【INTERVIEW】eye_C Magazine
Beauty is in the eyes of the viewer "It has been said for a long time.
So what about practicality?
In our words and lives, functions are treated as genetic characteristics, not to be evaluated, but objective nature provided by creations.4WDIs definitely practical. There are many uses on the rain jacket. However, on sunny Sunday cruises, "non -practical" things, such as light open cars and thin linen shirts, are the most capable.
Is the function left to the viewer? Or is there something else at hand?
Based in TokyoMeanwhileteeth,AW21Then, I once again excavated old proverbs and explored the possibilities between beauty and practicality. ""FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION / FUNCTION FOLLOWS FORMThis collection pursued the belief that you can find new value in existing concepts, just as the first ancestor of humanity has turned into a tool as a hint.
And we are challenging the essence of technical closing design.
The function determines the shape
"The form follows the function" by American architect Lewis Henry Sullivan.
"As a designer, this word was always in my head," says MeanSwhile's creative director, Naodai Fujisaki. "The opposite" Function Follows Form "was based on our concept."
The concept is the philosophy of this label. Meanswhile was born in 2014 to explore "clothing as a tool". It is a concept that can be used by the philosophy that Sullivan would have valued.
Like many people in the technical apparel world, Fujisaki's interest in functional design began with time outdoors. "Perhaps it was an interest in equipment and gears," he says. I liked to find out the formation of things, "Why these parts are this shape?" And "Why this fabric is used". "
I decided to go to a fashion university, but I really wanted to focus on output before passion for clothes. "Originally I liked fashion, but more than that, I had a strong desire to" manufacture ". I have a way to output my knowledge, past experiences and outdoors cultivated in the outdoors. I was looking for clothes that I was interested in at that time. "
Studying at school brought Fujisaki a new perspective of costume. Practical clothing has become artistic. "What is the role played by clothes? I thought about making something that stands out?" "As a fashion student, the wedding dress was the first time outside the classroom was a wedding dress."
Fujisaki, which combines technical skills and fashion -like sensitivity, has become interested in the interaction in these two fields. "At this time, I came up with the concept of" clothes as a tool "."
"At that time, I didn't have a backpack with all the functions I wanted, so I thought I had to make it myself. It took three years to complete the concept, and with the birth of this backpack, I started MeanSwhile. I was allowed to."
Form and substance
After Fujisaki made the first backpack10Year,MeanSwhileHas blossomed as one of the most fresh technical apparel lines in the world.
This brand, which was difficult to obtain outside of Japan and was not sold in North America until last season, has the mystery of a species that is among lovers. This brand is not only difficult to get, but also paradoxical. In addition to the novel concept, it looks classic. A complex function hidden in a simple appearance. But no matter how complicated it looks, it is always designed for functions without doubt.
"My design process usually starts with the purpose of the item. For example, if it is an outerwear for mountain climbing, we will consider what functions are needed and design from there. Do you need to add water if you want to wear a pattern that doesn't hinder your arms? It will be done in the design.
EastlogueorMountain ResearchLike the brand of the same generation,MeanSwhileIs inspired by vintage military and outdoor wear, and its sturdy functionality is reconstructed to match modern life. but,MeanSwhileIt is calm, and it is as if it is demanding that the clothes themselves are different from others.
The crystal is the latest collection of the brand.
AW21So, Fujisaki started by reversing the normal design process and imagining the new features from the vintage military reference (form). Then, we experimented with materials and functions for realizing them without changing the silhouette. Gore -Tex, Fleece, Thinsalate, Toray Polinilon Textile "Artirosa(Ultirosa) is used everywhere.
"I always have a variety of questions about why this form and why this material is," says Fujisaki. "I'm not looking for a functional element, but I feel like I'm training the core ideas every day."
This season's loop zipMA-1Is an example. Bomber jackets are often opened and worn, and depending on the weather, you can close it with a zipper. At that time, it is common to close the central zipper and the time of view. However, this bomber jacket does not require a simple single zip anymore. It is a panel -like double zip like a backcountry skiing shell (pockets are added).
How does bomber jacket panel zip work? It depends on what is required.
"The important thing is whether the function fulfills the intended purpose, but I
I believe that combining different elements creates new expressions. In some situations, a useless function may be useful in another scene. It is important to repeat trial and error. "
MeanSwhileThe latest collection is a challenge to the traditional Etos of technical apparel design, but also evolved the reason why this brand is praised in the first place.
The function may be in the eyes of the viewer. Speaking of beautyMeanwhileThe new expression method is wonderful from an objective point of view.