Fukuoka's 'Orelake' Creators Reunite After Over 10 Years, Leading to Collaboration
2022.03.11 / OTHERS
OVERCOAT Ryuuhei Daimaru's childhood friend from elementary school, photographer Kenya Sugai. In the second part of the discussion surrounding Sugai, who came to New York for the FW2022 lookbook shoot, we talk about the core of Sugai's photography philosophy and its commonalities with OVERCOAT.
Akiko Ichikawa (A): What was Daimaru's dream when he was a child? A designer?
Ryuuhei Daimaru (O): A scientist.
A: A, a scientist!
Kenya Sugai (S): Our roots are the same, right?
O: I remember wanting to experiment. Before that, I wanted to be a snake charmer, probably around the first grade.
A: A, a snake charmer (laughs)!! Did you see that? (laughs)
O: From snake charmer to scientist, and then to boxer (laughs). My dream of being a boxer ended in less than a month.
S: Ohma (Daimaru) has always been funky. He had blonde hair and always dressed flamboyantly. I couldn't understand it, but he was always ahead, in terms of information and culture. We used to work part-time at Daimaru Seisakusho 1 (Daimaru's family woodworking shop), and even then he was rocking vintage overalls.
O: There's a huge vintage store in Kurume called 'Nishikaigan'. They have an incredible amount of clothes, from Chanel to monpe, selling for about 100 yen. I often went there with my older cousin. Sugai-chan (Sugai) went there too, right?
A: You've been unique since way back.
S: But we weren't in the first string; we were always in the second string. The first string was real yankees. We weren't that wild; we were serious at heart. I always had Ohma explain various things to me.
O: As I said earlier, I'm more logical; Sugai-chan is more intuitive. When we did the location scouting this time, I thought that if we stayed in Chinatown, there would be too much red, so maybe we should go to a different area, but Sugai-chan would come up with ideas like, "Wouldn't it look cool to shoot from this angle?"
A: It might be that Daimaru knows too much about New York City.
S: That could be true. I don't want to include location information in my photography concept. I'm not capturing a situation like, "There are such people in such a place." It's the same with people and objects; it's just about the difference in shape and color.
A: Is it close to product photography? The subjects are human, but it feels like they're arranged as one of the materials rather than portraits?
S: Yes, that's right. It's like doing it intentionally or unconsciously. Filling in what was just missing in a street snap with people.
S: The aim isn't to think of it as a dog.
A: It's like a fluffy, furry material. That perspective is very unique.
S: I used to walk a lot around Setagaya Ward, Kan-nana and Kan-hachi 246, photographing people around there, or wishing for people walking in front of me to trip, capturing the moment they fall. But after many years, I started to feel a limit to the expression of reacting to what is there, which is the root of street snaps.
A: I see. You can't control your encounters with subjects, right?
S: There’s a limit to expressing, "I noticed this in the street." Ultimately, I want to create something that retains my humanity in the essence of photography.
A: How did the Bottega Veneta project start?
S: About two years ago, I suddenly received an email. Bottega was creating a web magazine called 'Issued by Bottega' and asked if I could create works to be published there. I have no idea why I was chosen, but maybe it was connected through keywords like Tokyo or street. Around that time, my photos were also published in 'VICE'. It was a collaboration project where I printed out images of an object created by an artist named Myrza Deva, posted them around the city like posters, and then photographed them.
I had just started to become interested in fashion photography, so it was a great opportunity. When other people's ideas, like hair and makeup, are included in my work, there's a possibility of creating something that exceeds my imagination. Everyone understands that I'm from a street snapper background, so they let me do it relatively freely.
A: So the timing for this OVERCOAT lookbook shoot was perfect.
S: My work has quirks, so I felt that if that was okay, it would be great to make it happen.
O: OVERCOAT uses high-quality fabrics, so when styled, it can sometimes come together too beautifully. In fashion, the technique of breaking it up is very important, so I have to find a way to deconstruct it. I don't want to make clothes just for the upper-class celebrities. I want to incorporate more culture and make it accessible to the general public.
Worn-out vintage clothes paired with OVERCOAT might be cool, and in a sense, we need to express the intersection of tackiness and coolness; otherwise, it will just be something beautiful. I always want to keep that feeling in mind. You can sense that essence in Sugai-chan's photos. After a long time, meeting again and seeing his photos made me feel like we entered a different dimension. It wasn't just because he was a friend that I asked him to shoot.
S: I'm happy. I'm a bit moved that we could do this together this time.
A: Both of you have built your careers, and it was really lucky to reunite at this timing. By the way, what kind of shoot do you think it will be?
O: Since our original values are close, it's comfortable. The theme for this season is "Winter Air," which has an abstract feel, so I hope we can capture that atmosphere. In the past, there weren't synthetic fibers developed, so we wore thick wool jackets and skied, but that winter sports taste is designed into it. Layering with a leather jacket on top is also a point.
S: It feels like we're exploring while doing location scouting. I haven't even taken the subway since coming to NY, and I'm in photo mode, so I'm only seeing the cityscape as a "pattern."
A: Do you have any impressions since coming to NY?
S: Just that Americans are big, I guess. It might be completely different from tourist mode.
A: Is it always like that?
S: Yes, as a photographer, I always live consciously.
A: Being aware of the moment, there are yoga techniques for that too, right? Photography is not video; it's a still image, and I think it's about how to frame it within the angle. Capturing daily moments while structuring them as your intention might be a kind of meditative process.
-END-
Ryuuhei Daimaru
Born in Fukuoka Prefecture. After graduating from Bunka Fashion College, he worked as a pattern maker for Japan's leading maison brands. In 2006, he was scouted by a certain New York brand and moved to the U.S. In 2008, he established the design planning company "oomaru seisakusho 2" in Manhattan, New York. The name comes from his family's furniture factory, and it was founded with the philosophy of creating a new status in fashion based on craftsmanship. The staff is entirely Japanese, continuing to convey the creativity and quality of MADE IN JAPAN to the world. He currently provides planning design, pattern making, and sample sewing services to many creators. He started the brand "OVERCOAT" in the autumn/winter season of 2015. In 2016, he established "Daimaru Seisakusho 3" in Jingumae, Tokyo.
(Awards, etc.)
2014: 2nd CFDA FASHION MANUFACTURING INITIATIVE
2015: 33rd Mainichi Fashion Awards, consecutively won the Amiko Kujiraoka Award.
Kenya Sugai
Born in Kyoto Prefecture. Moved to Fukuoka with his family at the age of five. Studied film in London after graduating from high school. In 2008, he won the Excellence Award at the 31st Public Call "Photo New Century." In addition to creating works, he is active in Bottega Veneta's web magazine 'Issued by Bottega', 'VICE', 'Harper’s BAZAAR' Japan edition, 'Numero TOKYO', and more.
Akiko Ichikawa
Based in NY, she handles branding and consulting in the fields of fashion, design, and art. She has been reviewing New York collections for over 20 years and is also involved in editing and writing for newspapers and magazines.
Interview Part 3 - First Half: "Fukuoka's 'We' Creators Reunite After Over 10 Years for Collaboration"
Interview Part 2 - First Half: "Philosophical Talk About 'Holes' with Daimaru from OVERCOAT"
Interview Part 2 - Second Half: "The 'Genius' Runner in a Panda T, Daimaru Will Continue to Run"
Interview Part 1: "Dice&Dice Meets OVERCOAT"
Dice&Dice ONLINE STORE "OVERCOAT" Product List
Akiko Ichikawa (A): What was Daimaru's dream when he was a child? A designer?
Ryuuhei Daimaru (O): A scientist.
A: A, a scientist!
Kenya Sugai (S): Our roots are the same, right?
O: I remember wanting to experiment. Before that, I wanted to be a snake charmer, probably around the first grade.
A: A, a snake charmer (laughs)!! Did you see that? (laughs)
O: From snake charmer to scientist, and then to boxer (laughs). My dream of being a boxer ended in less than a month.
S: Ohma (Daimaru) has always been funky. He had blonde hair and always dressed flamboyantly. I couldn't understand it, but he was always ahead, in terms of information and culture. We used to work part-time at Daimaru Seisakusho 1 (Daimaru's family woodworking shop), and even then he was rocking vintage overalls.
O: There's a huge vintage store in Kurume called 'Nishikaigan'. They have an incredible amount of clothes, from Chanel to monpe, selling for about 100 yen. I often went there with my older cousin. Sugai-chan (Sugai) went there too, right?
A: You've been unique since way back.
S: But we weren't in the first string; we were always in the second string. The first string was real yankees. We weren't that wild; we were serious at heart. I always had Ohma explain various things to me.
O: As I said earlier, I'm more logical; Sugai-chan is more intuitive. When we did the location scouting this time, I thought that if we stayed in Chinatown, there would be too much red, so maybe we should go to a different area, but Sugai-chan would come up with ideas like, "Wouldn't it look cool to shoot from this angle?"
A: It might be that Daimaru knows too much about New York City.
S: That could be true. I don't want to include location information in my photography concept. I'm not capturing a situation like, "There are such people in such a place." It's the same with people and objects; it's just about the difference in shape and color.
A: Is it close to product photography? The subjects are human, but it feels like they're arranged as one of the materials rather than portraits?
S: Yes, that's right. It's like doing it intentionally or unconsciously. Filling in what was just missing in a street snap with people.
Commonalities between Sugai's photography and OVERCOAT
A: Sugai's photos always have some humor, don't they? For example, even when photographing a dog, its face is never shown. Is there a connection to humor in how you capture that point?S: The aim isn't to think of it as a dog.
A: It's like a fluffy, furry material. That perspective is very unique.
S: I used to walk a lot around Setagaya Ward, Kan-nana and Kan-hachi 246, photographing people around there, or wishing for people walking in front of me to trip, capturing the moment they fall. But after many years, I started to feel a limit to the expression of reacting to what is there, which is the root of street snaps.
A: I see. You can't control your encounters with subjects, right?
S: There’s a limit to expressing, "I noticed this in the street." Ultimately, I want to create something that retains my humanity in the essence of photography.
A: How did the Bottega Veneta project start?
S: About two years ago, I suddenly received an email. Bottega was creating a web magazine called 'Issued by Bottega' and asked if I could create works to be published there. I have no idea why I was chosen, but maybe it was connected through keywords like Tokyo or street. Around that time, my photos were also published in 'VICE'. It was a collaboration project where I printed out images of an object created by an artist named Myrza Deva, posted them around the city like posters, and then photographed them.
I had just started to become interested in fashion photography, so it was a great opportunity. When other people's ideas, like hair and makeup, are included in my work, there's a possibility of creating something that exceeds my imagination. Everyone understands that I'm from a street snapper background, so they let me do it relatively freely.
A: So the timing for this OVERCOAT lookbook shoot was perfect.
S: My work has quirks, so I felt that if that was okay, it would be great to make it happen.
O: OVERCOAT uses high-quality fabrics, so when styled, it can sometimes come together too beautifully. In fashion, the technique of breaking it up is very important, so I have to find a way to deconstruct it. I don't want to make clothes just for the upper-class celebrities. I want to incorporate more culture and make it accessible to the general public.
Worn-out vintage clothes paired with OVERCOAT might be cool, and in a sense, we need to express the intersection of tackiness and coolness; otherwise, it will just be something beautiful. I always want to keep that feeling in mind. You can sense that essence in Sugai-chan's photos. After a long time, meeting again and seeing his photos made me feel like we entered a different dimension. It wasn't just because he was a friend that I asked him to shoot.
S: I'm happy. I'm a bit moved that we could do this together this time.
A: Both of you have built your careers, and it was really lucky to reunite at this timing. By the way, what kind of shoot do you think it will be?
O: Since our original values are close, it's comfortable. The theme for this season is "Winter Air," which has an abstract feel, so I hope we can capture that atmosphere. In the past, there weren't synthetic fibers developed, so we wore thick wool jackets and skied, but that winter sports taste is designed into it. Layering with a leather jacket on top is also a point.
S: It feels like we're exploring while doing location scouting. I haven't even taken the subway since coming to NY, and I'm in photo mode, so I'm only seeing the cityscape as a "pattern."
A: Do you have any impressions since coming to NY?
S: Just that Americans are big, I guess. It might be completely different from tourist mode.
A: Is it always like that?
S: Yes, as a photographer, I always live consciously.
A: Being aware of the moment, there are yoga techniques for that too, right? Photography is not video; it's a still image, and I think it's about how to frame it within the angle. Capturing daily moments while structuring them as your intention might be a kind of meditative process.
-END-
Ryuuhei Daimaru
Born in Fukuoka Prefecture. After graduating from Bunka Fashion College, he worked as a pattern maker for Japan's leading maison brands. In 2006, he was scouted by a certain New York brand and moved to the U.S. In 2008, he established the design planning company "oomaru seisakusho 2" in Manhattan, New York. The name comes from his family's furniture factory, and it was founded with the philosophy of creating a new status in fashion based on craftsmanship. The staff is entirely Japanese, continuing to convey the creativity and quality of MADE IN JAPAN to the world. He currently provides planning design, pattern making, and sample sewing services to many creators. He started the brand "OVERCOAT" in the autumn/winter season of 2015. In 2016, he established "Daimaru Seisakusho 3" in Jingumae, Tokyo.
(Awards, etc.)
2014: 2nd CFDA FASHION MANUFACTURING INITIATIVE
2015: 33rd Mainichi Fashion Awards, consecutively won the Amiko Kujiraoka Award.
Kenya Sugai
Born in Kyoto Prefecture. Moved to Fukuoka with his family at the age of five. Studied film in London after graduating from high school. In 2008, he won the Excellence Award at the 31st Public Call "Photo New Century." In addition to creating works, he is active in Bottega Veneta's web magazine 'Issued by Bottega', 'VICE', 'Harper’s BAZAAR' Japan edition, 'Numero TOKYO', and more.
Akiko Ichikawa
Based in NY, she handles branding and consulting in the fields of fashion, design, and art. She has been reviewing New York collections for over 20 years and is also involved in editing and writing for newspapers and magazines.
Interview Part 3 - First Half: "Fukuoka's 'We' Creators Reunite After Over 10 Years for Collaboration"
Interview Part 2 - First Half: "Philosophical Talk About 'Holes' with Daimaru from OVERCOAT"
Interview Part 2 - Second Half: "The 'Genius' Runner in a Panda T, Daimaru Will Continue to Run"
Interview Part 1: "Dice&Dice Meets OVERCOAT"
Dice&Dice ONLINE STORE "OVERCOAT" Product List