Every six months, we set out to work on a new collection. With each season, at the beginning of the preparations, I always nurse the same feeling of: “ I am launching a brand new brand.” And every season, at the climax of the preparations, I also nurse another feeling, “This collection may be the last; even if it is, I’ll try my best to devote myself.” Then, during the preparations ―every single season― I always ask myself the same question: “ Could I be moved by this new collection even if I were only designing it for myself? Could I get excited about it?”
The most important ingredient in the creative process is passion. Nowadays, however, product and results are considered the most important things, and those designers who are apt to create get worried about what people around them might think. Naturally, we would be happy to get a good response and we would be sad to get a bad one. But, a creation that is not derived from passion cannot excite someone. It cannot enthrall people or make the clothes comes alive.
Before KENZO TAKADA was popular, he rented a space for his very own boutique in Paris. He set up the interior of the boutique and painted the jungle landscape all by himself. He worked for another company in the morning, made his own clothes in the daytime, and painted the mural until 4 AM. He later said how much he had enjoyed this period. When the green carpet was at last spread on the floor of the boutique, he remembered how fascinated he felt by the scene. Day broke before he even realized and there he was, chattering with his friends. That was the morning of the day his boutique first opened, and I imagine that he thought a lot about his future in the dim light of Paris before dawn. I can imagine the scene, him being so excited about his future no matter what it held for him.
When KEIKO, the Japanese singer of the pop group “globe,” first debuted, I saw her share her tremendous excitement on TV about how wonderful the band’s debut song was. However, her interviewers did not show much emotion. Keiko wasn’t yet used to the entertainment world, and she was clearly dismayed at their reaction. I vividly remember how surprised she was that they were so calm and un-reactive to the song. Her attitude was so impressive . She did not speak but, looking at her facial expression, it was very clear to me what she wanted to say. She was screaming inside her head, probably saying something like:
[ “Come on! I can’t believe this! How can you stay so calm listening to this song! An amazing song is born! It’s magnificent and superb! You should be enthralled! This is the moment when musical history is about to change!! ]
The kind of passion she had is the same kind of passion that any creator must have.
Isshi KANAMARU 2015.10
半年周期で新たなコレクション発想に取り掛かりますが、毎シーズンその始まりの瞬間はいつも同じ思いになります。それは、｢今から新たなブランドを立ち上げるんだ｣、そのような思いです。そしてコレクション準備も後半になり佳境に追い込まれると、やはりいつも同じ気持ちになります。それは、｢これがラストコレクション、かも知れない」と、そういう気持ちになります。「だから今の自分が出来る全てを出し尽くしたい｣と。そしてそのコレクション準備期間最中、制作しながら思っていることも、たった一つです。それは｢自分だけでもこの新たな洋服に感動出来るのかどうか、自分自身がワクワク出来るかどうか｣です。
物作りにおいて、一番重要なのは、情熱だと思います。結果や成果が最重要視される今の世の中ではどうしても周りの反応を第一に気にする物作りになってしまいがちです。勿論他人からの反応が良ければ嬉しいし悪ければ悲しいのは事実ですが。でも情熱から派生した物作りでないと、多分ワクワクした洋服は作れないと思います。心が踊らない、というか文字通り生き生きした服にはならない、というか。
高田賢三さんが無名の頃、パリに初めてのお店を持ち、その内装をご自身で三ヶ月ぐらいかけて手掛け、壁にジャングルの絵をペンキで描き、朝は他社で働き、昼は自分の洋服を作り、夜は朝の4時くらいまでお店のペンキ塗りをして、本当に楽しかったと語ってられました。内装の最後に床にグリーンの絨毯を敷き詰めた時にはその光景にうっとりして仲間とおしゃべりしてたらいつの間にか夜が明けてたと。初めてのお店のオープン前、夜明け前の薄暗いパリの街並みを眺め、きっと色々な思いを馳せてたのだろう、と。そして此れからやってくる未来がどんな未来であろうと、その未来にワクワクしている光景が眼に浮かんで来るかのようです。
globeのKEIKOがデビューしたての頃、インタビューアー達の質問にデビュー曲の素晴らしさを興奮ぎみに語り、でも彼らの受け答えは極めて冷静で、まだ芸能界慣れもしてない彼女はその反応に明らかに困惑ぎみでその彼らの冷静な態度に逆に驚いている姿がとても印象的でした。彼女はそのあと、特に何も語りませんでしたが、彼女が云いたい事は言葉が無くても、彼女の表情を見れば明らかでした。彼女は心の中でこう叫んでいました。
｢ねぇ、何故!? 何故みんなこの曲を聴いてそう冷静でいられるの!? 今、モノ凄い曲が出来たんだよ！スゴく感動的な曲なんだよ！今まさに音楽の歴史が変わろうとしてるんだよ!!｣と。
それくらいの熱い情熱をクリエーターなら持ち合わせてなくてはならないと思います。
金丸一志