Suzusan designer Hiroyuki Murase, who has an atelier in Germany and is exploring new tie-dye textiles, explained materials like Peruvian alpaca and Tibetan cashmere to Kansai, who said, "Kansai, let's do something together! We can't produce thousands of pieces, but we can do interesting things with small batches." Kansai Yamamoto couldn't help but exclaim, "Talking to you makes me feel like I'm talking to an organic farmer." Later, when asked what he meant, he explained that he was paying tribute to their passion for craftsmanship. Arimatsu shibori is a familiar dyeing technique to Kansai, who previously directed "Aportage Shibori Costumes" (2004), a production by Arimatsu shibori artist Kozo Takeda. His younger brother, Fumihiro Murase, is based in Nagoya, where the fabric is produced, while his older brother, Hiroyuki, handles planning and European sales activities in Germany. This dynamic approach is unlike anything seen in Japanese brands or production areas to date. His ability to take his creations to fashion houses and bring them to Dior opened the door to haute couture. "The number of artisans in our hometown is rapidly decreasing," "How old are you now?" "I'm 31," "You're so passionate," was the conversation taking place in New York. When Kobayashi Moko demonstrated the handiwork of bead embroidery for Maison des Perles couture, he asked questions from the same perspective as the customer, such as, "How much work do you do each day?" and "Can you make a living from just that?" He was fascinated by the story of the sandal thongs developed from baby bottle material by Gion Naito, a long-established footwear manufacturer that even produces its own mother-of-pearl inlay, and was amazed by Robo Garage's business model. His curiosity, which was different from the one he saw posing for photos with New York fans at the opening party, was exchanged in a stream of words. His curiosity transcended age and his roles as designer and producer, and was more powerful than any of the other participants this time. One of the key elements of this year's Nipponista project was that it was independently planned and run by female buyers. Their main goal was to produce business matching for young Japanese creators in New York under the theme of "Cool Japan." The assistant buyer who planned this event spoke to Kansai about it. We usually work with international brands, but the world doesn't know that Japanese fashion has such incredible technology and products. We want to raise awareness abroad, and the purpose of this Nipponista event is to serve as a foothold, including in business. What do you think is needed to appeal more to an international audience like Kansai? Kansai: To be honest, we still think our own appeal is weak. This level isn't enough. For example, a movie typically costs 500 million yen to produce and 500 million yen to promote, but I think we're in a situation where we're making it for 500 million yen and advertising it for 50 million yen.
---Why did you decide to introduce Japanese fashion overseas in the 1970s?
Kansai: I don't believe that our products are inferior to Western ones. The manufacturing process may be different, but if we compete, we can't lose; it's a draw. I didn't have an academic background, but I thought that if I could absorb the energy of Shinjuku Kabukicho at the time and bring it overseas, I would never be at a disadvantage from the start.
---What is necessary to win overseas?
Kansai: You need to be clear about why you want to win. Working hard or doing your best is never a reason to win. It's important to have a clear strategy. What I couldn't do was have a business strategy. My predecessors, including myself, proved their talent as Japanese designers, but in the end, COMME des GARÇONS was the only one who could prove a business strategy.
