DESCENDANT

For the Spring/Summer 2020 collection, while maintaining the classic items from the brand's inception with styles such as the D51 and DWU, but also adding pieces that I have been very fond of, such as flight jackets, drizzler, and satin jackets. In addition, we will release DESCENDANT silhouette shirts using fabrics such as patchwork, madras check, and textiles suitable for summer. I feel the new items added to this season's collection takes me back to my roots and allowed me to review my archive.
At DESCENDANT, we are creating collections by remixing items taken from our warehouse, past wardrobes and archives, and updating them with a modern feel. Of course, there is always the elements of a subculture, input from my experiences, so it can be said that the brand has a very personal part. However, if I were creating collections from only my own wardrobes and archives, it can limit the brand's potential, so by having a wide range of people wear DESCENDANT, I hope to be able to show the various images of the brand.

In the 1980s, when I started to become interested in fashion, the fashion trend of American Traditional was fading, and American Casual began to be recognized, as it's called “Ame-kaji” in Japanese, and became a popular genre of fashion. I think it was more relatable to the culture than the American Traditional fashion scene was. The American Traditional had their following, but the American Casual, from its name suggests, was a casual style that children and adults could enjoy, which made it more widespread and accessible.
At the time, I had only experienced the United States through movies and magazines. Seeing the style of flannel shirts over thermals and jeans, worn by men in the countryside and the working class, affected me tremendously, there were many different perspectives regardless of age, race or ethnicity.A good example would be the kids in the movie “E.T.,” they were wearing flight jackets, fatigue shirts, flannel shirts, trucker caps, and jeans and so on, dressed the same way as the adults, but it gave a different impression because of the age group difference.
At present, it seems like there is not much separation between clothing for adults and children, with that in mind, I am reconsidering the standards of this era. I believe creating collections without targeting specific generations, or gender, is DESCENDANT's ideal aspect, and what it should be. As a brand with a backbone that sets it apart from the trend, I think it's essential for me to create clothes that make use of the individuality of each wearer so that they feel culture when worn. As I mentioned about returning to my roots, I have kept this in mind as I am designing the clothes.

It is becoming one of my goals for DESCENDANT items to be worn by various age groups, gender, ethnicity, and individuality, as a start point, we added visual pages to the season's catalog. For that purpose, I needed a stylist who could objectively look at items from a different angle than myself, appoint a unique character, create coordination according to that personality, and make use of the item. I decided to ask Mr. Hasegawa, who I have worked with many times before. As he says, “I want to show the culture of the clothes on the people wearing them,” so we tried to create and capture a scene of the model moving, to visualize what the clothing would look like in action. It was his idea to cast adults as well as children, and we purposely put men's sizes on the children to give them expression.
The title I gave, as a word appropriate for such a first attempt is “THINK, TRY, DO.” this is my attitude whenever I try something new. In recent years, DESCENDANT has felt the ever so quickly changing times, and will start a new season with a slogan necessary for the way it has been, what it will be, and the “now” in-between.