Backstage at BED j.w. FORD
During the chaos of Fashion Week’s never ending circus of shows and presentations, TNO needed to slow things down a bit. We grabbed 5 minutes with one of the most interesting (at least in our eyes) designers and brands to emerge from Tokyo in the last few years, Shinpei Yamagishi of BED j.w. FORD to talk guerilla tactics and the current state of menswear /
GG: Congrats on a great show, can you tell me a little more behind the influences this season?
SP: This season, I got inspired by American casual style which I had a strong admiration from when I was young. Jackets are always key pieces in my collections, hence I added a bit of American essence into my usual tailoring style.
All things I longed for such as Ralph Lauren jackets, Pendleton blankets and military cargo pants, were not affordable for me at my age. I spent so much time and energy to find those items from vintage stores and tried to match them with my wardrobe back then. The memories of excitement and conflicts of seeking my style influenced me to create this collection.
Trying to combine incoherent elements such as using a certain kind of fabric, with my own color pallet to give the usual American casual style a different twist; for example, adopting the sewing technique of vintage blankets to the garment fabrics; the process of combining my younger self’s idea of cool American casual design with my current style today was the one of the biggest keys of this collection.
“Mihara has always been a great adviser and dear mentor and he understands my ideas.”
The connection with Mihara (Yasuhiro) in the space was unexpected but welcomed. I like it when designers come together to promote and support each other. Like Undercover / The Soloist back at Pitti. What were the reasons for this collaboration within the space?
Actually, I had secretly intended to do what would be considered a “guerilla” show, of sorts. I always find there's huge politics and financial priorities in the current fashion week system. I simply wanted to present our collection in a different way to the existing fashion week format; presenting without telling people the show was by BED j.w. FORD during an “On-Schedule” venue where people gather naturally. I purely wanted people see my clothes without focus on the brand name or brand reputation.
Mihara has always been a great adviser and dear mentor and he understands my ideas, so he kindly allowed us to share his place and time this season in Paris.
I don’t particularly deny “logos” or ”symbols” on garments, but I believe people who love fashion will re-focus more on the depth and character within products.
Given the number of designers & brands changing lanes in the wake of a wave of new elegance and technical minimalism, what is your view on the current state of menswear?
I’d like to think there are certain changes in the current menswear fashion “lanes” towards stronger design and ideas in making clothes than simply street fashion.
I don’t particularly deny “logos” or ”symbols” on garments, but I believe people who love fashion will re-focus more on the depth and character within products. I don’t mean that necessarily in fashion-geek sense, but more so, it could be something like a poem which people sympathize with their own feelings.
Photography / Takanobu Watanabe
Words / Graeme Gaughan