GARBSTORE: SHUNJI OHASHI'S SELECTOR'S MARKET DROP
Notting Hill boutique Garbstore has just teamed up with long-time industry expert and ex-Kapital designer Shunji Ohashi for a 50-piece strong capsule that dives into his collection of grails. The selection—much like the two previous Selector’s Market drops—is a chance to get a sense to the curator’s taste as well as an access to his own personal archive. Ranging from rare Kapital Boro denim shirts and Varsity jackets to super-soft camp collars shirts, one-off graphic tees, and a selection of patchwork trousers and shorts, the collection represents the apex of Ohashi’s design coups as well as other unique finds the designer gathered through the years.
Here we catch up with the designer and Buddhist Shunji Ohashi to hear more about this collaborative effort.
How did you first come to know about Garbstore, and what made you decide to put this archive sale together with them?
My friend, Tatsuo-san, introduced me to Ian-san and Felix-san of Garbstore and we just connected really well. I like to think of it as a project around friendship and sharing. I wanted to share these special items that include my soul and heart and now, in their turn, people can enjoy them and give them a new life.
How would you describe the curation? Looking through the pieces you’ve accumulated over the years, there seem to be some real gems. Are they mostly pieces from Kapital? I'm particularly curious about some of the denim and distressing techniques featured throughout…
Yes, there mostly from Kapital, for which I worked for seven years, mostly as lead of the sub-line Kountry’s design team. Most pieces take inspiration from traditional Boro and Sashiko stitching cultures which derive from the north-east region of Tohoku, Japan. This is where I’m from, more specifically from Fukushima, and historically there, there was no cotton because of the cold, so people could only make fabrics out of hemp or mulberry. They had to stitch layers of fabrics together for warmth. Nowadays, we think of these patchworks as “beautiful pieces of art”—which they are. But that’s because they carry histories of struggle. Once stitched out of necessity, we’ve inherited these techniques from our ancestors.
How does that make you feel to see these traditions being reinterpreted?
When I see these artworks on contemporary clothing, it makes me appreciate my life for which I am grateful. I have access to food, water, and shelter every day. I have a family and friends. These are things that not everyone has access to. This is special. There’s always a true story behind Kapital Kountry’s artwork and techniques—they truly make beautiful things.
What made you quit being a designer to become a Buddhist monk?
While I’ve become a Buddhist Lay Monk—Lay Monk meaning I can lead a normal life, so to speak—I’m still an artist and designer, and now a student, too. Everyone can become a Monk, really. I’m really into Buddhist sculptors, my favourite being Shinjo Ito. He inspired me a lot and I really respect him and his work. He puts his heart and soul into his craft and I learned a lot from that—how to put my heart and soul into art, design, and life.
Shunji Ohashi’s collection is now available to purchase here.
