On March 29th, the "GQ JAPAN 10th Year The Kickoff Party" was held at the Roppongi American Club, sponsored by United Arrows (UA), to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the magazine's launch. At the event, we spoke with the magazine's editor-in-chief, Masafumi Suzuki, who has been in the position for about a year. "At GQ, we don't focus too much on the gimmicks, but rather strive to create a magazine that follows the traditional path of a men's magazine. It's important that the stories we publish are convincing to men," he explained. "We offer a positive analysis of everything from lifestyles to politics and economics from the perspective of a mature man. We want our readers to be open to diverse values, think for themselves, and lead fulfilling lives." Two women's fashion magazines have recently announced their closure. While there are constant voices of concern over the rise of web media and the slump in the magazine industry, Mr. Nakamura stated, "It's better to have both print and web. We operate as a multi-platform media, developing print, web, and app publishing. We believe that providing each platform will create synergy. People aren't always on the web, and print has the advantage of being able to read at a leisurely pace. Media is a matter of content and style of expression. The issue is how you create content and how you present it, so I don't think print and web will compete."
Finally, when asked what his ideal cool man is, Mr. Nakamura, who is often seen in party snaps, concluded, "All famous people are cool. Otherwise, their names wouldn't come out (to the public). What they all have in common is that they've failed many times. They get discouraged, but they bounce back. I'm always feeling down (laughs). So I try not to dwell on it too much. Stamina is the most important thing." The party, hosted by Editor-in-Chief Suzuki, featured a talk session featuring kolor designer Junichi Abe, UA Creative Director Yasuto Kamoshida, and buyer and Harajuku Men's Department Director Motofumi "Poggy" Ogi. While discussing fashion masterpieces from the past decade and current favorite items, Thom Browne was the center of attention. Discussions ranged from enthusiastic commentators, such as "Its 2004 debut was a shock" (Kamoshida) to "It delved into American traditional style and taught me about men's suits in general. I use it as inspiration for the style of Pharrell Williams, who appeared in front of a Rolls-Royce in the US edition of GQ, sporting Thom Browne" (Ogi). After the talk session, a cocktail hour was played, featuring a DJ set by Towa Tei. UA Chairman Osamu Shigematsu and fashion historian Kaori Nakano also made an appearance.
