Hello.
I'm Noguchi from CASANOVA&CO.
Today, as the title suggests, I'll be talking about Nobuyuki Matsui.
Nobuyuki Matsui establishes a collection theme for each season, expressing conceptual ideas that are almost like works of art.
This season's theme for Nobuyuki Matsui is "Chaos of Couture."
In other words, "Chaos of Couture."
The word "couture" strongly implies "tailored clothing," as exemplified by the term "haute couture."
From here, the meaning becomes broader, especially in modern fashion, where it's often used for highly skilled handwork,
"Couture elements in XX"
or
"XX using couture techniques"
such expressions have become common.
This is the same as expressions like "bespoke XX."
Words often expand their meaning broadly, and because of this broadness, they become convenient for abstract expression. As a result, they often take root in places a little removed from their original meaning.
I certainly have no intention of condemning that, nor do I think I have the authority to do so. In fact, I believe I have been one of those who contributed to such "taking root in a slightly distant place." But precisely because of that, talking with Mr. Matsui at Nobuyuki Matsui's exhibition this season gave me a sudden realization.
"I believe the essence of couture is 'to tailor to the person.'"
said Mr. Matsui.
Mr. Matsui, who truly excels in tailoring and can actually create suits and clothes tailored to customers with his own hands.
That's precisely why,
His words, "the word couture doesn't refer to highly skilled handwork, but to the act of trying to match the customer," were very convincing.
Nevertheless, Nobuyuki Matsui primarily uses patterns, and does not create clothing tailored to individual customers.
The "chaos" created by applying Mr. Matsui's concept of "the essence of couture" to standardized production using patterns.
It's a wonderful collection that allows you to experience this.
Today, I'd like to introduce two styles.
Nobuyuki Matsui
Zzip up blouson
color _ NVY
size _ F
This wrinkled series, including this zip blouson, made me feel the uniqueness of Nobuyuki Matsui's collection and the room for interpretation even more strongly.
Therefore, I primarily ordered only this series.
These are the wrinkles.
Wrinkles that are completely asymmetrical when folded, or perhaps it's better to call them pleats.
For this series, Mr. Matsui varied the strength of the wrinkles in each garment, expressing the essence of couture, which is "tailoring to the customer (or store)."
However, as I mentioned earlier, Nobuyuki Matsui uses patterns.
Cutting and sewing according to a pattern is a process based on mass production of the same shape, which is a concept completely opposite to tailoring each garment to a customer.
So, before cutting the fabric with the pattern, Mr. Matsui added a step where he imagined the customer's face.
This is the wrinkling process.
The process involves "carelessly draping" the fabric to create overlaps, then pressing it to set the creases, and finally securing them with basting stitches before placing the pattern and cutting.
By controlling the intensity of these overlaps, or wrinkles, according to the customer's (or store's) requests, he imbued ready-to-wear clothing with an element that allows one to feel "the essence of couture."
The resulting random wrinkles are not merely "distortions as ready-to-wear." I believe that because Mr. Matsui creates each piece while imagining the customer's face, this embodies "the chaos of couture."
For the two styles I'm introducing today, I, as a customer (store) from Mr. Matsui's perspective,
ordered, "Please finish it in a way that you, Mr. Matsui, feel is characteristic of CASANOVA&CO."
Therefore, I did not request the wrinkles to be strong and intense, nor weak and subtle.
The result Mr. Matsui created is the jacket I just showed and the pants I will introduce next.
The degree of wrinkling is calmer than what I saw at the exhibition, and Mr. Matsui said he "created it with a neat and beautiful image, rather than overly intense."
He mentioned that each wrinkle has basting stitches before cutting, and he sewed these stitches finely and neatly.
"Since you're so serious, Mr. Noguchi, I made it feel serious. Haha."
he said. Haha.
He seemed to have thought of me a little, not just CASANOVA&CO.
I'm happy.
The inside is truly a Chaos of Couture.
Piping treatment is standard for Nobuyuki Matsui, but in addition to that, there are unimaginable wrinkles in unimaginable places.
If I'm not careful, I might say things like "tailor-like" or "couture-like" about piping treatments. But the essence of couture isn't about the difficulty of techniques; it's a more invisible fragrance.
The base is cotton-linen herringbone, but from the chest to the collar, there's a textile switch. Mr. Matsui sewed together suit fabrics he had previously created, leaving the edges raw, and then added a large amount of sashiko-like stitching to create a distinctive texture.
I believe that it truly speaks to the essence of couture and tailoring that, while tailoring to the customer as per the "essence of couture," such parts, which reveal Mr. Matsui's individuality and personality as a creator, are properly preserved.
It's incredibly cool, and I doubt anyone else could do it or would even try.
There are clear glimpses of clothes that only Mr. Matsui can make, setting him apart from others.
The usual Lampo zipper.
The pocket features a very minimalist snap, structured like a pocket flap.
Such designs, where an extension of a detail complements the function typically handled by other details, are also very characteristic of Mr. Matsui.
The part where the suit fabric overlaps from the shoulder to the sleeve is like an "inside-out" representation, visually showing how the interlining material is placed inside a tailored jacket.
I think this is also a specification unique to Mr. Matsui.
Even with this season's theme of tailoring to the customer, Mr. Matsui's own experience and philosophy are clearly visible.
Furthermore, this time, it's not a "couture" that directly imagined the kind and discerning end-users who always read this lengthy blog, but a "couture" that imagined us, the store CASANOVA&CO.
That's why it's not wrong to view this piece as art. And even if the owner wears it roughly, and the basting stitches come undone, causing the back to become unidentifiable, that's okay, because it becomes their own expression.
I hope you all engage with it and treat it in the way you see fit.
Nobuyuki Matsui
Pants
color _ BE
size _ 2,3
This is also from the same series: cotton-linen herringbone easy pants.
Because I myself am tired of oversized and wide-fit styles, I actively stock these slim pants. Among them, these are very comfortable and cool, equipped with an elastic waist and drawstring.
I had him only put wrinkles on the left leg.
I also left the intensity of this to Mr. Matsui.
As with the jacket I just mentioned, I asked for the basting stitches this time to omit the knot.
So, naturally, if the thread comes out, the wrinkles will open up and add volume.
I could have asked Mr. Matsui to tie knots, but I thought it might be interesting to have unintended changes occur while wearing it, so I ordered it without knots.
So, if all the stitches on the left leg's wrinkled processing were to come undone, the left leg would become longer and the line would be distorted, but please enjoy that as well.
The photos show size 2.
Of course, size 3 has completely different wrinkles.
While it's certainly wonderful that each piece involves such handwork and time, what's even cooler is being able to touch upon the fundamental spirit of clothing creation, "to imagine people and make clothes for them," and to feel how Mr. Matsui's impulses and inspirations in those moments give shape to the clothing.
It goes without saying that it's cool to wear, but I think this collection makes you think about many more things than just choosing clothes based on how cool they look when worn.
I suppose prompting viewers to think like that is also very characteristic of Nobuyuki Matsui.
Although we are currently holding a WR/ESSE event in-store, I was once again reminded that while there is the splendor of clothes that pursue the essence of being indispensable and close to daily life, like WR/ESSE, there is also the splendor of confronting the essence of what it means for people to make and wear clothes, like Nobuyuki Matsui.
Please experience the Chaos of Couture.