Marco Cairns, founder of The Duffer of St. George, visited Japan to celebrate the brand's 30th anniversary. During his stay, he participated in the Tweed Run Tokyo 2014 event on Sunday, joining Nick Wooster and Tommy Ton, and waved the opening flag himself. To celebrate this anniversary, each store in Japan will release a commemorative item. The Shibuya store on Cat Street also displayed past archives. "When we started The Duffer of St. George, I never imagined we'd last 30 years," Marco recalled. "We started out as a select shop selling Red Wing boots, Carhartt, and vintage clothing. Our first original product was a custom-made knitwear piece from John Smedley. The most memorable item is probably the Yardie Gurdie cardigan we released around 1990." This suede-trimmed knit cardigan, which was featured in London fashion magazines like ID and The Face at the time, was inspired by British Jamaican reggae style. "The cardigan was originally made in Italy, but we reissued it and stylist Ray Petri popularized it. I think it's a signature item for Duffer. We exhibited our archives at our Shibuya store this time as well. The buffalo check down jacket we released around 2006 is also memorable. We created it while on a road trip through Canada, inspired by a Canadian outdoor brand. It's another signature item," says Marco. The London store, which once had five locations, including one in Covent Garden, has now closed, and the only store bearing the brand's name is in Japan. However, the brand maintains a good relationship with its UK parent company, JD Sports. "I don't know if current fashion trends suit Duffer, but I think the reason we've been able to continue the brand for 30 years is because we've stuck to our core American vintage style," he says.

The theme of next spring/summer's collection is "CAPTAINS LEAVE," a style in which the US Navy receives landing permission and enjoys a resort on the coast, and a sailor's summer holiday look has been proposed.

"I had a 30th anniversary party in East London last week, so I haven't slept at all. I'm tired," he said, but during his nearly annual visit to Tokyo for the past 25 years, he rekindled old friendships with Japanese friends who helped make London street fashion popular in the 1990s.