W)Taps

Skivvies / Sox / Black, Red

Wacko Maria

Wacko Maria

Wacko Maria

Wacko Maria

Rock Steady

Wacko Maria

Rock Steady

Sophnet

German Cloth Mods Coat Thinsulate

Undercover

Undercover

Visvim

Visvim Valdez Down Coat 2L

Visvim

Visvim Gridwood Moc Toe - Folk

Wacko Maria Interview | LN-CC

LN-CC have compiled this great read by interviewing highly coveted Japanese label Wacko Maria.

Founded in 2004 by retired Japanese soccer players Keiji Ishizuka and Atsuhiko Mori, Wacko Maria has quickly established itself as a major player in Japanese contemporary menswear. Their sharp tailoring, 50's and 60's inspired patterns and appreciation for American popular culture are all filtered through Ishizuka and Mori’s understated humour and aesthetics to produce a unique final product.

LN-CC: I guess first of all we’d like to know how you guys met and how you started the brand.

Mori: My partner Ishizuka and I were both football players - we played together in the Japan team and in the J-League together and have been friends since then. I opened a bar in what is now our showroom and we used to hang out here alot. We got talking and decided to start a brand together. We then got other friends involved and this makes up the team we have now.

LN-CC: And how old is the brand now?

Mori: It's in its 7th year now. So, since 2004.

LN-CC: Is the inspiration for Wacko Maria collections always sourced from similar places, or do you change it up each time?

Mori: We have a general theme that runs through every collection – basically we make clothes that reflect a love for girls, music, alcohol and hats. Individual collections often take inspiration from particular movies and photographers. Music is also a big source of inspiration.. often I’ll get the inspiration for a collection from listening to a record.



LN-CC: We have been really impressed by the quality of your tailoring, can you tell us a bit about this?

Mori: We are really focussing on this element of our collection in recent seasons. We are working with a 50 year old pattern cutter who is collaborating with us on all the tailoring.

LN-CC: Do you regard the casual and tailored as almost like two 2 separate lines?

Mori: At the moment we are thinking about if we should separate it into two lines or not.. to be honest we like the idea of mixing it up though.. slacks with a casual t-shirt and M1 Jacket.. personally that is the kind of thing that I like, and generally speaking we make them both elements in a way that allows them to work with each other.

LN-CC: The whole thing flows as one, and makes sense together though. You use a lot of Aloha and Hawaiian style shirts, is this something that you do every season?

Mori: Yes, we try to bring this into each season.. I’ve always loved these shirts, especially worn with tailoring.

LN-CC: Have you guys always been into tailoring since you were football players?

Mori: Yes… I’ve always been into it.. l’m obsessed with the “Blues Brothers” film.





LN-CC: Obviously the brand is very well executed but in its own flavour, who do you like to be positioned next to in shops?

Mori: Generally I’m not too interested in this, but I do think that in terms of tailoring, Tom Ford is really good at the moment..

LN-CC: Clearly music plays an important part in what you do, what kind of music influences Wacko Maria most?

Mori: I listen to all kinds of music but I am really into Jamaican music from the 60s and 70s, and American music from the 50s and 60s.. that is pretty much across the board in terms of genre.. from Jazz, Blues and Rock.. If its good I listen to everything… African, Latin… in reality I like music more than clothes!

LN-CC: You can really see that in the collection… the American and Jamaican influences really come through. By the way, were did you get the soundsystem downstairs?

Mori: It was bought in a vintage shop in Yoyogi, but its pretty expensive… they cost about 5,000,000 yen! They are the first ever Altec speakers, produced 1939. They were used in cinema halls, radio shows, this kind of stuff. The amp is Western Electrics – the brand is older than Altec. That model is from the 40's but the brand has been around from the 20's…





LN-CC: Are there any particular records that stand out as important to you?

Mori: So many… lots of 7inches.. I love Miles Davis's “Kind Of Blue” and “Something Else” as all time classics.. too difficult to pick out anything in particular though!

LN-CC: Where does the “Pussy Hole Gang” slogan that you used for AW10 come from?

Mori: Do you know Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? There is a gang in that film called The Hole in The Wall gang. We took that as inspiration and changed it around a bit…

LN-CC: What do your wives think of it!?

Mori: They think we are pretty stupid!

LN-CC: Hats are also a big thing for Wacko Maria… we've noticed that a lot of people in Japan seem to wear these panama style hats… more than in the UK. What is it about these hats that you love so much?

Mori: A lot of influence comes from films… and also actors and musicians like Tom Waits, musicians from the 50's and 60's, a lot of them wore hats. I like the idea of an old guy in a dirty suit but with a sharp hat…

Visvim Serra

This version of the famous visvim hiking-inspired boot has been updated with solutions coming from the recently released SERRA Paccard. Welt constructed, made with premium UK suede leather upper and lined with pigment-free cowhide leather the boot has been upgraded with a lower profile EVA midsole while maintaining it’s durable and rugged outsole. Also available in black, dark brown, light brown and sand.

Masamichi Katayama Interview | AnOther Magazine

Masamichi Katayama, Wonderwall office Photography by Shoichi Kajino

Tokyo-based interior designer Masamichi Katayama, head of the Japanese firm Wonderwall, is one of the word’s foremost architects of innovative retail environments, bars, restaurants, offices and showroom spaces. Over the past ten years, Katayama and his team have created spaces for A Bathing Ape, Original Fake, renowned Tokyo pastry boutique Pierre Hermé and Nike and are currently working on a private studio in Brooklyn for graffiti artist KAWS. To celebrate Wonderwall's 10th anniversary, projects completed since 1998 have been included in a new book entitled Archive 01 and an accompanying exhibition is currently travelling throughout Japan. Whilst he might not consider himself an artist in the strict and often overwrought definition of that appellation, many fashion and design observers beg to disagree. AnOther recently spoke with Katayama to get his thoughts on the matter. This interview with Masamichi Katayama of Wonderwall is for a must read.

What is your aesthetic?

It is not a physical thing, but it’s more about using design as a tool to reach the subconscious.

What are the themes that you are trying to communicate through your design?

To me, the purpose of interior design is to interpret the client’s brand or corporate identity and their attributes through the space and the environment. I very much value the voice of the client and other people involved in that organisation; I do a lot of research and analysis and try to create a space that would project their strengths and a sensibility that they may not be able to capture in words. My aim is to design a communication conduit where one can sense and experience the client’s philosophy through the overall space. I don’t know if you can call it a philosophy, but I am a designer and not an artist so my role is about creating spaces that are an extension and an enhancement of what the client wishes to convey.

You’ve worked on over 60 projects for A Bathing Ape. What was that collaborative process like?

It is a very simple process. Once Nigo [founder of A Bathing Ape] finds a location, we meet almost immediately. He advises me of the overall direction and we usually present him with an idea along with a scale model within several weeks. We usually do not meet again until the handover or sometimes until the opening reception. Since we’ve worked together for many years, we will meet as little as once or as much as three times per project before its completion. It's a very intuitive experience.

What materials are essential to your design philosophy?

I am not sure if this would be considered a material but lighting is very important to me. Not just artificial lighting, but natural lighting; the reflection from the products or merchandise or even the people that come in and so forth.

How did the idea for the Archives 01 exhibition and book come about?

Parco, which has a publishing department that specialises in art and design books, approached us and proposed a book to celebrate Wonderwall’s 10th anniversary. There have previously been two Wonderwall monographs which have been published through Frame in the Netherlands. I thought that through a project like this, a domestic publisher might be able to publish a book that was more accessible and possibly more affordable for students and a younger audience. They also offered to do an exhibition of our scale models. I use scale models not just for the client, but also to clarify my ideas and imagery. I thought it would be interesting for a wider audience to them help understand the working process.

Could you talk a little about a few of the project models that are on display in the exhibition?

Nowhere in Harajuku was the first project I worked on with Nigo in 1998. This particular store has been remodelled and relocated since, but I consider this my milestone project. I designed this store as if I was designing some sort of large vehicle. I really broke all the rules in retail design such as not having a display window, incorporating stairs inside the selling area and so forth, but it drew a lot of attention and will always be a very memorable project for me. Our Wonderwall office was completed in 2009. Since it is an office, it is not open for the public, although I do hope that people will come and visit virtually! I designed both the interior as well as the architectural direction. The most difficult part was the space composition — it is five storeys with two levels below ground and three floors above ground. I decided to focus on the verticality, giving the main conference room on the ground floor a two-storey high ceiling and adding skylights in the stairway.

Are your projects works of art?

I am definitely a designer and not an artist. I don’t create things on my own based on my personal feelings. I design based on a proposal or request.

What do you enjoy most about interior design?

Whether it be a store or a restaurant, I enjoy going back to the location I designed as a customer.

How is your sense of what is modern reflected in your work?

I try not to judge or categorise the information or knowledge I have or receive. I try to create new things everyday by combining and using the knowledge I have as logistically as possible.

What projects do have coming up?

The Mackintosh London store is opening its first flagship on Mount Street in Mayfair; they had a soft opening in November 2010. Also, a bar lounge called OZONE in the brand new Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Hong Kong is opening in March 2011. It will be on the 118th floor so it will be the world’s highest bar.

SOPHNET x Visvim SERRA

Label SOPHNET teams up with footwear and apparel maker visvim on a pair of Serra’s, which will be releasing on Christmas Day. The popular Serra model has been modified with a side zipper which allows the wearer to easily slip on and off the boots without the hassle of fiddling around with shoe laces. Coming in a navy blue colorway, the SOPHNET. x visvim Serra boots will be available at SOPH. stores on Decemeber 25th.

Wacko Maria x Blackflag Python Hat

The Blackflag 5th anniversary has already seen some great products come to fruition, and this Python Hat designed with Wacko Maria makes for more welcoming news. Providing a traditional fedora hat with an interesting interpretation like the rabbit fur body and python embossed ribbon completes the look.

WOLF’S HEAD x WTAPS x HOOK Belt

For Blackflag boutique fifth anniversary, WTAPS teams up with jewelry brand WOLF’S HEAD and HOOK to release this special belt. Featuring the WTAPS FW10 collection name “ROKUDENASHI” design made of golden studs, it clearly reflects the British Punk-Harajuku movement. The belt is completed by the beautiful gun-metal HOOK carved skull buckle.

RATS X Blackflag Keychain

RATS has joined forces with Japanese retailer Blackflag to release this commemorative keychain. The accessory was created in celebration of Blackflag’s fifth anniversary. The heavy brass key holder hooks a thick ring which itself supports a coin that reads “RATS” one on side and “WAY OF LIFE” on the other.

Shinsuke Takizawa: The Inspirations of a NEIGHBORHOOD

One of the heavyweights to emerge from the Ura-Hara era of Japanese streetwear in the mid-90s, NEIGHBORHOOD founder Shinsuke Takizawa has remained mostly in the background in regards to the Western world. Without a well-publicized background to both himself and the brand, NEIGHBORHOOD has seen itself move outwards over the last few years through both global retail points and more visible campaigns and projects.
Inspired by motorcycles and its rebellious lifestyle, throughout the last 16 years, NEIGHBORHOOD has maintained a certain bad boy image throughout streetwear. With powerful graphics and the usage of visuals sometimes construed as culturally insensitive, Takizawa’s recent launch with Hong Kong brand izzue enabled us to sit down with the figurehead while promoting the capsule’s launch. Some European counterparts have taken issue with NEIGHBORHOOD’s usage of icons in the past and that topic among the brand’s motives and inspirations all factor in to this feature.



Interview with Shinsuke Takizawa

It’s been said before that the movie Easy Rider was a big inspiration for you to get into motorcycle culture. But of all the potential creative outlets, was there a particular reason you chose fashion?

The movie’s storyline and the culture that it represented was something that I really related to. The image was something I was extremely interested in and I felt that the best way to represent this was through fashion.

While some people feel that NEIGHBORHOOD’s design is rooted in Americana, you’ve derived a great deal of inspiration from British fashion as well. Why do you feel that NEIGHBORHOOD is sometimes seen more on the American-side of style?

I was deeply influenced by British fashion in the beginnings. However I do have a great appreciation for American heritage and the previous styles. I didn’t have a specific influence or side I wanted to lean towards. I think that fans of the brand made this assumption more so on their own.

With the subcultures that have been so influential in the 20th century such as punk and skate, has there been anything in your eyes that will replace these cultures as major forms of inspiration down the road in the present day?

Once we hit the 1990s, there really hasn’t been any great or noteworthy subcultures. It’s unfortunate but this will undoubtedly ensure that the previous movements you’ve mentioned will continue to live on for years to come.

As I follow your blog on honeyee, there’s quite a few images you post from your Land Snail Racing outings. Could you explain what it’s all about?

We’re essentially a team of racers. We deliberately picked a snail for our mascot given that it’s a slow animal not associated with speed. We race over both drag and road races.




With the nature of racing required upgraded garments and leathers, would you ever enter into full-body leather designs?

It hasn’t crossed my mind right now but you never know.

With your racing and riding background, this seems to enhance the authenticity of the brand. How important is this to the brand itself?

While I never really created fashion explicitly for racing itself, I do want to reflect the culture through fashion and I think living in the world of motorcycles helps me convey this goal.

In your late teens, early 20s, you purchased your first Harley-Davidson. Did you ever keep that bike?

I didn’t keep it but I did pass it along to WTAPS’ TET and I haven’t gotten it back [laugh].

NEIGHBORHOOD has often created classic aesthetics with new-age and contemporary materials. What’s your philosophy on this?

When it comes to vintage apparel, unfortunately it’s sometimes lacking in some details. However, with these new developments in fabrics, you’re able to update the piece and offer a new and well-rounded package.



Looking back to NEIGHBORHOOD’s icons used throughout the brand, it elicits a lot of controversy. What’s the role of these icons in the brand’s identity?

I feel it’s all part of the story-telling of the brand with the slogans and visuals we use.

If I go further on this topic, some are referencing sensitive World War II details. What’s the purpose behind this?

I don’t want to avoid these events as they’ve happened. Despite the sensitive nature of it, the use of the symbols are more of a reflection of history.

What are your favorite parts of the collection to design?

I would say denim and jackets are probably my favorite to design.

Denim has been a popular aspect of the brand for some time. How does the design process work for NEIGHBORHOOD’s denim design?

We definitely look at old worn and vintage styles. However each year, we will research and update our finishing processes and techniques to hopefully create some different looks and washes.



On a personal note, the incense holders have been some of my favorite releases. Any particular stories behind the holders?

A lot of the incense holders we make take on inspirations from traditional Japanese styles and I wanted to carry on this design and representation.

NEIGHBORHOOD has enjoyed a great deal of success both within China and in select markets without any discernible motorcycle culture, what do you equate this popularity to?

NEIGHBORHOOD is unique in its aesthetic and this is largely the strength of the brand. NEIGHBORHOOD possess qualities that other brands don’t have on the same level.

Over the 16 year history of the brand, I’m sure you’ve experienced big changes in the way you run the brand. Do you still maintain the same attitude and DIY-style that was perhaps more prominent in the brand’s infancy?

I’ve taken an approach where I don’t really divide it into both business and DIY. The company is at its heart a humble one and we can decide direction whenever it is necessary. If something requires a more business-minded approach or DIY-approach, both are achievable. I have no specific desires or a need to grow the company far beyond what I’ve achieved now.

This season’s izzue x NEIGHBORHOOD collection is different than the previous one, what was the direction this time around?

Last year’s collection was very small, more so for a pop-up store. This time around we made something a lot more comprehensive and we pushed a more visible military theme.

As you enter this collaboration as well as other collaborations, do you take into account your demographic and then add NEIGHBORHOOD’s own twist?

We don’t really worry so much about the demographics involved. We hope to maintain our own creative vision without really taking into account who the consumer may be, however that does mean that we are aware of what sort of parties we may partner up with.

Interview: Eugene Kan
Direction: Edward Chiu
Photography: Louis Lau