What exactly does the word "fashion" refer to? The answer is as varied as the individual, or perhaps even a hundred different people. I'd like to pose a simple question to those living in the world of "fashion"—both the past and the future—"what is fashion?" This time, the person answering this question is designer Shinya Kushino. Born in Innoshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, in 1982, he graduated from the Fashion Design Department of Kyoto College of Art and Design and earned a diploma in the Fashion Design Master's Course at the Milan branch of Istituto Marangoni in Italy. After returning to Japan in 2007, he won the Grand Prix at the JILA LEATHER GOODS AWARD 2007, which prompted him to launch the brand "Masaya Kushino," which offers leather-based shoes, bags, and other items. His works, incorporating textiles from Hosoo, a long-established Nishijin weaver, are currently on display at the Kyoto Museum of Modern Art in "Japanese Fashion: A Continuum of Discontinuity." His work is scheduled to be exhibited at "Killer Heels," which will be held at the Brooklyn Museum in New York from September 2014. We asked Kushino, who expresses timeless, universal beauty through his work, what "fashion" means to him.

--When did you first become aware of "fashion"?

If you think of clothing as fashion, it would be when I was in elementary school. In Innoshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, where I was born and raised, many kids played sports, and everyone wore tracksuits and windbreakers, which I really hated. "Why did everyone wear such unfashionable clothes?" I wondered. Around fifth grade, I decided to only wear jeans because I hated it. I've loved clothes ever since.

However, there were no places to buy clothes in Innoshima, so I started reading magazines in junior high school, and in high school I started going to shops in Fukuyama to buy clothes. While I was visiting shops, I learned about Paris Fashion Week. That's where I discovered Martin Margiela. At the time, I didn't know what concept Margiela presented, and I was initially intrigued by his visual appeal. I'd seen his work in books and art collections. I think I was drawn to fashion because I wanted something different. I also think growing up in Innoshima further strengthened my curiosity. I just hated dressing like everyone else. After that, I went on to a fashion school in Kyoto.

--Did anything change once you started studying fashion?

I'd loved fashion from a young age and wanted to become a designer, but that desire fluctuated. There were times when I felt stressed about the things I created. For example, Margiela develops collections that place a strong emphasis on concepts. I began to question the idea of chasing a concept. I realized that I actually preferred glamorous brands like Alexander McQueen and John Galliano, which recognize the joy of dressing up, rather than Margiela's designs. However, the things I created at the time were the exact opposite, more concept-driven.

After becoming a shoe designer, I realized that I was simply not good at coordinating outfits and was better at thinking through one item. But in fashion, even when composing a runway show, you have to think about the whole picture, not just one look. I realized that this was something I was not good at when I started making shoes.

--How did you start making shoes?

After returning from Italy, I applied to various fashion competitions, but nothing caught me. If something that I thought was really interesting is not accepted at all, it must be because there is something wrong with my own sense of style. So I came to the conclusion that being obsessed with fashion might not be the right choice. For a moment, I considered quitting fashion, but I had studied hard and I love fashion, so I was wondering what to do when I came across a leather design contest. There was an entry category where you could submit a design drawing instead of a production, so I drew a shoe design with a sheep motif and submitted it. That first shoe design drawing won the grand prize at the "JILA LEATHER GOODS AWARD 2007."

Yasuhiro Mihara was a judge for that contest. As a follow-up, the day before the final selection, Mihara couldn't find a design drawing that he was satisfied with, so he decided to look at all of the designs, including those that had been rejected in the first round. At that time, Mihara saw my design drawing that had been rejected in the first round and thought, "This is it!", and I ended up receiving the Grand Prize. I had expected to meet Mihara at the Grand Prize award ceremony, but he wasn't there. I was determined to negotiate with him and get a job at his place, so I was extremely shocked (laughs). After that, I went to Mihara's studio and appealed directly, but he turned me down there too. However, meeting and talking with Mihara taught me how difficult it is to make shoes.

-- Turning down something takes more energy than accepting it, doesn't it?

That's right. I thought it was a sign of Mihara's love. At the time, Mihara described my shoes as "a fantasy that transcends reality." I thought it was a wonderful phrase, and I still use it today.

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