Taihei Shii
Startbahn, Inc., CEO
Art Beat, Inc., CEO
University of Tokyo’s Institute of Industrial Science, visiting researcher
Taihei Shii is a contemporary artist and entrepreneur. After graduating from Tama Art University in 2001, Taihei started creating works of art about the Internet Age. Taihei then went on to formulate the original idea and filed patents for an artist royalty fee management system in Japan and US in 2006. In 2014, while still a graduate student at the University of Tokyo, he founded Startbahn, a company that provides blockchain infrastructure to ensure the reliability of artworks and support the inheritance of their value. The core of Startbahn is “Startrail,” a novel smart contract for protecting works that received a grant from the Ethereum Foundation in recognition of its benefit to the public good. More recently, he has been a lecturer at Tokyo University of the Arts, and a member of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s Study Group on Art and Economic Society. In addition to leading        Startbahn, he also serves as a director of Eastern Culture Foundation, and a director at the Open Art Consortium. As an artist, Taihei has been exhibiting his works for solo shows and group shows, and while simultaneously        organizing      Fujisanten (2017-2020), SIZELESS TWIN (2022), Moon Art Night Shimokitazawa (2022). In the summer of 2022, Taihei published his first book, entitled New Form of Art: What does NFT Art Change?, with Japanese publisher Heibonsha.
https://taihei.org
https://startbahn.io
Twitter：@taihei

How will the form of art change with the advent of NFTs? A pocket-sized paperback edition, 新しいアートのかたち: NFTアートは何を変えるか (“New Forms of Art: What Will NFT Art Change?”), was published last September to answer such questions. The author is Taihei Shii, a contemporary artist and representative of Startbahn, Inc. and Art Beat, Inc.As an artist, he has been working on the theme of “art in the age of the Internet.” This interview explores his thoughts on how the art world will be changed by NFTs and AI. We spoke with him on a range of topics including his interest in “value inversion,” which is at the core of his philosophy. Discover how he thinks the art world will change with NFTs and AI. 

■新しいアートのかたち: NFTアートは何を変えるか
(“New Forms of Art: What Will NFT Art Change?”)
Author：Taihei Shii
Format and number of pages: Pocket-sized paperback edition, 272 pages
Publisher: Heibonsha
https://www.heibonsha.co.jp/book/b609801.html

The Interest in “value inversion”

-In the conversation with Junya Yamamine included in your book “新しいアートのかたち(New Forms of Art),” one of the things that struck me was that you mentioned your interest in “value inversion.” I feel that the value of NFT art, in general, discussed in this book is determined based on different criteria and at a different pace than ones for art in the traditional sense. Did you have any personal experiences that triggered your interest in such “value inversion”?

Taihei Shii: I don’t have a specific experience that I still remember, but it may have been influenced by the culture gap I felt when I was travelling back and forth between the U.S. and Japan during my childhood. For example, when I returned to Japan, jokes I was familiar with in the U.S. didn’t make any sense to people in Japan. Through such experiences, I felt that while communities have the power to foster values unique to a place, they also have the power to exclude. So, it’s not that I am curious about any kind of value inversion, but rather I am interested in a kind of inversion that reminds us of the dangers of the overdevelopment of language within a particular community.

–The Internet can be seen as a kind of free place where place-specific boundaries no longer exist. Can you share some of your thoughts on that?

Shii: I think the Internet also exists as a kind of community that everyone can share, just like a country. In a way, it’s also a community in which people share contemporaneousness.     Especially in Japan, it’s compatible with artists who use Japanese cultures, such as anime and manga, as material for their expressions. Of course, I respect their practices, but on the other hand, I feel somewhat uncomfortable and have a critical feeling about the idea of belonging to a single community and expressing something artistically within that context, which I think is something to do with my childhood experiences. 

–Please tell us about how you started working on a theme, the Internet age, after graduating from university in 2001.

Shii: While in school, I thought that I would definitely work as an artist after graduation. However, when I graduated, I began to seriously wonder how I was going to live for the next 50 years without any connection to a gallery or a path that someone else had set for me. At that time, I turned my attention toward the fact that artists who had left a lasting mark on history had produced works of art that symbolize the technology and changes of the times, which is why I chose the Internet, a technology that was changing society in a significant way at the time, as my primary theme. Even now, I am more interested in the potential of the Internet to bring about changes in the lives and values of humanity as a whole than in the culture and phenomena that occur on the Internet.

–Then, in 2006, you created a system that allows artists to profit from the secondary distribution of their works and you obtained its patent in Japan and the U.S     . What was your intention behind your focus on creating infrastructure rather than creating works on the theme of the Internet and presenting them in the form of an exhibition? 

Shii: After graduation, I held an exhibition in a real space in conjunction with the “New Haiku Project,” a pre-opening event at the Mori Art Museum held on the Internet, but the number of visitors to the project site set up at the venue was limited. So I reconsidered my approach for the exhibition in real space because I thought that if I am an artist who is changing the times, there should be more people coming to see my work. Simultaneously, I began to think about how art should be distributed in the Internet age. Then I came to think I should also work on creating an infrastructure that would allow us to add value to new trends and affect the foundation for all artists while presenting exhibitions that evoke the Internet age. As part of this process, I invented a system in which artists receive a return when their works are distributed in the secondary market     .

–I feel that back in 2006, the boundary between the real world and the Internet was more firm. What was the reaction of the people around you to your activities at that time?

Shii: YouTube came out in 2003, Tumblr in 2006, and Twitter followed mixi as a social networking service, so pretty much everyone had a general understanding of the Internet. It was as if more and more people began to be confident about the future growth of the Internet itself. But the most challenging part was not so much understanding the Internet, but understanding art itself. Generally speaking, 99% of people think of art as paintings and sculptures, so people don’t understand how art will change with the spread of the Internet. And people who are familiar with art usually are not interested in technology.

For example, simply being able to see a painting on the Internet does not mean that art has changed in value in the Internet age. Even before the Internet, only a few people could properly say why manga, anime, or illustrations, no matter how popular, were not collected in museums, so I felt it was difficult to imagine how this landscape could change.

–The idea of giving the profits to artists itself is in some ways similar to the system of NFTs. Did you anticipate the advent of NFTs?

Shii: No, I did not at all. I may have sensed the possibility of some kind of technological development at the time when I created the profit-returning system I mentioned earlier, but I did not anticipate the birth of a mechanism that would spread so widely as a global culture. After all, my interest is only in art. So, from the perspective of a contemporary artist, I am always thinking of ways to combine art with a system that has growth potential.

— The idea of combining something with technology could be applied as a business not only to art but also to various other genres. But where does your passion for art come from?

Shii: Well, I’m not even sure where my fundamental passion comes from. But in a sense, a kind of Chūnibyō spirit in my mind made me have a strong desire to leave my mark on history (laughs). I might have the idea that even if my work is not appreciated in this society, it is enough to create a system that will keep it alive.

— Are there any forerunners who have influenced what you are doing now?

Shii: It was Leonardo da Vinci who inspired me to become an artist. I am always a little embarrassed to say this(laughs). When I was in middle school, I had a class held in the library to explore my future career path, and since I had always wanted to study science, I often looked at biographies of the likes of Einstein and other geniuses in the field of science and mathematics. Among them, only Leonardo da Vinci seemed to be flexible in his approach to various studies and activities. So I was attracted to him as an artist who could include various elements, rather than to geniuses who specialized in a single discipline. Moreover, in his case, as a symbolic figure of his time, he encompassed pretty much everything, and I felt his desire to take control of the world, which could be described as somewhat holistic. Rather than pursuing something for which there is only one answer, I felt some kind of Chūnibyō spirit in him in the sense that he wanted to confront the times and create his world by combining various means and activities     . 

— Chūnibyō spirit! (laugh) How do you maintain the balance between the perspectives of “contemporary artist” and “entrepreneur”?

Shii: Originally, there may not be much of a boundary between the two for me. I am the type of person who wants to control everything from the spatial organization of the exhibition to the installation of the artwork, and even the planning of visitor flow lines in the gallery. The environment is very important when viewing a work of art. If you watch a movie before you see a work of art, it may affect the way you see the work. If we look at history, for example, Sen no Rikyu and Picasso not only created works of art but also created a system and surrounding environment in which the works could be distributed and evaluated.  I believe that when one creates a work of art to present new questions for a new era, it will not go smoothly if it is created within the system of the older generation.

On recent art trends

–How did you see the recent art trends centered around NFTs in recent years?

Shii: To begin with, I think there are two kinds of NFT art. One is “NFT art,” around which creatives form and develop community, and the other is “art world’s utilization of NFT,” in which the existing art industry treats NFTs as a new medium. The former is attracting attention now as the most prominent type of “NFT.”      Inspired by the former, the latter is evolving the way works of art exist in the existing art industry.

However, in reality, what both communities are doing seems to be similar. For example, established commercial art galleries have traditionally invited only those who have purchased artworks to parties, and have formed a community of collectors to enhance the value of the works they dealt with. So I think community building and offering benefits through NFT are a visualization on the internet of that black box that already existed in the art world.

–Going back to what you mentioned at the beginning, do you think we will be able to find a middle ground between Japan and the global community in the future?

Shii: Again, the answer would be yes and no. Generally speaking, the Japanese are not keen on leading the Asian market, and even if we wanted to, it would no longer be possible because of our weakened economy. On the other hand, as I mentioned earlier, Japanese society is dependent on the value given to it by foreign powers, and because of this, there is a part of me that feels a sense of danger that we are not properly valuing our own products. For example, the overwhelming excitement at events such as Comiket and Wonder Festival is because we are proud of what we have created, regardless of what the outside world may think. This naturally attracts people who want what is popular in Japan     . Nevertheless, I personally think NFTs are      so complex that it cannot be applied to other things simply.

–What do you mean by the term complexity?

Shii: As I mentioned earlier, NFTs on the Internet is, in a sense, a culture taking place in a single community.For Japan, it can only be seen as the birth of a new dynamic market amidst the fragmentation of the existing art market. In this context, for example, the NFT project “Azuki,” which is currently gaining momentum, is now very popular worldwide as a Japan-inspired project from overseas. Looking at its popularity, it seems we are losing a precious opportunity because Japanese culture is compatible with the characteristics of NFTs, which is to generate many different types of characters from the bottom-up. So I feel respect for the “Shinsei Galverse” team that is taking action in such a situation.

–Your answer reminds me of the action taken in the field of NFT Art in response to Richard Prince’s “New Portraits” series mentioned at the beginning of the book because it’s also a bottom-up spirit, isn’t it?

Shii: Yes, “Buying Myself Back: A Model of Redistribution” was a work by a model who was upset that her portrait was used in Richard Prince’s “New Portraits” series without her permission, which was sold as NFT art for $170,500 at Christie’s in May 2022. Regardless of the class or community that has been in the art market, NFTs originally have      the potential to subvert these traditional value systems.

The potential of NFTs for the future

–What do you think about the significance of collections, which are      now being reconsidered in the midst of the art bubble?

Shii: That’s a difficult question. Because in most cases, market valuation is determined not only by the content of the work but also by the information surrounding the work. For example, let’s say you bought a painting that was just stored in a barn for 100,000 yen, thinking it was just an old painting. But if it turns out to be a work by D     a Vinci, the price would jump to hundreds of millions of yen, wouldn’t it? Considering the reality of such value evaluation, people probably rely more on information, including information about the artist, than on their tastes and instincts. On the other hand, the power of the work itself, which is not bound by such information, is also important; in the NFT field, many     people have already built collections by buying works that no one paid attention to, so mere information may not be enough to create lasting value. I think that now is the time to test our discernment in the true sense of the word since there is no authority in the world of NFTs that can make a significant influence on the evaluation system.

–Even before the arrival of NFTs, there was a trend to evaluate artists’ practices from a short-term perspective due to the accelerating speed of the social network service. What are your thoughts on that from an artist’s standpoint?

Shii: That‘s not confined to matters of NFTs. Realistically, it is difficult to evaluate artists or artworks, not from the perspective of the short-term market. For example, Yayoi Kusama finally began to be highly-regarded as an artist in the market when she was over 70 years old, but until then, the prices of her works were not as high as they are today. And except for a few connoisseurs, no one would have  predicted this price hike. Therefore, I think the only thing I can do now is to take a long-term view and convey the message through my practice that even if a work does not sell well now, we should not give up on it and keep on creating works that have value lasting for 30 years. However, I do not intend to impose this idea on people in the midst of the dizzying changes. So it would be enough if there are people who look back and think I was right when they become successful (laughs). 

— In recent years, there have been discussions about the distinction between NFTs and physical works and the points of fusion between the two. What do you think about their future relationship?

Shii: Ultimately, I think that 20 years from now, the boundary between digital and physical will disappear, and technology will have evolved to the point where it will be difficult to distinguish whether the work itself exists in reality or the digital world. At such a time, there will be a discussion on how we should deal with a kind of “aura” that resides in physical works created by human hands, and I believe that a technology that confirms “uniqueness” will help resolve this issue.

For example, when we look at past text messages exchanged with a deceased friend, what is important is that they are not copies of the original message, nor are they messages exchanged with another friend, but are original messages exchanged only between that person and me. Likewise, what is important in NFTs is that it is connected to uniqueness, so whether it is digital or physical doesn’t really matter. Rather, the fact that authenticity cannot be determined without seeing the physical object directly may act as a negative factor and accelerate the shift toward the digitalization of works. I believe that such a shift can already be seen in various situations.

–In this context, people are starting to talk about AI works as a contrast to the uniqueness created by human hands. How do you think the relationship between AI and art will evolve?

Shii: In 2016, there was a news story about a work of art created by AI based on the machine learning of works of a painter from 17th-century Rembrandt, which gave rise to copyright issues and discussions about whether programmers are artists. In the end, among the many opinions expressed, I got the impression that many people feel that the first work is now seen as a work of art because of its historical importance, but that subsequent works with similar concepts cannot be considered art on their own. I think that the discussion of works of art using AI simply goes back to what has traditionally been discussed in the context of art history because although current AI can improve the accuracy of its visual depiction, a mere accurate depiction is not necessarily a work of art in the first place.

However, if I were to look at the potential of AI now, I would say that it has more potential in purchasing artworks than in creating them. For example, there are millions of NFT artworks in the world today, and instead of looking at them one by one yourself, you can use an AI that has learned your aesthetic taste to look at all of them even while you sleep. Currently, the relationship between humans and AI tends to be viewed negatively, but I think we should change the way we see it and continue to focus on what AI can make more valuable in the future.

–Lastly, how do you think NFTs will expand its possibilities in the future?

Shii: What I expect from the rise of the art bubble, which is partly related to the emergence of NFTs, is that we will be able to add value to our own works and disseminate information from within Japan on our own, based on a global perspective. Until now, recognition by overseas authorities has been the most important factor in gaining a reputation in Japan, but with this art bubble, the unique Japanese market created by bearers of street culture and some domestic galleries is also beginning to flourish. Some art professionals are concerned about the formation of this peculiar biotope, but in the past, there have been systems or mechanisms, such as art dealer associations and Japanese-style painting communities, to foster artists and the value of their works within Japan, although in the end they failed to reach the global market.I personally view the movement to evaluate and promote art in our own country to the world in a positive light and hope that it will involve those who can formulate their value and reach the point where they can be promoted to the world.

For example, if young artists use NFT technology to release their works to the public, they can prove their relationship with collectors who have supported them over the long term, and when their work gains value, both parties will receive benefits and enjoy a virtuous circle. If this system works well, it will be easier to create a trend of taking the initiative in supporting the next generation of artists. It will also give significance to the artist’s practice over the long term, and if the absolute number of collectors and artists increases, I think the market will continue to scale in a positive way.

Translation Shinichiro Sato

The post Interview with Taihei Shii, Art Entrepreneur; On How NFT and AI Change the Art World appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

Prominent young artist Momoko Nakamura is known for her distinctive style, in which cuteness and venom coexist in the motif of expressionless women and flowers. She started her career as a graphic designer, but came to feel uncomfortable working on a computer. After quitting her job as a designer, she uploaded a picture she had drawn on Instagram, which led her eventually to become an illustrator. She also does a lot of client work, including illustrations for advertisements and magazines. We interviewed her about her creative practices to date and her own style at the venue of her solo exhibition mutant held in June.

From Graphic Designer to Illustrator

— I’ve heard that you grew up watching your mother working at home. Did you have the idea of becoming an illustrator someday from when you were a child?

Momoko Nakamura (Nakamura): I remember that I wrote “illustrator” as my future dream when I was in kindergarten, but looking back now, it might be because I only knew my parents’ work at that time (laughs). Until I graduated from high school, I had a vague idea of becoming an illustrator in the future, but when I started attending the Visual Design Department of the Kuwasawa Design School, I learned about graphic designer and other professions, and I felt like my world had broadened a little. So in my final year of the college, I chose the seminar of graphic designer Katsumi Asaba, of whom I was a fan, and I went on to work in his office.

— I think the process of design and drawing feel different, right?

Nakamura: I was working for his office for about three and a half years, but I felt that working on a computer was not really connected to my hands. I became aware that I had an overwhelmingly analog brain, and I wondered whether I should continue my career as a graphic designer or not. Anyway, after quitting the job, I bought a canvas and a brush and uploaded my painting on Instagram, and a friend of mine who runs a gallery asked me to exhibit it. But at the time I had just started the job hunting, and I painted about 20 small canvases and framed works, and had a solo exhibition, which was my first opportunity to work as an illustrator.

–When was that?

Nakamura: March 2016. I had my first exhibition at the café/bar “Daitokai” in Shibuya, and fortunately my works were almost sold out. Since “Daitokai” was a bar, I simply thought, “Oh, it’s a good life if I am able to drink with people around me and create artworks” (laughs). With such an easygoing feeling, I stopped looking for a new job and became an aspiring illustrator. 

I respect my mother as a parent, as a woman, and as an artist

– Did you feel any conflict between being a designer and an illustrator?

Nakamura: My mother told me, “Since you have studied design, why don’t you do it a little more?” During that period, I was going for job interviews to show my design portfolio but spontaneously saying “I want to draw pictures” at the interview, which was totally contradictory. So, looking back now, the year or two after my first solo exhibition was a time in which I was wondering what I really wanted to do.  

–Were you consciously painting “women” and “flowers” frequently from that time?

Nakamura: Yes, I was. I was drawing women because I like observing people and interacting with people, but at first I was very conscious of the need to paint various new motifs as if I was making a design portfolio, so I could not just draw the motifs I liked honestly. But after realizing that there were painters who continued to draw their favorite motifs as if to work on studies, I relaxed my shoulders and came to think that I can just draw what I wanted to draw at the moment. From there, I began to paint “women” and “flowers,” which I find attractive as forms.

–Your works are also characterized by unique color hue. Has it remained the same since then?

Nakamura: Well, when I was a student, I desperately dislike color composition (laugh). I became allergic to colors in school, and all I did were black-and-white doodles. But after I started using colors with paints given to me by a friend at my first solo exhibition, I gradually became able to use colors freely, just like when color-coordinating clothes.

–I imagine that while you were working on paintings, you began to break free of the stereotypes that had developed in you on your own. You once said in an interview that “painting is healing”. In the process of painting, is there anything that causes you pain or stops your brushstrokes?

Nakamura: I don’t paint until I feel like painting, so even when I have a deadline, I wait until the very last minute until I am excited about working on it. I think that when I am motivated in this way, the feeling of being pleasant persists, which leads to healing. Basically, in everything, I only want to do what makes me feel good.

–Do you decide on how you paint intuitively while working?

Nakamura: I develop an idea sensuously, but when it comes to production, I focus on energy and speed, drawing a solid draft and applying colors accordingly, which I think is antithetical to being sensuous.

–As can be seen from the solo exhibition body held at L’Illustre Galerie LE MONDE in 2020, you have recently begun to exhibit ceramic works,. How do you feel it differs from painting?

Nakamura: In terms of painting, I basically want to paint comfortably and without waste, knowing the finished form, but one of fun parts of ceramics is that there are uncontrollable parts: you don’t know the color and size of the piece until it is fired. I find the process of kneading the clay while tracing the texture of it as if I were taking a walk, while not being able to control it fully, to be therapeutic. Although the painting is my main focus, pottery provides a different kind of stimulation that will hopefully lead to healing in the production process.

–In 2021, you held a two-person exhibition Utsukushii Hito with your mother and illustrator Sachiko Nakamura.

Nakamura: Actually, since I was a child, I was uncomfortable with the idea of  people making changes to other people’s drawings. For example, I remember that at school, people used to freely draw over the pictures of someone else on the blackboard and play with them, and I felt very uncomfortable with that. Perhaps that feeling came from what I had been taught by my mother, so I did not think of making a collaboration at all in the beginning. However, a friend of my mother’s told me, “If you are going to have a two-person show, why don’t you try to do a collaborative work as well?”. I thought that if we were to casually present our work under the title of “experiment,” it might be possible to create a work of art together.  I tried it with the feeling that “experiments always go with failures,” and to my surprise, it turned out to be a lot of fun.

— What kind of person is your mother to you?

Nakamura: I respect her as a parent, a woman, and an artist. Therefore, when in the process of the collaboration, I felt the strangest when I added some touches to the painting first created by my mother (laughs).

“I don’t want to draw lies in my paintings”

–Can you tell us a bit about your solo exhibition mutant, which was held at IPMatter until June 19? It was presented in a unique space, but how did you make the exhibition happen?

Nakamura: I had worked with Masashi Furukawa, who runs the exhibition space “IPMatter”, on a video work for signage screen at Family Mart once, so we were somewhat familiar with each other’s tastes. We both like weird things in a mutant-kind of world, and we both like the marble concrete flooring in the exhibition space. From this common ground, we decided the theme of my solo exhibition at “IPMatter”. Whenever I do an exhibition, not just this time, I always think about the title and content, considering my mood at the time and how it would connect with the people in the venue. With what I shared with Furukawa-san in mind, I chose words from my notebook, where I always write down my favorite words, that seemed to fit the potential concept and said them out loud, and the title “mutant” seemed to fit well with what both of us imagined. When I showed the first picture I drew for the DM to Furukawa-san, he responded that skin color of the woman in the picture resembled that of a mutant, so I continued to draw the woman’s skin in mutant colors for this exhibition. For the music played in the exhibition venue, Furukawa-san chose a variety of songs that gave a floating feeling, and made us feel as if we were in space. I played them even while I was working on the artwork.

–Not only in the women in paintings shown in this exhibition, the women you depict are always expressionless, aren’t they?

Nakamura: I feel that a smile is a smile, no matter how you look at it, no matter if it is false or true. But as for the expressionless person, there is room to imagine what this person is thinking. People could shed tears not only when they are sad but also when they are happy, so the only expressive faces I draw are those with tears flowing. I like to draw such things that leave room for imagination.

–Your past works were marked by beige-colored women, but this time you have mutant-colored women who have metamorphosed. Are there any works that you are particularly attached to?

Nakamura: When I laid out the completed paintings, I found that although they looked bright at first glance, they were actually all dark. Just as I was thinking that I wanted to paint more pictures that looked dark but were actually bright, I received a phone call from a friend telling me that her grandfather had passed away. While listening to my friend, who was so sad but somehow high, I was painting a picture. In doing so, I was able to grasp her dark but cheerful mood, and by the time I hung up the phone, the painting was finished. In this way, conversations between me and people around me and the emotions that arise from them have a great influence on my paintings. So I hope that the viewer can feel various emotions in the woman’s expressionless face.

— Please tell us about your upcoming exhibitions and the other plan.

Nakamura: On August 5, my second artbook, HOME, was published by BOOTLEG. Then, from September 12 to 30, I had a pop-up exhibition at Tsutaya bookstore in Daikanyama to celebrate the publication. Also, from the end of October, I will have a two-person exhibition at SAI Gallery in MIYASHITA PARK, organized by Akinobu Tsukamoto and ALPHA ET OMEGA, and in November, I will have an exhibition at Fruits Hotel Taipei, Taiwan.

Momoko Nakamura
Born in Tokyo in 1991. After graduating from Kuwasawa Design School, she worked at a graphic design office before becoming an illustrator/artist. Her style is characterized by pop and distinctive depictions of stylish and emotional women and flowers that look like living creatures.
Instagram：@nakamuramomoko_ill

Momoko Nakamura Artbook HOME
A4 size / Paper back / 144 pages / All colors / 111 illustrations
Price: ¥4,400 
Publisher: BOOTLEG

Translation Shinichiro Sato
Photography Yohei Kichiraku

The post Artist Momoko Nakamura Establishes Her Own Style Through Painting What She Wants to Paint appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

Artist nico caught the attention of brands and curators after illustrations and animations of her fantastical plant and creature motifs and retro, CG-like textures spread gradually over Instagram. In 2021, she created the animation for “SueUNDERCOVER Meets Tokyo Millennials No.19” by Undercover, and was the only Japanese artist to showcase their work in the global digital campaign for Gucci’s Bamboo 1947 bag that was released in January. How does one create fantasy and characters that freely and continuously change while maintaining a balance between the motifs in the artwork and its story? She talks about how she started out, her creative influences, and her way of being a creator.

Using motif selection to pick a protagonist, then creating a strange world and story around it

–– Looking through your Instagram, it seems like you’ve been posting your work since around 2018. When did you first start seriously posting?

nico ito: I started posting seriously at the beginning of the pandemic, in the beginning of 2020. I graduated from the Scenography, Display, and Fashion Design Department of Musashino Art University in 2019. I had a part time job doing design, but I quit at the beginning of 2020 when the pandemic hit. While I was wondering what I was going to do next, I repeatedly posted my creative process on Instagram because I had so much time on my hands. Fortunately, that led to my work being shared all over. In a way, I was able to do what I did because of that time during the pandemic.

–– In your recent works, there are many characters that seem like they’ve metamorphosed. Do you draw these characters with a story in mind?

nico: I do a sort of “motif selection” process. I pick the main character who becomes the motif first, and then I usually decide what odd world or story that protagonist is going to be a part of. Of course there are different ways I start my creative process, too. But I didn’t just start thinking this way because of my creative process. I’ve played with my imagination a lot since I was a child. For example, I would line up candies by color and set them up in various ways, like “this one makes you panic when you eat it”, or “this one makes you happy when you eat it”, and then actually eat the candy to recreate the experience, over and over again.

–– I guess you can say that’s how the motif selection process began (laughs).

nico: I don’t do that anymore now that I’m an adult (laughs), but I think the idea is similar. I just love to think of backstories. I used to love game strategy books that introduced characters and game items.

–– As an example, can you explain the story behind this piece?

nico: I like to collect a bunch of random images online. Among them was an image of a robot dog. Robots are usually made to be smart, but this one scared me for some reason. From that feeling, I imagined a scenario in which domesticated robot dogs ensue chaos on the streets… That’s what I imagined while making this personal piece. It’s one of my favorite recent pieces.

–– What story did you have in mind for the Gucci Instagram campaign?

nico: I already knew I was going to be drawing a bag, so I developed a story from there. The idea was that in all three pieces, the bag would be that world’s king. For example, the animation piece is a scene from a sacred ceremony in which one of the blue spheres, inhabitants of this made-up world, is chosen to receive a beam of light and transform into a bag, or the king.

–– It seems like the protagonists in your works are characters who have eyes and noses or motifs that possess animal-like movements. I was wondering if you were also interested in the space and world that they live in.

nico: Yes, that’s right. I want to express things that aren’t clearly visualized, like the atmosphere of that world, whether there’s a character involved or not.

This is going to be another story from the past, but when I was a child, I used to play on this drawing software called Kid Pix. I really like the world of that software. It’s hard to describe in words; it’s trendy but disturbing, but not on purpose. In retrospect, it was the perfect balance, and was very cool. I’ve always wanted to express that disturbing atmosphere. I wanted to create something that would give people the feeling I had at the time, of “I’m having fun, but I sort of feel sick”.

I’ve also been very conscious of making my work appear timeless. I use 3DCG in my work. If I use that texture as it is, it naturally gives a “new” impression of the current era. But I choose to put noise on it to erase that sense of time.

“I want to be like the most played song among unknown artists”

–– I feel that presenting work on Instagram, for better or worse, requires people to post new content at a rapid pace. The same is also required from textures. As an artist, how would you like to position yourself in the future?

nico: It’s hard to describe, but…. I want to be like the most played song among unknown artists. Those songs might feel out of place, but they’re popular because they’re catchy, and they’re also timeless. In the same way, even if it feels a bit out of place, I want to create art that anyone from any era can look at and understand.

–– Do you take influence from music in your creative process?

nico: I’m heavily influenced by music. I often think, “I want to make something that goes with this song” while I’m listening to music. I have a playlist full of songs like that. The songs are of all different genres, but I think there’s a common thread among all of them. I played that playlist at my solo exhibition in 2021.

–– Were the works you presented at your solo exhibit conceived in a different way from your commercial work? I was wondering if there was a difference in showing what you draw on your desktop in an analog way.

nico: Most of the pieces I presented at my solo show were things I had made after the pandemic started. There weren’t many restrictions compared to my commercial work, so I just put everything in Blender without thinking. I created a lot by just stretching things out with my cursor; it was like kneading clay. Once I had an interesting shape, I’d add some eyes until it looked like a character. I only had print and video works at this solo exhibition, though. I’d like to display some 3D works at my next show.

–– What would you like to try in the future?

nico: There are a lot of things I’d like to try… For now, I just want to work hard at my jobs. And as always, I want to keep creating my personal works so that I can do another solo exhibition. Last time, I was so caught up in creating that I wasn’t able to express the character backgrounds and stories that I wanted to express. I want to be able to do all of that next time.

nico ito
Born in Tokyo in 1996. After graduating from Musashino Art University, Department of Spatial Design She is currently working as a freelance illustrator.
Instagram：@nicooos_n
Twitter : @nicooos_n

Edit Jun Ashizawa(TOKION)
Tranlation Mimiko Goldstein

The post Selecting motifs to create a story: what artist nico ito draws from imagination appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

This time, we invited the designer of AMBUSH® Yoon, who has collaborated with global companies like Nike and Moët & Chandon and designs jewelry for Dior Homme. Until two years ago, she hopped from city to city—both inside and outside of the country—to work on various projects. Today, she’s based in Shibuya and is constantly planning two years into the future. Over the past few years, self-taught fashion designers have been breaking many stereotypes. Amid that, Yoon conveys her message and vision of the future from a sociological perspective with confidence. Why does her message resonate with people all over the world?  

The answer became clear as we proceeded with the interview: she’s constantly trying to face, think for, and update herself. Beyond her insights—which are honed every day—on fashion, the city, people, and society lies her imagination of a realistic future. While looking back on how Tokyo’s face and communities have changed in eight years since she moved here from America, Yoon expands on how the ability to think will be necessary in the future.  

Reevaluating one’s routine and looking at things from a new angle

——I’ve seen you take over the global stage more in recent years. I feel like many people relate to AMBUSH® as a brand and your kind yet strong message. This might be a strange question; do you ever get worried or troubled? 

Yoon: I do. I’m a human being, so of course (laughs). In my occupation, I have to continue to produce things, so I sometimes feel distressed when I can’t effortlessly come up with an idea. But now that 13 years have passed since we founded the brand, whenever I’m in such [a situation], I stop thinking for a moment and put myself in a different perspective or environment. By doing so, I become liberated from pressure, and I naturally get one idea after another. Before, I would sit at my desk while feeling frustrated at myself for not coming up with ideas. 

——While it’s difficult to go abroad during the pandemic, how do you bring yourself to that relaxed state of mind? 

Yoon: I bought a bicycle recently; that was huge for me. I started to explore paths in Shibuya with it and detach myself from my work brain for a second. Until this point, I used to walk the same route from my house to the office. But since I feel a bit more used to this pandemic, I considered finding new sceneries and places in Tokyo. It’s fun to act on my intuition to do things I like, and feeling surprised when I come across coffee shops and delicious restaurants. 

——Not only do you cherish your leisure time, but you also value your time for learning. I heard you took online business classes during the pandemic. Are you studying anything right now? 

Yoon: I started learning about cameras. The incentive for this was similar to [why I started riding] a bicycle. When I took a good, hard look at my routine, I saw that there’s a part of me that gets easily bored with one thing. This is because I work in [an industry] where the fashion cycle changes every six months, but I disliked how I had that sort of sensibility towards everyday things. Just then, like my bicycle, I became able to look at things from a different angle from my previous perspective through my camera. Also, I genuinely like devices. I’m the type of person who becomes a nerd once I get into something (laughs).

——You look at what you felt was the same scenery or environment in various ways now—from 360 degrees.

Yoon: The brain and sense of sight are the same as muscles, so it’s key to train them. Once I started using cameras, I understood that human memory is no match for the documentation made by machines.

The necessity of critical thinking in the next era, where individuality will become more prominent 

——Do you remember what it felt like moving from America to Tokyo in 2013?

Yoon: Back then, one-half of me honestly didn’t understand things because of the language barrier. The other half of me was curious and inspired by numerous things. There’s a gray zone between high fashion and culture in Japanese fashion. In America, as you can tell from looking at fashion magazines, only the high fashion world exists. Of course, some styles were born from culture. But because they’re rooted in certain places, they exist as something normal. However, in Japan, people create unique, mutant-ish looks by using a surplus of imagination against imported cultures. I sensed an original, otaku-like romance from magazines like Relax and Boon and Kitakore Building, a shop. I think this is why people who come to Japan from abroad get inspired to recreate something.

——For people overseas, it’s fresh to see people creating a new creature after getting inspired by something unique. Where did such people get together? 

Yoon: Le Baron de Paris, which [used to be] a club lounge in Minami Aoyama. That place was so significant because different people across generations, regardless of whether it was the weekend or a weekday, interacted equally. I would have fun and befriend people there, which would lead to work before I knew it. The same goes for Trump Room, which opened later. That was an imperative part of club culture. 

——This is in part because we live in a post-pandemic world, but I feel like it’s harder to meet people by chance like that. You have the potential to meet people organically on Instagram, but it’s different because you meet people through a filter first. 

Yoon: This isn’t about which is better, but many fantastic things happened in the club scene before Instagram became popular. This goes to the way people presented themselves too. Today, you can take a selfie and post it, whether you’re in your room or at the club, but back then, it was an era where you got your picture taken. So, when you went clubbing, it was about how much you could stand out.

——I feel like the categorizations of communities that are attached to particular places are disappearing. We’re even more fragmented now; you can express your individuality in all sorts of places. 

Yoon: Right. I believe we’ll be more individualistic in the future. In terms of currency, what was once under centralized authoritarian rule is now out of that control—each person can make their own [currency]. Because we live in an era where each person has power, I think each individual has to be stronger and gain the ability to think. 

——We’re in an era where we engage in real-life and the virtual world, which is why we need to develop the ability to think even more. 

Yoon: In the not-so-far future, I think the line between reality and virtuality will be blurred, like the realm of The Matrix. We need to be very aware that algorithms program the world we see on social media. Ultimately, we need to discern if what we see on our screens is right or wrong and act [accordingly]. Of course, new cultures and movements are being born thanks to the advancement of technology and the internet, so I want to continue seeing the pros of real-life and virtual life. It’s unbelievable how humanity is on the verge of losing the ability to think, as though we’re zombies brainwashed by programming. 

——As you mentioned before, the brain is like a muscle, so what you said right now is something people can adopt as their everyday awareness. I presume childhood education could change the way people think as well. 

Yoon: I feel like there will be a divide between those who oppose and support the attitude of “think however way you please, even if it’s different from others.” I also feel like Japanese education creates an environment where people can’t say their opinions because a part of them fears rejection. It’s a shame because there’s so much history and passion in the culture. In Japan, the average age is 49 years old as of now, and in 2025, it’ll be 50 years old. It’s difficult for a big system to change drastically more than now. I want those who carry the future on their shoulders to not care about what others think and live their life according to their distinct policy. I want them to put their phone down once, read a book, and study spontaneously to gain the ability to make their minds up for themselves. 

Conveying a message strongly, to not drown in other noises

——What do you think will be the essential element of AMBUSH®? 

Yoon: Of course, establishing it as a business is a prerequisite, but it would be to transmit our message and the strong visuals we want to portray. From around 2015, the influence of high fashion brands and fast fashion has become big. For brands in the middle, like AMBUSH®, the demands have become narrower. We need to convey our message even stronger by doing more, so we don’t drown in different everyday noises aside from fashion. 

——Varied approaches towards the system of fashion have been springing up as of recently. 

Yoon: It depends on the brand’s scale and location. In AMBUSH®’s case, even before the pandemic, we’ve always had a plan two years ahead, on a global scale. I can’t go to fashion week physically, but I’m glad I was already used to the cycle of buyers, which operates on a global level, before the pandemic. Also, it depends on the brand’s concept—this isn’t about which is correct—so whether one has an online shop has an enormous influence. 

——What do you think the future will look like? 

Yoon: First, whenever I think about reality, I’m conscious of how the world I see and the world I live in are separate. Depending on how wide your horizons are, whether you see everything or only one part of it will change. But we also have to feel the reality that we live on this tiny earth in the [vast] universe. I feel so moved by how every one of us means something, even on a small planet. There’s a possibility we could go to the moon because of food or natural disasters in the future, like what Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk are attempting. I don’t know how realistic that is yet, but I don’t want to forget how important it is to convey creative messages in the jungle we call earth. 

Yoon 
Born in Korea and raised in America. In 2008, she founded AMBUSH® with VERBAL, who has been her partner since university. She was selected as one finalist for the LVMH prize in 2017. Yoon was appointed as the jewelry director of Dior Homme from the spring/summer season of 2019. 

Photography Steve Gaudin
Edit Jun Ashizawa(TOKION)
Translation Lena Grace Suda

The post 「時音」Vol.13 AMBUSH® designer Yoon’s power of envisioning the future appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

Hana Yagi is a 21-year-old fashion designer. When she was 19, she was chosen as the youngest finalist at the Europe’s biggest fashion competition, ITS (International Talent Support) Fashion.  Yagi’s father is a sheet metal craftsman, and she has brought up close to traditional artisanship; now she reincarnates old fabrics with various backgrounds into new forms. Her practice is not merely about sustainability or remaking, but it comes from her strong will to further expand the potentials of fashion.  

Yagi speaks about her time in high school before entering the contest longing to be involved with art and fashion, feeling conflicted as she progresses through the world of fashion, and her big vision empowered by the struggles. 

From art to fashion

——I heard that you were brought up in an environment closely associated with crafting. Later in life, you went to a high school of art and started with 2D art—how did you become interested in the fashion world?  

Hana Yagi (from hereunder, Yagi): When I was doing research for my high school graduation project, I’d realized—for the first time—my fascination with fashion. Up until then, I’d been convincing myself to thrive towards the world of art.  While I took the design course and studied graphic design, I went to various art exhibitions outside of school, and began noticing that I’m into the modern art world.  But then, when I was doing further research for my graduation project, I found myself collecting many fashion photos.  

——For your high school graduation project, did you actually present clothes?

Yagi: No, in the end I presented a 3D artwork. Through researching, I was able to discover what I wanted to do in life; in fact, I was able to say that I’m into fashion after I got into Coconogacco. Up until then, since I was a teenager, I was surrounded by friends who were taking art seriously, and they were incredibly talented illustrators, which made me harder to broach to them that I’d decided to pursue my career in fashion—I was worried that if I told them, they would think that I’m shifting to fashion because I’m not cut out for art.  

——However, outside of school, in your second year of high school, you had entered the Soen Award, chosen as the finalist, and presented your show. Back when you were still wavering between art and fashion—in an interview—you were saying that you’re trying to figure out a way to make a connection between your works back then and the clothes you make now. 

Yagi: Back then, I couldn’t answer immediately if someone had asked what I truly wanted to do. I was able to experience the general flow of a fashion show and felt accomplished through Soen Award. It gave me a great opportunity as I was wavering between art and fashion. 

Yet, I was also feeling incomplete that I hadn’t accomplished anything yet in the field of art, and thought if I didn’t try hard enough in creating a piece, I would be a quitter. So, after I graduated high school, in order to test myself and see if I really wanted to go for art or not, I submitted my 3D work to 1_WALL. As a result, I received an award from the director of Shiga Museum of Art, Kenjiro Hosaka. He kindly encouraged me to “keep up the good work”—and now I feel accountable for doing something different. I’m definitely not turning away from myself in the past; one day, I want to make something fusing my artwork from back then with the clothes I make now, and show it to Mr. Hosaka again. 

Becoming the finalist of ITS by digging the roots

——Since then, you had begun studying fashion earnestly at Coconogacco, and in 2019, you were chosen as the youngest finalist at the International fashion contest, ITS. Your works embrace your roots—growing up close to the traditional metalworks as your father was a metal craftsman—and made under the theme of ‘refurbishing’, using materials such as ‘Kintsugi’, ‘ceramics’, and ‘Boros (rags)’. Have you always been presenting works that are linked to your roots? 

Yag: When I got into Coconogacco, I learned for the first time about digging my own roots for crafting. In high school, my creations were pleasing to the eye, but somehow, they weren’t sitting right with me.  

For ITS, I’d started off by digging my own roots, then looked for materials and found ‘Urushi (lacquer)’ and ‘Kintsugi’. I actually began using ‘Boros’ after I was done making my portfolio for ITS and received the finalist notification letter. In the past, for a lecture course at Coconogacco, I had an opportunity to visit Amuse Museum, and see the real Boros and hear a lecture about their history; since I saw the real Boros, I knew how delicate they were, and thought carefully on how I should present them in the modern world as a new thing and not as a replica. But, when I received the finalist notification letter, I thought that I might as well take the harder path to create something that makes more sense to me, so that I won’t regret.  

——In the past couple years, what were your feelings toward the world of art and fashion, arising through your creative process and presentations in and out of Japan? 

Yagi: Personally, I don’t really like to take art and fashion separately, but I would say it’s fun to see the chain of ‘derivative works’ in fashion. Essentially, I like the phenomenon of ‘derivative works’ in the world of manga; in fashion, various traits of the original material—clothes—are concocted by stylists and photographers. With artworks—other than installations and performances—once they are finished, they cannot be converted by others. On the other hand, in fashion, once the clothes are designed and released out to the public, they get updated time after time. They change as they get passed into the hands of different people—and I’m amused by this sequence of phenomena.  

——Have you ever felt that it’s contradicting or conflicting? 

Yagi: I like the vibe that fashion exudes, however, as a creator, I’ve come to realize the limitation in conveying messages through designs. I don’t take it negatively, though: I think this limitation and conflicted feeling are giving me an objective perspective when creating things. If I count on the power of fashion too much, I will become narrow-minded; in fact, my inner conflict—wondering if fashion is really the right expressive outlet for me—gave me a good drive to challenge expressing myself in a wide variety of ways.  

——Tell me about the new dress you exhibited at Kuma Foundation, which was a new place to present your works after ITS. 

Yagi: As with ITS, I created out of textiles with different roots. This time, I layered fabrics of wedding dresses and kimonos that were sold tons at a clearance market. Not like other secondhand clothes, Kimonos get disposed for a tiny stain—even the ones with intricate embroideries and patterns. At the market, I’d witnessed the dull space laden with ghost-like retired Kimonos, and decided to express the sight with these textiles—I had put more pigments on the stained fabrics to elaborate my image of updating them for the future, instead of restoring them back to their original state.

Taking a new approach with images

——For your next presentation, I heard you are making an animated video with your younger sister—which production phase are you in now? 

Yagi: My sister is the main person in charge of the animated video production; we’re starting the shoot in May, so now, we just finished making the puppets and their miniature clothes that will be used for stop-motion. From here on, we will be taking a year to turn these miniature designs into 3D life-sized figures. Once we’re done with everything, we are planning on submitting to film festivals. 

——Since the pandemic, a lot of brands had to cancel their physical shows, but instead, they have started putting their efforts into fashion films—however, it seems like your video production has a different approach than that. 

Yagi: It links to what I had mentioned earlier about my conflicted feeling towards fashion: I’ve noticed from making images with my sister, that the degree of freedom is higher when expressing through images than through fashion. With images, you can deliver the messages directly, create a worldview from scratch, design not only the clothes that appear in the video, but also human bodies. Yet, if I rely too much on the images, that will limit my creativity, so I’d like to continuously broaden my range of expression by merging fashion with different forms of art. 

——While you go through various struggles, as well as finding joy in creating, what are the things you want to thrive on?

Yagi: I want to continuously use various materials with different roots, and collage them on the canvas of clothes. Of course, my works are often seen as a certain sustainable movement or merely a remade piece from old clothes, but I personally want to demonstrate an immense worldview by adopting and updating the roots and power of these old clothes. 

Realistically speaking, I don’t feel right about the range of expression getting limited for my contemporaries along the depletion of resources and economic decline. There were times I felt hesitant about handling sensitive topics and conveying them through clothes, as I’ve never gone through those troubles. Yet, after some moments of anguish, I came to realize that it’s okay to take time and make mistakes now, so that I can eventually take part in accelerating a virtuous cycle and provide benefits to both the past and the future. Instead of taking care of the materials with a limited perspective, I want to have a bigger vision especially in this difficult time, and keep creating things that would stay in people’s hearts. 

Hana Yagi 
Born in 1999 in Tokyo. After graduating Tokyo Metropolitan Senior High School of Fine Arts, Performing Arts and Classical Music, she studied at Coconogacco. In 2019, she became the youngest nominee at Europe’s largest fashion competition, International Talent Support Fashion, at the age of 19. Today, she is also involved with video production with her younger sister.
Instagram:@hannah.yagi

■Online Exhibition KUMA EXHIBITION 2021
Date: April 27^th, 2021 – May 31^st, 2021
https://kuma-foundation.org/exhibition2021/

■Solo Exhibition fragments
Date: April 22^nd, 2021 – June 14^th, 2021
Venue: traffic
Location: 1-25-21 Jiyuugaoka Meguro-ward, Tokyo
Open Hours: 11AM – 7PM
Closed: Wednesdays / first and third Tuesdays
Entrance fee: Free of charge

Photography Yoko Kusano
Translation Ai Kaneda

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The post Designer Hana Yagi Speaks About ‘The Potential of Fashion’ and ‘The Subsequent Challenge Fueled by Struggles’ appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

In recent years, the topic of virtual fashion and fashion tech has been spreading. As technology influences fashion, virtual fashion has become more prominent. What holds the key to expanding the future of fashion? We spoke to Yoko Fujishima, who runs ZOZO Technologies’ media, ZOZO FashionTechNews. 

The value of connecting fashion tech and different fields 

—You currently run ZOZO FashionTechNews, which is a platform owned by ZOZO Technologies. It seems like people used to pay intense attention only to new technologies or services in fashion and technology. Have there been any changes in that regard? 

Yoko Fujishima (Fujishima): I got involved with ZOZO FashionTechNews towards the end of 2019. On top of posting about the overview or technological aspects of services and products, we also post about how they influence culture and other fields. People would talk about innovative gadgets like smartwatches and interactive clothes, but now we see more products with excellent functionality. We also need to talk about how consumers will accept and use these products in the future. We live in an era where even young fashion brands incorporate innovative technology. I believe we’re entering a new phase— brands are discussing with people in different fields and expanding the possibilities of fashion tech even more. 

—Aside from your work in media, do you physically work with fashion tech and develop products? 

Fujishima: Our team is working on a project with Hosoo, an established Nishijin textile company, and the Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies, Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies of The University of Tokyo. This project aims to develop functionality and textile design, and there’s going to be an exhibition showcasing our work starting from April 17 in Kyoto. My role is to document and inform the public about the process of this collaborative effort. I try to understand each person’s vision and background and what sort of future lies in textile design to convey that online. 

—You share this process of broadening the possibilities of fashion tech. 

Fujishima: Those in fashion go outside of their field when it comes to fashion tech, so that’s why all involved parties need to connect and increase their potential. I’d be happy if FashionTechNews could become a network hub that encourages such collaborations to thrive. 

—What potential is there in the manufacturing side of fashion tech, including the joint research you mentioned? 

Fujishima: Some easy-to-understand examples are using AI to optimize manufacturing or the role machines play. But aside from those, I believe there’s potential in keeping traditional techniques alive while also improving manufacturing environments. People say using AI at factories to optimize work would lead to workers losing their jobs. But in the long run, it could prevent people from working in harsh working conditions, and it could also improve wages. Regarding the balance of incorporating fashion tech, instead of thinking short-term, we should look at it long-term and from a global scale to solve issues. 

The possibilities of virtual fashion 

—The discourse surrounding virtual fashion as a communication tool in the age of coronavirus is everywhere. The game, Animal Crossing, was a huge hit, and more recently, the collaboration between the 3D avatar social media app ZEPETO and Gucci made waves. Over these past few years, online communication has evolved and spread in many ways. How do you think the affinity between fashion brands and online communication will change? 

Fujishima: I think people will use a new method like visual merchandising to target Gen Z. It’s an effective method that can quickly respond to the market, and high fashion brands are still exploring how they could keep their unique values and their distance. Because fashion is open to the public and consumers could duplicate it, adding exclusivity to brands will probably be an obstacle for those in the business. Perhaps high-end brands and online communication tools don’t mesh well together in the first place, but they must enter the marketplace in the beginning because so much content is out there today. 

—One example of an e-commerce site that provides an immersive experience with real-life retailers in a game format is the styling app DREST. It’s popular because it covers all bases— a game with social media and shopping elements. 

Fujishima: Yes. This is partially thanks to the fact that Lucy Yeomans, who is the former editor-in-chief of Porter run by Net-a-Porter, is the person who launched it. E-commerce sites used to come in two-dimensional forms like magazines and catalogs, but this app made it three-dimensional. The fun thing about shopping on DREST is, you can compare what you have in your physical closet and what you have in your virtual wish list. Other games allow you to create a complete wardrobe, of course. But going beyond that and coming up with an app that users could use as an everyday tool is an example of real-life and the virtual world colliding. 

—The app isn’t just a virtual world. It’s like a real shopping experience but different at the same time.

Fujishima: We should celebrate HATRA and chloma’s endeavors because they approached it in that manner. In terms of HATRA, they started the brand by using a 3D modeling software for fashion, called CLO, and then posted their AR data onto their website. They made a crossover early on. Instead of stopping at making clothes, chloma has its distinct worldbuilding in their virtual store. Both domestic brands incorporated virtual mediums to illustrate their respective worlds before everyone else. Moreover, we, ZOZO Technologies, announced our virtual model, Drip, and are working on updating the user’s shopping experience. I’m excited to see the gradual changes happen in my immediate surroundings. 

The permeation of virtual fashion brands 

—In Japan, some department stores and clothing stores have their virtual store, but they haven’t successfully replicated the convenience and options online shopping offers. 

Fujishima: We’ve gotten so used to using devices, such as our phones and computers. Now, there’s a dissonance between our ideaof what’s virtual and the reality of it. So, it’s not something fashion alone can fix. When devices like smartglasses become the norm, then I think the virtual experience could feel normal. 

—On another note, some brands are establishing themselves virtually. Can you name any brands that are exploring the creative possibilities unique to its virtual medium? 

Fujishima: Happy 99 is gaining popularity as an American brand that started virtually and moved towards making actual products. They initially made shoes with squiggly shapes that are uniquely virtual-looking, but because figures like Lady Gaga and Grimes took notice of the brand, they made them into physical products. These two aren’t virtual brands per se, but Japanese brands such as MAGARIMONO and Synflux use digital design processes and pursue technology to create something new. Clothes and objects have rules and guidelines when it comes to making them. And so, of course, they’ll be tested on their skills to overcome such stipulations. Virtual fashion brands have the power to give feedback to traditional modes of clothesmaking. 

—Some virtual brands aim to be sustainable by preventing consumers from buying clothes to throw them away immediately. 

Fujishima: Now, there aren’t many variations of clothes you can wear virtually. So, it’s still not the perfect replacement. We think shiny textures and curves with a virtual vibe are fresh because virtual brands are coming out right now, but perhaps that’ll just end as another trend by next year. The approach itself will no longer be sustainable then. If clothes with a more organic vibe became the trend, then we’d have to consider methods that extend beyond physical garments. 

—Are there any fields affecting fashion in terms of being sustainable and trying to stop overconsumption? 

Fujishima: I’m interested in where bio fashion is heading. I don’t think it’s possible to stop buying clothes, and if we do, then we’ll lose the fun of fashion too. What’s essential is coming up with a system that doesn’t make the consumer feel guilty whenever they buy clothes. For example, dying clothes in a way that doesn’t pollute water or getting rid of clothes without throwing them in the trash are key. I assume some brands or companies do that sort of research and put it into practice. But we must make sure we don’t make that into a simple trend; I hope we could adopt sustainability into our everyday lives in the future. 

—What do you think the future of fashion looks like? 

Fujishima: As I said earlier, I feel like we’re transitioning from the era of surface-level collaboration to one where we need to think about what happens when we incorporate technology into clothes and what that means. For instance, a clothing item that can change shape like a Transformer robot might not feel that new in the future. The following is important when something like that happens: think about what you can do with a particular product and convey and create its value. From the outside, it might seem like this industry is insular and hard to join. It might also seem like people in fashion decide on things depending on whether something is cool. But there’s a proper reason behind the things designers and manufacturers make. Now that we live in a world where the concept of newness is no longer fresh, we need to talk to people outside of fashion and carve out a space where we could bring things to life. 

Yoko Fujishima
Yoko Fujishima is a fashion researcher who works for ZOZO Technologies, Incz. She is currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program at the Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies, Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, The University of Tokyo. She is also a part-time researcher at the Riken Center for Advanced Intelligence Project. She became enthralled in surrealism and studied French literature in university. After, she studied fashion design at Central Saint Martins in London. Fujishima then became interested in creating value in fashion and started to work in fashion as a researcher in Japan. She mainly researches the history of the Japanese fashion industry and fashion museums. Currently, her primary focus is on AI in fashion and discussions about technology and fashion. 
https://tech.zozo.com
Twitter:@fjkdiet

Photography Hironori Sakunaga
Translation Lena Grace Suda

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Designer Tsukasa Kudo of kudos / soduk doesn’t usually make media appearances, but when I chat with him in person, he’s actually quite charming and a great conversationalist. He was raised in Naha, Okinawa by his grandmother, who he used to accompany on trips to the tailor. In high school, he studied abroad in America, where he was encouraged by his host family to follow his dreams. After a long, winding road to becoming a fashion designer, these days, he works out of Tokyo as the designer behind men’s brand kudos and women’s brand sudok. 

At every fork in the road, one person or another has been charmed enough by Kudo’s personality to guide him out of the dark, bringing out more of his potential. And in a time where it’s become commonplace to wear many hats, Kudo imagines people through clothing as a fashion designer, and preserves memories through moments as a photographer. 

——After being born and raised in Naha, Okinawa, you found yourself in the US, Antwerp, and Paris, before finally returning to Japan three years ago and launching your own brand. I heard that you first encountered fashion as a child, at the tailor you went to with your grandma.

Tsukasa Kudo: That’s right. My grandma loved clothes, and we often used to go to a tailor on this old shopping street in Naha. At the time, I didn’t even know what a fashion designer was, but even at a young age, it was like magic. I was shocked by the fact that something started as a piece of fabric, but if you came back two months later, it would be an article of clothing.  

——That experience sparked your interest in fashion, and since then, you’ve worked in various countries. In spite of all the twists and turns, why didn’t you give up on the road to becoming a fashion designer? 

Kudo: Because of my experience with the host family I met while studying abroad in the US for two years in high school. When I lived in Okinawa, I was diligent and thinking about getting a job. But when I lived with that host family, and I confessed that I liked fashion, they were really supportive. That was a big turning point for me, where I was able to free my mind and realize that having something you really want to do isn’t a bad thing.

——16 to 18 is around the age when our core interests and outlook on life are determined.  

Kudo: My host family also influenced the way I put graphics on my spring/summer collection hoodies and long-sleeve shirts. When I was in Japan, I liked J-pop idols. But my host family loved hip hop so much that they would play MTV in every room 24 hours a day, and thanks to that, I got into hip hop and R&B. Even now, that culture is at the core of who I am, and kudos puts out items that are inspired by that culture. So people ask me if the brand universe is “street” or “trendy,” but I like both, and hip hop culture is the foundation of my brand.

——So with the encouragement of the host family you met as a teenager, you graduated high school thinking you’d enroll in fashion school, but then there were some twists and turns.

Kudo: I was inspired by this American drama, Project Runway, and I was planning to enroll at Parsons, but my parents convinced me to come back to Japan. At first, I thought I’d enroll at Bunka Fashion College, but when I toured the school, I was overwhelmed by how high-level it was. In the end, I enrolled at Waseda University, but I couldn’t get used to the Tokyo university atmosphere, and didn’t get into Waseda University’s Seni fashion club. But I still couldn’t abandon my dreams of becoming a fashion designer, so I thought that once I graduated, I’d study abroad again to study fashion. So after I graduated, I was able to enroll in the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Belgium. And when I got to the school, I looked around and realized that I was the only first-year student who couldn’t make any clothes at all.

——A difficult experience, but even more so at a competitive European school…

Kudo: That’s what I thought, but my friends from class were supportive. For example, when I was submitting an assignment, Rushemy Botter, the designer behind BOTTER, would always help me out. (laughs) Of course, my teachers could see right through it…Even during a presentation assignment that was a final for the whole year, about 10 friends from class all came to my house to help. I couldn’t make anything, so I basically just offered them tea, snacks, and encouragement. Looking back on it now, I’ve been dependent on others since then. (laughs)

How Kudo’s experience at Jacquemus influenced his image of a designer

——You’re very charming. (laughs) Later on, what led you to work at Jacquemus and Y/Project in Paris, as well as JW Anderson in London?

Kudo: Ultimately, my teacher found out that I hadn’t made what I submitted myself. When I was deciding whether to quit or repeat that year, I thought about the kind of designer I wanted to become and remembered the tailor I would go to with my grandmother. So I decided to go to pattern-making school in Paris, and started an internship at Jacquemus. After that, I worked at Y/Project as a pattern making assistant, and JW Anderson as a design assistant.

——You’ve worked with a lot of brands. Which brand had the biggest influence on you as a designer?

Kudo: That’d be Jacquemus. People often say that the first brand you work at determines your personality as a designer. At the time, Jacquemus was just starting to garner attention after the 2016 spring/summer season, and there were only five people on the brand team. The designer, Simon [Porte Jacquemus] would keep coming up with ideas, occasionally buying us coffee. It really felt like a family. Since we were only five people, I had to work really hard. So it was a place to put everything into practice, and I learned more there than at school. And as a designer, I think I was influenced by Simon’s personality.

——That was a time where Paris was going through various changes, like the rise of VETEMENTS and starting to street cast models through Instagram. 

Kudo: Yeah. It was a time when small brands were in friendly competition. I witnessed people criticizing a raincoat that said, “VETEMENTS,” and then half a year later, that same raincoat became valuable. And I was surrounded by other fashion designers such as Mao [Usami] of Sirloin, who was at Louis Vuitton, Hashimoto of Yuki Hashimoto who was at Maison Margiela, Gushiken of Kota Gushiken who was at Dior, and Wataru of Wataru Tominaga who was doing a residency at an art museum. Everyone’s life was based around brands and work. Looking back on it now, it was a hot place to be. Everyone is working in Tokyo and other places now, which is nice.

——With that inspirational environment, were you already thinking about launching your own brand from the time you were in Paris?

Kudo: It was the opposite. I became exhausted by the fact that there were so many people who were naturally more talented fashion designers than me. I started to think that rather than start my own brand as a designer, it’d be nice to be able to be involved as an assistant. On the other hand, I’d been taking photos since I was a university student, so I thought maybe through that, I’d be able to work at a fashion magazine. So after I came back to Japan, I first went to show Junsuke Yamazaki of FREE MAGAZINE my photo portfolio. I started talking about how I made clothes, and he ended up liking my clothes much more than my photos, so he contacted a PR agency right then and there. And even though I didn’t even have a brand name at that stage, it was decided that I’d have a show. (laughs) I started without a name, and stylists would use my clothes for magazine shoots, but I had no idea how to mass produce or sell clothes for the first six months. 

———But this was another instance where you received support from everyone, and your dreams came true. 

Kudo: That’s true. Until then, I mainly helped make clothes that other people designed, so I hadn’t thought I’d be a designer. So although I was embarrassed, at the same time, it gave me confidence.

The difference between completing a photo and clothing

——Listening to you talk about your career until now, I get the sense that as a fashion designer, communication with people influences your final decisions. On the other hand, taking pictures is quite spontaneous, something you do with the click of a shutter. Is there any difference in the way you feel when making clothes versus taking picture?

Kudo: When I look back on a photo, I think about how beautiful of a moment I spent with this person, in this place, and I sometimes feel like I’m going to cry. In that sense, sometimes I get sad the moment I click the shutter button. That it’s already in the past. (laughs) It’s completely different from how I feel during the creation process with clothes. With both, there’s a commonality in that they both require you to think about another person or have an object in mind, but there’s something pure about how when you take a picture, you’re deciding to complete it at that moment.

——When do you consider clothing “complete”?

Kudo: You can’t see the final result of clothing, so it’s not common that you get to see the process up until someone is wearing it. There’s a sense of luxury in that abundance of imagination, and on the other hand, sometimes there’s a sense of excitement. Once in a while, after some time has passed, I see someone on the street wearing something I made, and that makes me feel the same as when I complete a picture.

——You took the photos for kudos’ season visuals yourself. I can tell you’re very particular about your style, like casting people who aren’t professional models. 

Kudo: If the models aren’t people I know, or people I have some relationship with, I can’t take good pictures. When I take pictures, communication is important to me, and the casting is also very important. That might be what creates the kudos style.

——You make both men’s and women’s clothing, but what kind of shared aesthetic do you want to have with your clothing going forward?

Kudo: Clothing that still has traces of personality. I’m the type of person who goes to Tanpopo house [Japanese thrift store] or Paris’ thrift store Guerrisol to pick out what I like from the miscellaneous items rather than from high-end brands. For example, I’ve had customers wear clothes from my first season in a way that fits their personal style. So in the same way, I’d be happy if someone really owned my clothing to the extent that a few years down the line, even I would ask them, “Where is that from?”

——In part due to the influence of the coronavirus, I feel that after this year, we’ll see even bigger changes in the span that clothing travels. How do you plan to develop your collection in the future?

Kudo: I understand that fashion is a fragile system, but I’m currently trying to figure out what to do going forward. Honestly, even more so because I was thinking of doing a show overseas for my next collection (2021 spring/summer). While I think that we’ll stop saying spring/summer, fall/winter in the future, I’d ideally like to release a few styles every month depending on the season.

——You witnessed the past few years in Paris, where luxury and street brands alike went through changes. Since returning to Tokyo, how do you feel about the fashion scene here?

Kudo: Normcore and casual styles were common for a while, but recently, I feel like there are more kids in their early twenties who are interested in fashion again. Japanese models who were street casted through Instagram, walked in Paris for brands, and then after coming back to Japan, started creating culture here with their other young friends, partying until the morning. With the coronavirus, it’s still unclear what the future holds, but I have a feeling that good old Tokyo is making a comeback.

Tsukasa Kudo
Kudo was born in Okinawa, Japan. After graduating from Waseda University, he studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp in Belgium. After dropping out of the academy, he moved to France, where he gained experience as a design assistant at Jacquemus in Paris and as a pattern-making assistant at Y/Project, before moving to England and working as a design assistant at JW Anderson. In 2017, he launched his own brand, kudos, and in 2018, he started the women’s brand sudok. He also works as a photographer. This autumn, he started a publishing company, TSUKASA KUDO PUBLISHING, and published “TANG TAO” by Fish Zhang.
https://kudoskudos.co
Instagram:@tsukasamkudo

Photography Kisshomaru Shimamura
Translation Aya Apton

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