mastermind JAPAN, which will cease operations this season, kicked off an event at the Isetan Shinjuku store that could be considered a culmination of the brand's 15-year history. The event will run until September 3rd.
Designer Masaaki Homma prepared a special collection for this event. Women's items will be sold at The Stage on the first floor of the main building, and men's and lifestyle items will be sold in the event hall on the seventh floor until the 2nd. A mastermind Cafe has also opened. In addition, a collaborative collection with photographer Mika Ninagawa, collaborations with LOEWE, GLOBE-TROTTER, and Timberland, as well as charity T-shirts, will be available.
On the opening day, the 28th, a line of over 1,000 people formed before the store opened, and numbered tickets were distributed. Homma was busy running around the venue checking the displays and explaining things to staff right up until the store opened. "This time, we designed using archive fabrics that represent the brand's history. Rather than simply following the past shapes of each item, we updated them all, including redrawing the patterns, to create a new capsule collection. We are grateful to our customers, and also to Isetan, who has warmly nurtured us as a partner for the past 10 years," he said, leaving a message in the cafe saying, "Don't dream it's over."
In addition, a buyer at the store who has been working with the brand for 10 years said, "We've been together since the project was small, and have celebrated every milestone together, and we are grateful that they chose our store as the venue for the final project. What's appealing about mastermind is that they are stoically committed to Japanese manufacturing, and they shed light not only on materials, but also on the artisans who produce them and their techniques. Some young people have learned about these things thanks to mastermind, and it has also brought attention to the high level of creativity of young Japanese brands. Even though the brand is on hiatus, I don't think that Homma's activities as a designer will end there, and I hope that his sensibilities as a creator will begin to stir again."
