait will turn out great or not. So I like to always have someone new in front of me. But sometimes I do a couple of drawings from one person, like Terence Koh or Casey Spooner. I’m working with Casey on a separate series. He always looks different and that is a great challenge for me, it’s quite hard to do a portrait of someone who has so many faces. So with Casey, I just decided to do more. So every half a year we meet and I do a new one. I also like his company, he is a very intelligent person.

Last month I met with Debbie Harry. That was really great! She is such a legend and I feel very honored that she wanted to do this with me. I will start on the drawing soon. This is of course a big challenge for me, because Andy Warhol has done a portrait of her.

What has the response from the subjects been like?
I guess good. You’d have to ask the subjects. Since I’m not super famous, I guess everybody I do portraits of, really believe in my work. I mean they kind of know of what they are getting into.
 

Robert Knoke will show at Teapot Gallery in Cologne on February 11th-March 13th, and is doing an Installation for Seven New York during NY Fashion Week. View more of his work on on his Facebook page.

Updated for 2010 – Whether or not Paris lives up to its image of romanticism could be argued at length, but the atmosphere certainly is among the best in the world. The city needs no introduction – here are our picks for shopping, eating, drinking and acccomodation.

 
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L’Eclaireur rue Herold | The store which on its own is already a reason to visit Paris. An avant-garde boutique with a world wide influence, the original Place Des Victoires store is the most secluded of all L’eclaireur locations scattered around  the city.  The large unmarked door on rue Herold leads into a dark corridor and on towards a space slightly resembling an old inner courtyard. The interior itself is amazing, and so are most of the designers stocked here ranging from long time affiliates such as Carol Christian Poell to relatively new designers like Boris Bidjan Saberi. 10 rue Herold.

L’Eclaireur rue Malher | While the exterior actually has a visible sign, the interior might be confusing at first.
The first room is filled with Diptyque candles and has two large glass walls leading into the second room. Here, you’ll find the likes of Ann Demeulemeester, Rick Owens, Yohan Serfaty and Balenciaga among many others. 12 rue Malher.

Damir Doma | In march 2009, Damir Doma finally compensated for a minimal presence in his home town by opening a flagship boutique in Le Marais. The boutiqe houses a fair selection of his collection, as well as the label’s offices in the back. 6 rue des Arquebusiers.

Rick Owens Palais Royal | Until recently the only Rick
Owens store in the world, the original flagship is a brainchild of the eccentric designer located in the beautiful Palais Royal. Equipped with a life sized wax figure of the man himself, the store has all the ranges from Mr. Owens for men and women and is well worth a visit. Stock, however, varies a lot, so don’t expect to find every piece from the current collection. 130-133 Galerie de Valois.

Colette | While Colette has traditionally been hailed as the forerunner of all concept boutiques, other will say that it has seen its best days. Either way, here you will find a gallery of high profile designer garments, street wear, books, art and gadgets all under one roof. 213 rue Saint-Honoré.

Maria Luisa | Sadly the mens wear extension of this classic boutique has been closed, but Maria Luisa Femme still operates under a single location, housing designers such as Ann Demeulemeester, Haider Ackermann, Jil Sander and many other notable names. 7 rue Rouget de L’Isle.

Le Bon Marche | Out of the few large department stores, Le Bon Marche is the one most worthy of a visit. Their women’s section in particular is quite impressive with reasonably sized selections from Ann Demeulemeester, Rick Owens and Martin Margiela. Unfortunately the men’s department is not nearly up to par with the selections from the likes of Stephan Schneider and The Viridi-Anne being very limited. 24 Rue de Sèvres.

Les Archives de la Presse | For any fans of old literature, this place is a must. Vintage magazine editions from decades ago, old newspapers, retro posters and other neat stuff. 51 rue des Archives. lesarchivesdelapresse.com

Yohji Yamamoto | After making way for a dedicated Y-3 boutique on the Etienne Marcle location, Yamamoto’s other lines have found a new home on Rue du Louvre around the corner. Most Yohji fans will be quite happy that the two worlds are no longer mixed in one space. 25 rue du Louvre.

BLESS | The other main storefront of the quirky German label. As their Berlin location, the Paris boutique also carries a moderate selection of their peculiar clothing and accessories. 14 rue de Portefoin.

Martin Margiela | While the label isn’t in the hands of the man himself, the Paris store follows the traditional Margiela style with an all white interior and a secluded location. The store carries all the MMM lines and even though the label can be found in several other shops in Paris, their own stores tend to a carry a better selection, particularly accessories. 23 rue de Montpensier.

 
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Le 404 | located in the 3éme, this secluded Moroccan restaurant offers authentic cuisine in a dimly lit setting. The dining area is fairly small but cozy. Two settings a night, reservation is advised. 69 rue Des Gravilliers.

Andy Wahloo | Small and intimate bar jointly located with Le 404 restaurant. Good vibe and friendly people, the inner courtyard joining the two places is a great place to sit and hang.

Tokyo Eats | Situated in Palais De Tokyo, this place is quite popular among the hip art crowd. The mixed cuisine food is nice and thanks to the rather large space it occupies, getting a table is fairly easy without a reservation. Go here before or after roaming through the gallery. 13 avenue du Président Wilson.

Le Baron | It’s always a scene at this small club frequented by the hip and the beautiful. After waiting a while to get in you might notice that the door policy and line is more of a status symbol, but the place can almost guarantee a good night out. 6 avenue Marceau.

Pop In | A small, somewhat hole-in-the-wall spot with a focus on a variety of rock, folk and indie music, including live performances multiple times a week.  105 rue Amelot.

Pied de Cochon | They’ve stayed true to their name at this 24h cult spot; probably all the plates have pork in some form. The place has stayed continuously open in the Les Halles location since the opening in 1947, attracting many celebrities along the way. Perfect stop after a long night out. 536 rue Duluth est.

 
 
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Palais De Tokyo | The Quai De Tokyo building was built in 1937 to house a modern art museum, it served similar purposes all the way until 1999, when it was turned into a contemporary art “project”. The centre houses a large museum space with ever changing quirky exhibitions, a good restaurant, a small boutique with random displays of art, toys and clothing; and a book store with a good selection of publications ranging from graffiti to architecture to fashion magazines. Open from noon to midnight, the Palais is a great stop any time of the day, but especially at night. 13 avenue du Président Wilson. palaisdetokyo.com

Grande Arche de la Défense | While the surrounding business district might not be the most exciting thing to see, the Grande Arche is worth a look if you have an extra hour or two. The gigantic landmark is interestingly built and offers great views down towards Champs Elysées. 

Tour De Eiffel | As much of a tourist trap as it is, the tower is still a magnificent piece of architecture and offers an exceptional view. If you have the time and are willing to stand in line for a bit, take the elevator ride early in the evening to catch both the sunset and the night time view of the city.

Other | Paris is filled with exquisite buildings, art galleries, sights, churches, museums, parks and other things to see, which is why we wont even try to attempt to list them. Pick up a travel guide for the essentials, we recommend the Time Out Shortlist.

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Hotel Recamier | A small and recently renovated hotel literally steps away from Saint Sulpice. Quiet and discreet location, classically stylish rooms, great service. You can’t ask for more. 6 place Saint Sulpice.

Le Relais Saint-Honoré | If you’ve walked around the area, chances are you’ve spotted the charming facade of this small, cozy and perfectly located hotel. Rooms are tiny but if you can live with that, its the perfect spot. 308 rue Saint-Honoré. sainthonore.free.fr

Apartment Rentals | A very useful option in addition to hotels, Paris is filled with rental apartments for both shorter and longer stays. In addition to privacy and a more homey stay, apartments can be often situated in areas that don’t have a good selection of hotels. Check out Feel Paris and Paris Attitude for listings.

Residing and working in Italy, Japanese designer Issei Fujita has always been influenced by the traditional simplicity of clothing in his native country. He has translated this into Lumen et Umbra, through which he creates garments combining traditional craftsmanship with unique and innovative techniques.

Rewinding back about 12 years, Fujita, in his twenties at the time, came across garments from Maurizio Altieri’s Carpe Diem on a visit to a boutique in Osaka. Immediately fascinated by the work, he made the bold choice to travel to Italy to meet the man behind the label. In 1999 he began working for the label, doing research on materials and visual merchandising, feeding his passion for travelling with various people involved in the label.  The experience of working on various stages of the creative process was essential to him, influencing his creative approach and laying the foundations for his label, Lumen et Umbra – “light and shadow” in ancient Latin.

Fujita’s earliest fashion related influences stem from childhood memories, sparking his interested to create his own clothing. “My mother always liked clothes from Comme des Garcons and Yohji Yamamoto. As a child, I saw her wearing these brands to express herself”, he reminisces.

In 2005, after working with Carpe Diem for six years, Fujita began working on a personal project related to clothing and photography, another passion of his. “I discovered a special technique to print on fabrics and other materials. I decided to start a small t-shirts collection, playing with light and shadows, in black and white.” In March 2006, he presented his small collection in Paris under the name Lumen et Umbra. The range of t-shirts utilizing a special printing technique was the first showcase from him as a photographer and designer, the presentation also featured a video produced by a very good friend of his, Alessandro Tinelli.

Lumen et Umbra began growing into more of label, with latter collections featuring a wider selection of garments from knit pieces to outerwear. His interest towards materials has led to extensive research in order to develop unique fabrics and methods to work with them. “I’m trying to mix materials used in the old times with new technologies. The Orbace is one of these; it’s a strong wool fabric made by a special craftsmanship and used during the Roman Empire making soldier’s clothes, it’s actually water-resistant.”

Another unique material from the current season is hemp harvested from Abaca plants, often used for ropes, fishing nets as well as specialty paper due to it’s natural characteristics of strength, flexibility and also water resistance. “I always like to test innovative treatments on experimental fabrics”, Fujita says. In the upcoming Lumen et Umbra collection, part of the knitwear range utilizes paper yarn while some pieces have carbon and metal mixed with natural materials like wool, cashmere, silk and cotton. The use of carbon in particular is a very unusual idea; when examining the garments up close one can see black streaks of fibres within the knit, whereas metal fibres create a crumbled effect on materials that still feel soft and luxurious.

Treatments are another significant element in the garments, such as airbrushing to create a unique texture on knit fabrics. “All these finishes are done by hand, one by one” Fujita explains. “I work with a team of people skilled in treatments, every collection has a special peculiarity that we work with.” All the work is created in Italy, different processes taking place in different locations, with Fujita following all the stages to build the final result. “I’ve had the chance to work with small factories that have an excellent tradition in manufacturing, we have a really close relationship with some of these craftsmen that we collaborate with.”

The label talks about Fujita’s personal style and his fascination with Japanese simplicity, combined with living his western reality. “What I am trying to do is to create a link between past and present, wildlife and big cities, tradition and modernity.” Inspired by everyday life and his passion for travelling, he hopes to see his aesthetic adapted rather than consumed. “I would like for people to approach my collection and wear my clothes with their personal style in mind”.

visit www.lumenetumbra.biz
view the current f/w09 collection on scoute.blog
 

Interviewed by Arto M.

Creator of his namesake label and its counterpart Attachment, Japanese designer Kazuyuki Kumagai has been crafting his clothing business for a  decade. He entered the world of fashion working with Issey Miyake, eventually creating his own label that has succeeded both in Japan and overseas.

Kumagai was born in Aichi-Ken – a Japanese prefecture located in the centre of the main island of the Japanese Archipelago. A centre of Japan’s automotive and aerospace industries, it’s main city Nagoya is famous for being the home of automotive giant Toyota. In a way, Nagoya could be described as a kind of Japanese Detroit, an environment which may well have influenced Kumagai’s penchant for an industrial feeling in his designs. In his early years, the designer’s main passion was Kendo – the “way of the sword” – a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, Kenjutsu. It is a physically and mentally challenging activity which perhaps prepared Kumagai with the discipline necessary to become a designer.

While working at Issey Miyake, Kumagai’s specialty was researching alternative new techniques and materials from industrial and medical fields amongst others, later becoming the assistant designer at the esteemed label. This experience has also fed into the creation of his own brand, which nowadays takes form in two labels, Attachment which is more focused on Japan’s domestic market and Kazuyuki Kumagai, the international diffusion line carrying his own name.

How did the label’s story begin?
15 years ago Japan was at a major turning point. It was the beginning of the end of the so called economic “bubble” era. I felt that the eighties movement exemplified by the Holy Triumvirate of Yohji, Issey and Comme was about to come to an end, and a new fashion movement combining both street and high fashion elements was needed. This became Attachment; a label utilizing traditional Japanese fabrics and techniques and combines them with the latest design and street style. We used unique methods such as tanning with Persimmon juice, and materials such as a fabric that was traditionally used to construct bags to filter sake, for example.

What drove you to create Attachment?
At the time when I started the label in 1999, there were very few new young Japanese labels. There was a boom of import designers and then there were the street culture influenced brands such as A Bathing Ape. I tried to create a new type of Japanese label which had the best of both worlds. We started as a very small independent company and in many ways we still are.

How did the process carry on?
Straight away we were picked up by the influential Tokyo select store United Arrows, this led to popularity and us being able to develop our own following. After 3 years we were able to open our own small store here in Daikanyama and begin to develop our own brand identity and our own design world. Part of this was creating our own Attachment Magazine with long time collaborator, photographer / designer / film maker Mote Sinabel. The magazine allowed me to work with and introduce young new underground musicians to our clients; Babyshambles, Dirty Three, The Rapture etc. We also got to travel and expose the scenes in different cities such as Paris, London and NYC. We got to shoot the re-union tour by Bauhaus and I ended the project on a high note by doing an issue with Blixa Bargeld of my favorite band Einstuerzende Neubauten in his home city of Berlin. I knew I could not beat that so we stopped just before we did the runway in Paris. Most of the time, the development of the brand runs parallel to my interest in industrial and rock music. This influence has grown stronger as the brand has carried on.

Tell a bit about the decision to diffuse the label into two lines.
We debuted the label as Attachment in Paris in 2006 and showed in a gallery with installations and musicians. After a couple of seasons I decided it was time to make a runway show and really show the international market and press what the label was all about. I am a big fan of high quality, real clothes – basic items such as military inspired pieces, biker jackets etc, and these have always been extremely successful for us here in Japan. However, I realised that to make a successful runway debut and really reach the international market I would need to concentrate on a more refined, high- level aesthetic and since there are only so many samples it is possible to take to Paris from Japan every season, I decided to separate into two distinct lines. This also allowed me to expand and refine both expressions in a more thorough and satisfactory way. Street taste is very popular for buyers in Japan and I think it always will be so. The international buyers and press are looking for something new, unique and original, this was more the style that Kazuyuki Kumagai became.

What are the elements in garments that you focus on?
For me the key issues will always be the originality and specialness of the textiles. I still do a lot of research into new fabrics both here in Japan and when I travel in Italy and around Europe. We have found that Japanese textiles and Italian leathers are usually the best in the world. So I am searching for the perfect textiles; simple, elegant and minimal.

How has showing in Paris affected you?
Showing in Paris has resulted in an increased popularity and press coverage for the label both here in Japan and across the world. We now have 3 dedicated Attachment stores across Japan and we were also asked to open our own corner in Isetan in Shinjuku, which is one of the most influential stores here in Japan. At the end of last year we decided to combine out 2 separate Tokyo stores into one large 150 square metre Daikanyama Flag ship store. The concept of the store reflects our new policy of mixing the brands and has been designed to be more welcoming to new customers than the old, darker and somewhat secretive stores. It is still based around concrete and metal elements but has a lighter, airier feel..

For the SS10 season we were unfortunate to not see a runway show.
FW 2009 was our fourth fashion show in Paris and by that point, I felt that we had communicated what we had to say through that medium. I felt like that project had been completed and that a new avenue of expression needed to be found to match the changing mood of the times as we descended into the recent recession. My new project is the missing of the 2 labels and showing the street and the “international” collection together. We might do installations or other special projects but I feel the mood of the runway is not suitable for these times.

What direction do you see Attachment taking now?
Basically the spirit of both Attachment and the Kazuyuki Kumagai label is to move forward into the future and to collaborate with various artists, photographers and musicians etc., I wish to push myself creatively and to continue to search for that excellence in both technique and materials which is my ultimate goal and fulfilment.

visit attachment.co.jp to view the current f/w collection from both Kazuyuki Kumagai and Attachment.

 
Interviewed by Arto M.
Cover photo by Tosiya Suda

The work of Munich, Germany based jeweller Klaus Lohmeyer can be found at some of the most acclaimed boutiques worldwide. The jewellery, all hand made in his atelier in the heart of Munich from materials such as silver and leather, is often defined by a refined roughness and solid build.

Born and raised in the Bavarian capital, Lohmeyer studied jewellery design in a highly acclaimed German art school with a strong foundation in craftsmanship. After working in the field for a few years, He returned to finish his diploma, becoming a master craftsman – the highest level of distinction a gold and silversmith can reach. The first Werkstatt:München collection was presented in 1998, followed by annual presentation of collections in Paris and Munich.

The initial catalyst for the line of work was simple; being unable to find masculine jewellery to his liking. “But the main reason is the joy I take in the art of making jewellery – it’s just a beautiful work process using beautiful materials and beautiful tools”, Lohmeyer explains. “In all
cultures throughout history men have worn jewellery as symbols of power, to denote wealth and status or as lucky charms. Where as today western culture seems to dictate that it’s almost only male musicians, punks and rockers that choose to decorate themselves with jewellery.” His pieces – rings, bracelets and pendants – all share a distinguishably heavy look.  “I love this kind of rebellious edge to making jewellery which is not effeminate but for men. My intention was always to create pieces that were self explanitory, a handsome simplicity achieved through the use of strong symbols or through clarity and the careful balance of design proportions”, he adds.

The influence of natural elements can be seen in various parts of his work, silver taking the shape of earthy materials or animals, and the use of leather. “I have huge respect for the art of individuality and the close-to-perfection achieved and created by nature – like an animal or a wild flower.  Of course, mine is an interpretation and never a reproduction – my aim and desire is to translate and reduce it to my understanding of aesthetic perfection for the piece of jewellery I am working on and capture the essence.” Take for example a rivet from his previous collection, inspired by alligator scales.

The aesthetic has changed gradually over time but at the same familiar elements are still present, for example the use of skulls. “Combining a skull with a flower, for example, indulges the elements of romanticism and irony which contrast each other.  I first started using skulls as a motif about ten years ago, but over time I’ve developed new crushes and delved further into exploring the canon of symbolism in classical tattoo vocabulary, the elementary forms found in nature – endless inspiration”.

Like the name suggests, everything is produced exclusively in the Munich workshop, the Werkstatt, which was opened at a new location in 2007. “I am a very honest person, so the development of new pieces is always born out of the creative act of crafting or making”, Lohmeyer says. “I cherish and even need to be in a comfortable environment to be able to create and make beauty.” The small team of Werkstatt:München has worked together for a long time, forging the sense of trust and understanding needed to achieve to desired working methods and results.

The hand crafting often utilizes tools built specifically for a certain craft, such as hallmarks or special anvils and hammers. “Ultimately though, a piece of jewellery takes so many careful steps from beginning to end of the creative process that I do like to be present and hands on to be able to give our personal guarantee of perfection and our seal of approval.”

The connection between jewellery and fashion is a natural one, but Werkstatt:München has been notably present at some of the leading avant garde fashion retailers worldwide, among them Atelier New York and L’eclaireur in Paris. “Although our pieces are designed to be timeless, those into this type of fashion understand and appreciate out design philosophy. In the very beginning it was rather unusual for fashion boutiques to buy real handmade jewellery, but there was a desire for qualitative jewellery which could compliment and hold its own next to the clothing.”

Aesthetically, the pieces do indeed compliment the more edgy and avant garde fashion, which is why many boutiques are carrying the line and why designers such as Ann Demeulemeester have chosen to work with the Werkstatt when designing and producing the jewelry for her collection.  When asked about the relationship between his work and clothing, Lohmeyer puts it simply: “I suppose the relation rests on an individual’s emotive aspiration to wear beautiful and handsome pieces which in turn help to express a personal taste, style and character.”

visit www.werkstatt-muenchen.com

Interviewed by Arto M.

As we close in towards winter, it’s time to have a look at some gear from our favourite retailers in order to keep us warm during the cold months. Check out our picks for high-quality coats and accessories for f/w 09.

Boris Bidjan Saberi Linen Both the surface and lining on this coat are 100% linen, creating a beautiful texture to accompany the sharp assymetrical cut. $1280, Atelier		Forme D’Expression Long hooded coat made from extremely stretchy and soft knit, comfortable and warm with a large hood to keep your head covered. €865, Darklands Berlin

Giuliano Fujiwara This high collared cashmere-wool trench coat from Giuliano Fujiwara has hidden buttons on the front and an adjustable pleating in the back. $1185, FAE		KZO The waxy, crumbled cotton gives a neat look to this classic cut mackintosh coat from KZO. Folded pockets and zippered pleats in the back. $555, Blackbird

The Viridi-Anne These uniquely cut leather gloves from The Viridi-Anne consist of two separate pieces that are detachable. €392, Suus		Damir Doma The Kochi beanie from Damir Doma is made out of loosely knit, super soft cashmere and cotton. Available in a dusty grey and black. £95, Oki-ni

Lumen et Umbra Made from fine merino wool, this tube-shaped piece from Lumen et Umbra can be worn various ways, doubling as a scarf and beanie. $195, Zekka		Julius Made from soft wool and linen yarn with a beautiful texture, this beanie from Julius is available in black and grey. €325, Suus

 London based photographer Guy Sargent has mastered his ability of capturing breathtaking landscapes. His photos, featuring isolated and distand beaches or the ruggedness of urban landscapes, spark a range of emotions from calmness to humility.

Sargent’s series What Lies Beneath is a long term project taking focus on both natural landscapes and architecture, shot throughout the UK and Europe since 2006.