On March 16th, Dover Street Market Ginza (DSM Ginza) in Tokyo's Ginza district celebrated its first anniversary. In addition to the release of limited-edition items by Chrome Hearts, Mastermind Japan, and Cole Haan, three international designers visited Japan to celebrate the anniversary. We explored their creativity. The first of these was Michael Costiff, who had a profound influence on London's fashion, music, and club culture from the 1970s to 1980s. Active in various creative scenes, he opened "WORLD" in London in 1995, selling various items he discovered during his travels around the world. After his wife passed away, the store temporarily closed, but has since been relaunched as "WORLD ARCHIVE" at DSM London. He also has a corner in the Ginza store. To celebrate the first anniversary of DSM Ginza, he will be holding a book signing event.

--It's been a year since your last visit to Japan. What do you think of the country these days?

Seeing Japanese fashion is one of the joys of coming to Japan. Of course, it's fun to see the unique fashions of young people in the cafes of Harajuku, but I'm particularly impressed by how stylish older women are in Japan. They all seem to enjoy fashion, skillfully using jewelry and other accessories. It's beautiful.

--Japanese street fashion has attracted attention worldwide, so it's surprising that the fashion of mature women has caught your eye.

You get the feeling that all the women are enjoying fashion.

--So what is your own view of fashion?

I'm not particularly interested in mainstream things. I'm not interested in mass-produced items, and I don't think wearing the same brand from head to toe is very fashionable. I think that by combining ethnic elements, or vintage and trendy items, in your own way, you can create a new style that is unique to you.

--But the '70s and '80s were very exciting. How do they compare to now?

In today's internet age, everyone knows everything, right? I mean, before, if you were interested in something, your only option was to read a book or go to the place yourself and find out for yourself. But now, if you look in a guidebook and think a hotel is nice, you can quickly search online and find out what the inside of the room looks like. In the '70s, if you designed a piece of clothing, someone would say, "That's nice," discover it, and it would gradually become popular, but now, if you post it online, the whole world will know about it in an instant. In other words, it feels like the mystery is gone. But even I used to travel and enjoy reading books and walking around town, but now when I get back to the hotel, I think, "I have to reply to emails."

--It's a busy time.

I've already experienced traveling the world and designing clothes and being praised by my friends, so I'm enjoying the current era.

--Can you tell me about the book you're publishing?

It's a diary I've been keeping for 30 years, a very personal record. I never intended to show it to anyone, but Kim Jones found it in the back of my bookshelf and said, "This should be published!" And so the project progressed (laughs).

The Rio Carnival, the Siouxsie and the Banshees album cover I shot, Kinky Garlinky, a club I ran in London, photos I took with maiko in Kyoto, me modeling in a Comme des Garçons show... I've jumbled everything together, deliberately not following a chronological order or theme. I'm always interested in people. It doesn't matter if they're the president of a major company or a cafe waitress. I'm interested in whether the person is interesting, and that's why this photo book features such a wide variety of people.

--Michael himself is truly talented and diverse.

I didn't go to art school, nor do I have a professional career, but I'm always thinking, "Is there something new and interesting out there?" And when my friends would invite me, saying, "Why don't you try this? Why don't you come and visit this place?", I just went with the flow. As a result, I was able to experience a variety of things, including fashion design, photography, and interior design. But looking back now, I think everyone was interested in and believed in my unique sense, or rather, my nose. If there is such a thing as a gift from God, I think that in my case it is this sense.

Vol. 2 features jewelry designer Delfina Delettrez, who also designs accessories for Kenzo.