DESCENDANT

Guru’s Cut & Stand in Yutenji opened in 2009. I’ve known Kupy (Katsuya Kubo) since then.
From the beginning, Kupy and the staff were all skaters, and I remember thinking it was a great place with a strong culture.

All types of people come and go from hair salons, a place to get their appearances groomed. It’s a place where people of all genders, ages, professions, and races gather. It’s a fantastic atmosphere because cultures intersect as they come and go.
It feels good to be clean and refreshed.
I wonder how his wife Yoshiko is doing.
She used to do hair and makeup for photo shoots back in the day.

“Some push skateboards, some come by bicycles, but everyone arrives by 10:30 AM and starts the day by cleaning.
The early birds come around 9:30 AM just to enjoy the morning hours. There are currently seven of us - five stylists and two assistants.
I just realized it’s been over 15 years, and we only recently repainted the exterior for the first time since opening.
Also, we were gifted a barber chair by an acquaintance, so that’s small news. (Laughs)

Tet came to our opening day in 2009. I also have fond memories of joining in on the 2014 DESCENDANT catalog.
My image of DESCENDANT is something that evokes the ocean, is authentic, but has a bit of a gimmick, and becomes easier to wear as you get older.

The T-shirts have a sturdy body and a crisp feel to the fabric, the quality is totally different.
On the other hand, the graphics are pop and you can immediately tell it’s DESCENDANT at a glance.
This time as well, the designs feature bearing motifs, ocean motifs, and the usual orca.

I went to London before starting Guru’s.
At the barber shops out there, people in their 50s and 60s worked like they were in their 20s and 30s, and their active presence was really cool.
Until then, I had thought that when I turned 50, I would focus on management and think about opening more stores, but I came back with a completely different mindset, and as a result, I’m in the situation I am in now, cutting hair at the shop every day. Skating, cutting hair, and styling people’s hair is how I express myself.
It’s a business but it’s also like a hobby.
It took me more than 10 years to be able to say that I truly love cutting hair.” (Kubo)

Tetsu Nishiyama