What is your design background? How did you enter the profession, and where did you train?
I learned how to use MAC at a design school in New York but I learnt more of practical designing skills while I was working for A Bathing Ape which was the very first job after I came back to Japan.
What do you do on a day to day basis?
I usually come to the fragment office around 10 am and spend the mornings designing and use the rest of the day for meetings.
How did this adidas collaboration come about?
I had already done many projects with adidas Originals before and I see this collaboration as an extension of the history I have with adidas. And I believe without all my friend’s support, we would not have the realized this project.
From your point of view, what are the defining characteristics of the collection for adidas?
I love technical material so I mind what material I use on garments a lot. It could be technical material like GORE-TEX and it could also be organic cotton. Also, I personally do not like clothing with huge logos of brands or very strong assertive graphic so much. The logos on the clothes I designed tend to look really casually on them.
The collection includes both footwear and clothing. Tell me a little about your take on designing in both venues. Do you approach things the same? Are there difficulties in one that are not addressed by the other?
I normally design the clothing and shoes at the same time and I think it is good to do so it matches each other. But I design individually when I have any particular item on my mind and do not think about the coordination so much.
As with many collaborative efforts with brands that have long traditions, you are working with some well known silhouettes. Are there concerns about stamping the designs with your own particular vision? Must you temper desire at times to make sure the product itself remains true to its roots?
adidas Originals has a lot of great styles for shoes and I love the Campus and the Superstar and have been wearing them myself for a long time now. So in an effort to develop the style’s potential, I try to pick material with extra care and add technicality details of my own idea.
