01 What does the GU x UNDERCOVER concept “SILENT/NOISE = Comfortable Noise” mean?
This project aims to create everyday clothes with an edge. By adding UNDERCOVER’s unique spice, it brings stimulating comfort and design. I personally live seeking that comfortable noise – the feeling you get from wearing clothes – even within a calm daily life.
02 What were the key points you focused on in this collection releasing on October 24?
For the sweat foodies, we deliberately exposed the seam allowances. For the MA-1 jackets, we mixed different materials. It’s all about finding the right balance of subtle kick – a little jolt of excitement. This expression of “noise” is something we wouldn’t do in UNDERCOVER alone, but it’s unique to our collaboration with GU.
03 How do you want female customers to style GU x UNDERCOVER items?
Since the collection is unisex, we didn’t create specifically feminine designs. I want them to enjoy the in-between men’s and women’s styles. Personally, I hope they mix these pieces well with feminine items like skirts and camisoles.
04 Has your view of the brand changed through your collaboration with GU?
I feel they have a global perspective – a broad vision. I was also surprised by how knowledgeable and passionate the production team is about clothing, and how they consistently push for strong designs.
05 What do you think about today’s street fashion and culture?
Honestly, I don’t really get it – but it’s fine. I’m sure there are people out there, like I was when I was younger, leading the way with passion and drive. It’s not something adults should interfere with. I hope they do whatever they want, in their own way.
06 What’s your impression of the generation that GU mainly targets?
They’re the generation of my own children, so I’m really rooting for them. But I also think having more information than we did back then means they probably face more worries and challenges.
07 When did you first set your sights on the career you have now?
When I was in elementary school. I’d always loved drawing and went to drawing classes, but then I became interested in fashion and started thinking I’d like to do something that combined the two.
08 Has your approach to making clothes changed since you first became a fashion designer?
At the core, nothing has really changed. But I do feel I’ve entered a phase where it’s less about creating something entirely new and more about freely drawing from the ideas I’ve built up – mixing them, layering them, shifting their nuance.
09 What’s your personal rule when it comes to designing clothes?
Always design based on the concept.
10 What’s the most memorable thing you’ve heard about your clothing?
Someone who went through a major earthquake once said, “The only thing left in my hands was my UNDERCOVER leather jacket.”
11 What did you want to be when you were a teenager?
I only ever thought about being a designer.
12 If you were a teenager now, what would you be doing – or aiming for?
I’d go to art school and really focus on studying painting.
13 What do you think is essential for a fashion designer?
I guess it’s about being serious and really doing things right.
14 Is there anyone you’ve stayed close with from your student days until now?
I still see NIGO®*1 pretty often—and Tetsu Nishiyama from WTAPS, too.
15 Is there a young person – Japanese or international – who’s caught your attention lately?
Mahito the People.*2 I think he’s someone with the power to spark a movement.
16 What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?
I take my dog for a walk. I usually wake up around 6 a.m.
17 Do you have any routines you follow every day?
Running, working, drawing – my life itself is a routine.
18 What role does running – your lifelong routine – play in your life?
It improves my daily habits and helps keep my mind centered.
19 What’s one essential item you can’t live without?
Ceramics by Steve Harrison.*3
20 What’s your favorite saying?
“Persistence will pay off.”
21 What’s your favorite food?
Hmm… maybe natto.
22 If you were an animal, what would you be?
I’m not fond of crowd, but I’m not great alone either – so maybe a cat with a heart of a dog.
23 If you were reborn, what would you want to be?
Something that can fly – maybe a bird or an insect.
24 What’s your ideal way to spend a day off?
Being surrounded by nature and doing absolutely nothing.
25 What’s one thing you always take on a week-long business trip abroad?
My running gear. I usually run three or four times a week.
26 Is there anything you’ve wanted but haven’t been able to get?
There are plenty of things, but I just take it as they weren’t meant for me.
27 If you won the lottery, what would you spend it on?
I’d love to buy a painting by Michaël Borremans.*4
28 What’s the music you’ve listened to most in your life?
I listen to all kinds of genres, but if I had to choose, probably Japanese music.
29 What does “punk” mean to you?
Question what’s taken for granted – and maybe a sense of staying pure.
30 Do you have a dream?
To live quietly and peacefully.
Text by Masayuki Ozawa
- *1 NIGO® is a Japanese fashion designer and the founder/designer of Human Made.
- *2 Mahito the People is the frontman of the alternative rock band GEZAN.
- *3 Steve Harrison is a British ceramicist based in the suburbs of London.
- *4 Michaël Borremans is a contemporary artist from Belgium who has previously collaborated with UNDERCOVER.