Girls Just Want To Have Fun!
Seasons, trends, and our feelings are easily and quickly fluctuated all the time,
but there are also invaluable things in our hearts that will never be transformed.
It could be something from our childhood or it even could be a t-shirt we found yesterday.
The “values” are completely different by individuals,
but I wonder what are those precious items which fascinated our older generations.
Let’s learn the permanent masterpieces from our elder fashionistas.
item_BOOT from miu miu
Interviewee_MADEMOISELLE YULIA (DJ, Singer, Designer)
- ーHello, Ms. Mademoiselle Yulia. What kind of item do you like since the very old days?
- Definitely, shoes. I always wear the heels. The shoes are always my essential items, and I tend to buy any footwear once I think it’s pretty even if I knew I’m not going to wear it, so I probably own more than 100 pairs. The Miu Miu boots are usually displayed merely as an artwork at my home, but I sometimes wear them for a special occasion. When the boots were originally released, I saw them on oversea magazines introducing the model, and I instantly determined to get the pair since the design was so unique. I only own this color, but the green pair, which I wore for a shooting in abroad, was also very lovely as well.
- ーWhy do you think shoes are more attractive than clothing?
- Well… because they are easy to match with a lot of different outfits. You know options for clothing such as tops and bottoms are often narrower than footwear while shoes can be matched with more styles. In addition, shoes are relatively more affordable than clothing especially when purchasing them from designers’ brands. Since I was a collector, I used to save all of the shoes that I had purchased, yet there was a time in the past that I either threw away or handed them over to my friends. However, I shortly noticed it was so meaningless to dispose of my shoes, haha. I’m going to move out from my current residence soon, so I plan to build a shoe-shelf that can display my collections.
- ーHave your fashion-sense ever changed in your life?
- I was initially interested in fashion when I was in middle school, and my style isn’t much changed since then. I didn’t have much money, so I mainly wore vintage clothing then, but I believe my current style is equivalent to the past. Actually, I was a member of a punk band then, and I still keep the shoes from Vivienne Westwood that I bought at the time. Additionally, I was a tall kid, so I often shared my shoes with my mother. Thus, I could wear the upscale footwear like the pair from Masion Margiela.
- ーDo you plan to release a shoe-line in your brand, Growing Pains, in the early future?
- Since I don’t want to mess up the design and its quality, collaborating with a shoe brand is the most practical plan for that. Yet, I surely crave creating our own footwear via Growing Pains, so we are currently arranging it.
- ーIf someone asks you to give your shoes to her, will you turn them over?
- It really depends on the item. If I only own the pair, and if it’s so hard to find it again, I’d probably refuse… However, I don’t mind exchanging it with the shoes I really want! I regret that I didn’t buy a red-enamel Tabi boots from Maison Margiela in the past. Seemingly, it’s still popular in the market, and the item would be sold out as soon as even the used pair comes on sale on internet. I’ll maybe hand my precious shoes over if I can exchange it with the Margiela boots, haha.
- 〈Miu Miu〉 Boots, her own property
〈Growing Pains〉 Tops ¥7,000+TAX, Skirt ¥35,000+TAX, Belt ¥24,000+TAX, Bag ¥11,000+TAX (CANNABIS ＋81 3-5766-3014)
Mademoiselle Yulia
http://yulia.tokyo/@mademoiselle_yulia
Started her career as a DJ when she was teen. Currently, she’s widely working as a singer, a DJ, and a designer as well as establishing her own clothing brand, Growing Pains, in 2016 spring-summer.
item_Bag and T-shirt from Vintage.
Interviewee_Keiko Hitotsuyama (Stylist)
- ーWhat are your invaluable items?
- The vintage bag from Hermes and the rock tee.
- ーWhen did you purchase them?
- I bought them when I just began working as a stylist assistant. This Hermes bag is a vintage, and I got it in Japan. In contrast, I purchased the rock tee in Los Angeles. I don’t recall the exact prices of the two items, but the bag was pretty pricy even though it acquires the plain vintage design. Moreover, the rock tee was expensive as well despite of its relatively modern age.
- ーWhy did you purchase the Hermes vintage bag when you were that young?
- I do have the other vintage bags from Chanel and Gucci as well, but you know Hermes has always been a dream for every girl. I merely wanted it so bad when I was young then, but I noticed obtaining a “real matter” such as a Hermes bag is crucial to evolve my style. In addition, a bag from Hermes is always comprised of a high quality material and design, so the bag hardly gets any scratch or crack. Thus, I’m so impressed that a classical bag from such the upscale brand is usable as long as I want. By the way, I know the current trendy bags are nice as well, but I personally prefer the refined, everlasting piece.
- ーDo you have any specific principle when selecting a bag?
- Personally, I prefer carrying a small bag such as a pochette than holding a large one because a bag for me is more like an accessory rather than a “portable storage”.
- ーIs the rock tee you introduced today also a vintage?
- I bought it at a vintage store in Los Angeles, and it’s been a significant item for me since then. I’m not like a typical collector, but I somewhat possess a lot of rock t-shirts. For example, the exclusive tee from The Clash’s first tour in the U.S. and BECK’s event tee at Summer Sonic in 2001 are my masterpieces. At the time of my purchases, I didn’t know how valuable these items were, so I treated them roughly, but today I really regret my past attitudes toward them, haha.
- ーTrends are always fluctuating through time, but is there your consistent style that is not changed from the past?
- I have always loved the items that I can perceive the culture and the street. For instance, I don’t fully cover myself with a street fashion, but wearing a skating-brand tee with high brands such as Prada or Balenciaga so-called the mixed style is my favorite outfit. Beside my masterpieces I introduced today, I also love a rider’s jacket. Even if I have the similar model already, I would buy a new jacket when the buttons or the colors are just slightly different. The rider’s jacket, which I bought from John Lawrence Sullivan of its debuted season, is now heavily worn-out which becomes as soft as a shirt. The clothing is not whether the item is expensive or not, but it is whether you like it or not. Since I’m a stylist, I probably own more clothing than the others, but I constantly hand them over to someone or throw them away, so there aren’t much left at home. Therefore, the items that I still possess at home are basically my permanent masterpieces.
- ーIf someone asks you to sell the two items you introduced today, will you accept the deal?
- Not at all for the t-shirt since I have a lot of memories with it. The recollections of my friends who went to the event together, my unexpected encounter with BECK at a nightclub in Ebisu, and the other precious memories when I was wearing the tee — I have too many memories with the tee, so I won’t hand it over. However, I would consider the deal for the bag depends on its dealing price, haha.
- 〈HERMES〉 Vintage Bag, Vintage T-Shirt, both her properties
Keiko Hitotsuyama
http://slits.jp/keiko-hitotsuyama/@keikohitotsuyama
Offers various kinds of styling for magazines, catalogs, and artists, as well as being in charge of directions of several medias and brands including Stussy Women.
item_T-shirt from RAF SIMONS
Interviewee_Rie Shiraishi (Hair & Make-up)
- ーPlease tell us what is your most significant item.
- The t-shirt from Raf Simons.
- ーWhen did you cop it?
- It was really recent, haha. I believe it’s from the current season.
- ーWhy were you so fascinated by the t-shirt?
- It’s because the t-shirt acquires a print from the photographer called Robert Mapplethorpe on its back. He is the guy who used to date with Patti Smith, and he recently held his photo exhibition here in Japan. I only saw his work on internet before, but when I visited his exhibition, I was so touched and wanted to get his goods. So, I bought it then, haha! I really desired wearing his work on clothing. Personally, I love visiting a photo exhibition, a museum, and an art event, and I like to buy those exclusive items that I can only buy there.
- ーWhat is your style in which you think it will never be transformed?
- T-shirts, especially the band tees, are my everlasting favorites such as David Bowie and Bauhaus, the British band. I can always feel the “culture” through these items, so I’ll enjoy wearing them permanently. When I’m working as a hairstylist, I tend to put on simple and men’s-like clothing, so I believe that is my real style. Thus, the outfit of t-shirt, skinny pants, and a hoodie is probably going to be my perpetual daily-outfit.
- ーIs there any country or era you are inspired in fashion?
- Not a specific nation or time, but I relatively like a gaudy style than a plain one. Perhaps, American fashion matches me pretty well, just like a nightclub mode in New York. Additionally, the 80’s German style is my recent mood as well. Even though I’ve never been to Germany, I know they are so cool. Nevertheless, I think the retro German outfit will not be matched putting on in a Japanese city though, haha. I’m planning to visit Paris for my next vacation, so if I have a change then, I’ll go to Berlin to observe the cool cultures.
- ーBy the way, is there any essential cosmetics for you?
- Again, I don’t have a specific brand, but I always need a red lipstick no matter what. I like to use a vivid item when I apply it myself, so a red lipstick is going to be one of my best buddy forever.
- 〈RAF SIMONS〉 T-Shirt, her own property
All the Other Items, her own properties as well.
Rie Shiraishi
http://riehairmake.com/top/instagram/index.html@rieshiraishi1220
A hair-makeup artist at Valentine, a hair salon in Harajuku. Her distinctive sense and high-end style is popular among audiences in magazines and advertisements.
item_Jeans from VETEMENTS
Interviewee_Sakiko Hasegawa (ADELAIDE/ADDITION ADELAIDE Managing Director & Buyer)
- ーWhat are your invaluable items?
- The reworked denim from Vetements in which I bought about two years ago.
- ーThat was the time the brand just debuted, right?
- Yes. At the time, the plain outfit was becoming the prevalent trend in the city, so I honestly felt a bit bored for fashion then. Personally, I wanted a unique, special style that is disparate from the others and purely wanted to revel in fashion. Then, I found Vetements and instantly fell in love with it. I actually have the two other reworked denims from the brand as well.
- ーHow are the denims different from the other brands?
- Certainly, the patterns. The reworked denims are comprised of detached parts of several vintage jeans from Levi’s. Thus, the pants are somewhat three dimensional, and I like the knee parts, which are slightly opened, as well as the fit around the waist which is perfect. Presumably, the brand attached its fragmented vintage fabric by sewing each piece together on a torso. Actually, our store is also dealing in Vetements’ items, and every single customer who tries on the denim says she wants the item so bad. Once you put on the jeans, your outfit is already sufficiently stylish in my opinion.
- ーWhat do you think is an attraction of Vetements?
- The brand is not only generating the trend, but it also demonstrates a deep philosophy in its production of the items. The quality is for sure, but also for the production methods, the patterns, and the styles, the brand has such a huge impact on various fields of this industry. Especially, many fashionistas really think so who purchase the products. To be honest, the item is a very upscale piece, and I even had to give up buying a bag I really craved at the time. However, I thought the denim is one of a kind item, and it was really worth buying it!
- ーWhen you purchase clothing, what kind of elements do you consider?
- The creative director in ADELAIDE always mentions “don't buy an item.” In our store, the main concept is the “brand mix”, so we must purchase a “style”, not an “item”. Meaning that we see an outfit as a whole and incorporate items to complete the style. Thus, purchasing an item without imaging the finished outfit, the style sometimes results in a real mess.
- ーWhat factors do you always keep in mind for retaining your style?
- As I am a buyer, I often visit abroad such as Paris and observe a lot of stylish buyers and stylists there, so my sense is immensely inspired by them. I often learn the combination of colors, figures, and brands from those fashionistas. Simultaneously, I learn a lot from showrooms in abroad, especially for the entire outfit, and I attempt to assimilate the trend as soon as I discover the nice one. Since I can observe something that the general people cannot see in the fashion industry, I really appreciate the opportunity and so am trying my best to learn those styles.
- 〈VETEMENTS〉 Pants, her own property
〈ALYX〉 Jacket ¥ 120,000+TAX, Tops ¥ 25,000+TAX (ADELAIDE +81 3-5474-0157), 〈CELINE〉 Shoe, her own property
Sakiko Hasegawa
www.adelaide-addition.com@saki_tokio
Managing director & buyer at ADELAIDE, the select shop in Aoyama.
