CATCHING UP WITH
JUNICHI ABE
With a reputation that grows
exponentially each season, kolor's
fan base is shifting from clued-up
japanophiles to more mainstream
fashion consumers.
We visited their flagship store
in the Omotesando area of Tokyo and
had a quick chat with founder and
chief designer, Junichi Abe, to
see what kolor have planned for
spring/summer '11.
Use the navigation arrows on the
right and the left of this
page to explore this interview.
oki-ni: To give some background, I understand you were a designer at Comme des Garcons before founding kolor. How did you arrive at the decision to create your own label?
Abe: I used to work as a pattern cutter before I set up a label with three friends called ppCM in 1994. The idea was to all design together but it didn’t quite work out that way and we mutually disbanded to do our own thing. On the back of this I established kolor in 2004.
oki-ni: kolor are known for largely ignoring seasonal trends and themes, how do you keep your collections evolving without this impetus?
Abe: Trends within the industry are largely irrelevant to us because by the time Paris Fashion Week [the earliest annual presentation of the fashion industry] comes around we have already completed our new collection for the next year, making it hard to react even if we wanted to.
Even so, we don’t have a theme, as such, but usually share a ‘feeling’ to describe each collection, usually supported by some keywords. However, all of this is just for us and we try not to mention any of it to the customer because words and themes create misunderstandings and we like our clothes to speak for themselves via their own unique form of communication.
oki-ni: One thing your clothes communicated to us this season is a stronger streetwear influence, with a stronger showing of trainers, t-shirts and graphic prints. Would you agree with this and, if so, where has this influence come from?
Abe: Certainly, there is a sort of street-style influence to our work at this time. The idea was to give the collection a more rugged feel, moving slightly away from the sophisticated elegance of previous lines by referencing early hip-hop culture.
oki-ni: Hip-hop culture is pretty ubiquitous these days, what was it about the early hip-hop culture that interested you?
Abe: Of course, today hip-hop artists are global stars and fashion icons, and I admire their style, but I wanted to look further back and take my inspiration from an era in which black-culture was struggling to find a voice against a backdrop of oppression.
The rugged feel to the collection is a representation of strong spirits seeking to carve out their own original style.
oki-ni: Considering a different style and aesthetic all together, kolor has women’s line as well as men’s. Is there much crossover in terms of design? Does the one influence the other, or is it a world of difference?
Abe: I am trying to understand men’s and women’s lines totally differently. I mean, even though the outcome is similar - I might create pieces using the same fabric, for example - I am deliberately trying to create a different feel for each collection.
oki-ni: You mentioned fabric there. With the luxury nature of the fabrics you use, how do you think kolor as a brand translates to online shopping?
Abe: Indeed, fabric is one of the most important things for us. However, while customers have to wait until the product arrives before they get to experience it fully, it is the only way to sell to people anywhere in the world.
I love the idea of people who live in countries that I’ve never been to, encountering our products and liking them. I guess there’s no greater communication between us and them.
Anyone lucky enough to be in
Tokyo should check out
kolor's immaculate store. For
everyone else, however, kolor's
spring/summer '11 collection is
now online.
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