Tokyo-based men's brand White Mountaineering made its first appearance at Pitti Immagine Uomo (Pitti), the world's largest men's ready-to-wear trade fair, held in Florence, Italy, in January of this year. Since its founding in 2006, White Mountaineering has been offering men's wear that embraces the outdoors as a lifestyle. What did Japan's most dynamic brand witness on the world stage? About a month after the special event at Pitti, we spoke with designer Yosuke Aizawa. --Was participating in Pitti a new challenge for the brand? The craftsmanship and approach are exactly the same as they are in Tokyo. White Mountaineering hasn't held any exhibitions in Europe, and I'd never been to a Pitti show. The fact that they approached us despite this distance simply meant that they expected what we were doing to bring something new to the Pitti environment. So perhaps it's more like an extension than a challenge.

--Were you nervous about doing a runway show?

I wasn't particularly nervous just because it was Italy or Europe. However, in the wonderful environment of being invited, we did encounter practical issues like scheduling and financial problems as we tried to bring our products to their best.

Originally, we didn't create the brand with the sole purpose of holding a show; we simply chose the Tokyo show format as a way to change our perspective on how to present the clothes we make. I believe we were invited to Pitti this time because they found our approach interesting, so I didn't feel there was any need to change the brand's identity itself. Of course, we were determined to do our best since we were invited to a big stage.

--What was the reception like overseas?

That's hard to say. But I think I understand why Pitti was the first to reach out to us. I think that in the non-Classico parts of Pitti now, practicality and fashion are highly sought after, and even objectively speaking, outdoor-based fashion is on the rise. I think they were interested in the fact that an indie brand like ours was trying to change its way of thinking.

--Did you have overseas in mind from the start?

Vaguely. We wanted to go to places where people would wear our clothes. To be honest, neither the New York exhibition nor this Paris/Milan exhibition were something we started out doing because we absolutely wanted to. We've only been able to expand our business under circumstances where someone was backing us up. If the environment were right, we would do it, but from a business perspective, the environment isn't right, so we have no desire to do it in Europe or America at all.

--How satisfied are you with your participation in Pitti this time?

I feel like I saw both the good and the bad. Milan has a big fashion week, and I'm sure the association has been thinking about Pitti's role in it for a long time, but I was very conscious of the significance of our brand, which is unrelated to it, holding an event. After the show, the president of Pitti told me, "It was really interesting. I'm glad we invited you." I was very happy, and that was my main goal. Hearing those words meant everything to me.

--About six years since the brand was launched, has your attitude toward creation changed?

For now, I've decided not to do runway shows. I originally intended to end shows in Tokyo with Spring/Summer 2012. I actually wanted to present my collection in a different way for Fall/Winter without a runway, but Pitti was the catalyst that made this event possible. For now, I have a strong desire to do business in Europe through exhibitions. Rather than just "showing," I want to make our brand more visible.

--What are your goals for White Mountaineering going forward?

I've always tried to change my perspective or gears depending on the situation, but right now I want to improve the quality of each piece of clothing and do more to create a kind of communication through clothing that begins when you put it on, regardless of words.