Hello.
This is Noguchi from CASANOVA&CO.
Following up from yesterday, I'm here to talk about this weekend's event.
FUKUBORI
ORDER EXHIBITION
2025.06.21 (SAT) >>> 2025.06.29 (SUN)
During the event, we will be taking orders for FUKUBORI clothing, and at the same time, we will be exhibiting a wide array of samples accumulated through Mr. Kawahara's "Fuku wo Horu" (Digging for Clothes) activities.
We plan to transform CASANOVA&CO into a space entirely different from its usual appearance, so please look forward to it.
Today, I'd like to delve a little deeper into the "Fuku wo Horu" activities.
According to Mr. Kawahara, it all started with a 1960s Levi's 3rd type denim jacket.
It's probably the most referenced style among denim jackets on the market, and even vintage pieces from that era aren't as prohibitively expensive as Levi's 1st or 2nd types.
In short, it's a familiar shape that we often see.
However, when observing this familiar garment from a different angle, entirely new facets began to emerge.
Time and emotion, visible only after painstakingly unraveling each stitch.
Beyond the technical aspects, there were charms there that were more than enough to infer the production background and economic conditions of the time, and even the individual's feelings and mental state, though not everything was left behind.
And so, Mr. Kawahara became absorbed in his "Fuku wo Horu" activities.
However, initially, he didn't even take pictures of the disassembled items, managing the insights he gained solely within his own mind.
But then, the act of disassembling valuable vintage clothing would just become an act of destruction.
That's when he started exhibiting the disassembled items and holding "Fuku wo Horu" exhibitions, as an activity to connect the time and emotions embedded in the clothes, based on the conversations that emerged from them.
Currently, he has held four solo exhibitions, and most of the visitors are people from the apparel industry, including pattern makers.
You might think that because it's a fairly specialized activity, knowledge is required from those who view it, but that's not the case at all.
The goal is not to have people understand, but for conversations to arise among those gathered, connecting the clothes made in a past era to the future.
While clothing in its original form might be worn, the aim is to share the parts that are only visible when disassembled as a common experience, and to connect that to what comes next.
Mr. Kawahara hopes for such a time, and I hope CASANOVA&CO can be that place.
So, on the day of the event, I look forward to conversations sparking not only between Mr. Kawahara and our staff, but also among customers, leading to discoveries and questions like:
"This shape here is really interesting, isn't it?"
"I wonder why it's like this."
Now, let me share an anecdote about a conversation I experienced when I visited Mr. Kawahara's atelier.
Mr. Kawahara slowly pulled out a vintage denim jacket from a certain brand.
According to Mr. Kawahara, a certain stitch was off the line where it should have been sewn.
Looking at the actual garment, it was indeed off.
However, just by looking at that one garment, it's impossible to tell if it was an intentional design or just a mistake made by a clumsy sewer.
While modern clothing often maintains a certain standard of quality, I don't think such quality control existed back then.
So, a discussion began about what intention there might have been if it was intentional.
Knowledge from patterns, knowledge from sewing, and even the historical background, and so on.
Once we arrived at the most convincing hypothesis, the way that misaligned stitch appeared completely changed.
Participating in that discussion myself, I gained another insight into clothing, and beyond that satisfaction, I felt a strong need to properly present this activity to the world.
To put it broadly, Mr. Kawahara's activity has already established itself as a field of study that unravels the modern apparel industry from an archaeological perspective, and I believe its spread can significantly influence society's awareness regarding contemporary clothing consumption.
I myself don't usually possess such lofty ideals in the slightest, but as a store that communicates clothing, I couldn't help but be impressed by this entirely new yet already systematized way of looking at and conveying clothing.
Mr. Kawahara's disassembly is based on items that don't inherently contain intentional designs by specific individuals.
In other words, he currently does not disassemble clothes designed by designers.
On the other hand, most of the items sold at select shops like ours are clothes that fully reflect the personality of a specific individual, the designer.
But that's precisely why I believe it's extremely important for select shops like ours to turn our attention to the "design" that society and the times have shaped.
After experiencing such a way of looking at clothes, what you see when you look at selected clothes changes significantly. I think.
Well, above all, it's genuinely fascinating.
To support such conversations among all of you, I'll stock up on lozenges and prepare to talk nonstop. LOL.
I won't tell you how we'll display everything here, but you can definitely look forward to it.
I received some photos Mr. Kawahara took after disassembling, so I'll share a few.
The flap of a denim jacket pocket.
The sewing thread painstakingly removed stitch by stitch.
An arm with a slit only in the batting.
Mesh interlining.
You might not understand what these photos are documenting just from this, but they are all crucial elements for deciphering the ingenuity and production background of that era.
I believe this is information that can only be obtained through disassembly.
The amount of information is too vast for my linguistic abilities to transcribe here, so please come to the store and let's discuss it.
I look forward to having various conversations with all of you, transcending the boundaries of salesperson and customer.
And let's not forget FUKUBORI.
I'll introduce the actual items tomorrow, but the quality is superb.
Strong stitching on unbleached fabric, adhering to purist patterns and sewing specifications.
You'll feel something more than just beautifully made clothes.
Please look forward to this as well.
Tomorrow, I'll introduce FUKUBORI's clothing.