JUN HASHIMOTO AT PITTI UOMO 85

[Synthese]

JUN HASHIMOTO: CLOTHES FOR YOU​

Words and pictures by Jasper L​

“When you know very good material and very good styling, you can’t go ‘down,’” Jun Hashimoto tells me. “But if you buy good to wear every time, every season, it’s too expensive.” He doesn’t want his customers to have to re-buy the same thing, or even different things, every single season. He iterates, he fiddles, and he does what he likes.

His booth at Pitti is an exercise, almost aggressive, in restraint. There is a small table with a laptop on it. To the right is a single rail of white shirts. A sign taped to the computer declares: “WILL EXCHANGE BUSINESS CARDS WITH VENDORS ONLY.”

“I want to focus on basic items,” is the first thing he says after I dare the sign and discover that Jun Hashimoto is both very friendly and very thoughtful. “But, I don’t like too much basic.” He doesn’t like Too Much, either. Pitti is Much Too Much, and so he only brought white shirts with him. I find this quiet rebellion both hilarious and hugely admirable. Problematic, too: how am I supposed to write an article about a single rail of white shirts and an empty booth?

“We need change,” he says, gesturing at the shirts, but talking about more than clothing. “Now, today, I like this style. Maybe in the future, I don’t like this length, this width. I’ll need more change.” And so he makes subtle adjustments to his patterns seasonally, or as the mood strikes him. For now, the shirts feature slightly elastic panels at the side that allow for movement and breathability, as well as custom hardware. The collar is ever-so-slightly belligerent, and Braille on the cuffs differentiates the sleeves.

None of these features are visible in passing, and I say something about the occasional stand-out pieces that punctuate and complement his collections. He tells me that I have a very good eye, which is by far the highlight of my day, and this leads us to the turtleneck he’s wearing under his stand-collar leather jacket: the body is wool but the roll neck is 100% cashmere, and you can’t tell unless you put it on. The focus on the way clothing feels on the body and on actively muting visible impact seems very different from the way most brands at Pitti operate. “Different,” he agrees, “and difficult.”

“It’s kind of like Carpe Diem,” he says; which is where he learned a lot about what he wanted to do with his own line, and a lot about what he didn’t. “It’s just, I like it. And I have a reason, for the price and style. But if you don’t know, I don’t care. What do you know?”

Nothing, really. No one around us does either. His booth is empty, unlike that of the overdesigned sneakers down the hall. It’s just him and his assistant, unspeaking; a computer; and a rail of white shirts. Like him, the clothes are quiet, almost aloof; when you get them talking, there’s nothing friendlier.

​

 

[3 Prague Winters]

E_X_C_E_L_L_E_N_T_!

 

[bows1]

Sounds like an awesome guy.

 

[Synthese]

Really awesome guy; as a bonus, my phone autocorrected his name to Jun Hash Imouto, which is hilarious and disturbing. He had a ton of great things to say that didn't make it into this short write up. The clothes are seriously kick-ass, too. I think you'd like a lot of it (if you could fit into it - dubious), and so, actually, would @cyc wid it. Other people, too - @artishard116, @brad-t, @nicelynice; any of the guys who hang out in the baller boot thread. He really has an interesting way of looking at clothing. It is really difficult to communicate the cut and the small details - like the cashmere roll neck - in high-speed retail, I think, so seeing him wear his own line in person was really fascinating, actually. It's all sort of easy to style, but aggressive, but basic, and well thought-out. #Imouto definitely bringing the heat.

 

[LA Guy]

fwiw, I met him a couple of years ago. He told me (a small 40), that I would probably fit into a size 5, same as him (he is bigger than me, but I am taller and more muscular). Size 5 is the largest size he makes (at least, two years ago).

 

[artishard116]

That's awesome, thanks for doing this. Hopefully his stuff becomes more readily available here ahem #styleforummarket.

 

[brad-t]

Thanks a lot for this, J.

I only have one Jun piece, just a u-neck t-shirt, which has sadly had some construction issues ... but I like and respect his work. I feel like Jun's pieces are probably one of the few where marketing copy is actually valuable, to explain all those little details. Seeing the tiny pics on Offside with no textual accompaniment makes it impossible to appreciate all that goes into it.

Also, I want that white shirt.

 

[brightorangetrousers]

Does the braille spell out his (brand) name?

I love these write-ups. You manage to get across the personality of these brands REALLY well.

 

[chinesealpha]

Any pics of the slightly belligerent collars?

 

[chinesealpha]

If my monitor is to be trusted, the colours of those suede jackets (?) in the background are incredible. That they look as though they've been trampled by a herd of bison, less so.

 

[Emixam]

i used to own several of his pants and denim (the banana cut), great stuff really and good price point as well. But yes sizing for all tops is for guys under 6ft only, too bad as some of the leather jackets were great (don't know what current styles he propose, but looking at his pic, I am assuming it didn't change much)

 

[wogbog]



Any pics of the slightly belligerent collars?

That's what I wanted to see too.

 

[Synthese]



Does the braille spell out his (brand) name?

I love these write-ups. You manage to get across the personality of these brands REALLY well.

From what I understood, these say "right" and "left," but if anyone knows Braille please feel free to correct me. Jun seemed to be completely serious in that the idea was for functionality. That is, a blind person would be able to reach into his or her closet and differentiate the right sleeve from the left.

And thanks, it's great to hear that people are enjoying these little pieces. It's hard to give a complete picture of anything in five hundred words, but I think that, at least in this case, meeting Jun really did give some extra insight into the brand. I'm going to try to turn the whole interview into something legible, and perhaps pursue some further conversation with him, because he was one of the most (if not the most) interesting people I talked to at Pitti.

Any pics of the slightly belligerent collars?

Sadly, no. This was my fault - I was overly engaged in the conversational aspect of things, and the pictures were a complete afterthought. I'll see if I can procure some from other channels, though.

If my monitor is to be trusted, the colours of those suede jackets (?) in the background are incredible. That they look as though they've been trampled by a herd of bison, less so.

Those are actually heavily wrinkled velvet shirts. They are really, really cool, and the colors are, as you say, incredible. Super deep and rich.

 

[sinnedk]

I would wear his stuff if it came in my size and was available outside of japan

 

[Synthese]

Yes, but then you'd be paying for the US markup. A lot can be found on Rakuten, but there are plenty of Japanese stockists as well. Need help? Read This Link!