Crazy genius or just crazy? written by… 2015 SS menswear 天才と変人の背中合わせ written by… 2015春夏

There once was a boy. He went to an ivy league college, was recruited into a top company, and he had a good wife. But one day he woke up to find his company going under and divorced from his wife. So he left his house on a trip as a man without purpose.

The one thing he had was a Haiku from his childhood.

While he was overcome by poverty and bad health, he took the thoughts he had while on his personal exile to write poetry that would live on forever. This person is real, and his name is Ozaki Hosai, one of the most famous Haiku poets in history (1885-1926).

Written by…’s 2015 SS menswear collection tells the life story of Ozaki. Is this genius, or is this genius?

名門大学卒業、大手企業就職、優しい妻。と、エリート街道を幸せに進んでいたはずが、自身が社会不適合だと自覚し、妻とも別れて、ある日突然放浪の旅に出た男がいた。

そんな彼に残されたのは少年時代から続けていた俳句。

貧困に苦しみ病魔に襲われ、孤独な旅の中で生まれた”想い”をのせた俳句を死ぬまで詠み続けた男、それは今も世に名を残す俳人、”尾崎放哉”。

そんな彼の人生に寄り添うコレクションを発表したのはwritten by 2015ss。

なんと、天才的…

Probably genius. In fact, Yoshikazu Yamagata is frequently given the genius status, while at the very same time consistently finding his work on “Seriously WTF Japanese fashion?!” listicles. Some of it is certainly head-scratching. But “Written by…” is his attempt to rein in the abstraction and instead try and see people actually wearing his clothes.

The story starts with the two turkeys (on a sweatshirt) representing a faithful and happy couple. Then as the boy gets sick, an ambulance (sweater) is there to whisk him away. Then there’s the striped doctor’s uniform (pajama) look, and then a Japanese hearse to take the boy to his eternal exile (which looks something out of a Taratino film). It’s said that Ozaki actually only owned a tuxedo and pajamas and wore both to work.

Although the collection is shrouded in surrealism, the backstory gives it a stronger outline and meaning. In fact, the backstory just makes it so much better.

It’s only the second season for Written By… and it’s already impressed me greatly. Not surprising really, Yamagata is always on point, even if it’s not mainstream’s point. While it may not be left for posterity like Ozaki’s poems, this effort is an admirable one that hopefully won’t be left for posterity on some clothing store’s rack.

仲の良かった夫婦を表した”おしどり”夫婦スウェットからはじまり、病魔に蝕まれ病院へ運ばれたストーリーを落とし込んだ”救急車”ニット、その病院でのパジャマや医者の白衣をはじめとするユニフォームに着想を得たルック、そして最期にたどり着いた小豆島で孤独にその生涯をたった彼の悲しみは”霊柩車”トップスで表現した。

コレクション全体にはシュールな世界観が広がっているけれど、背景のストーリーを知るとまた違った魅力に気付ける。むしろもっと魅力的に見えてくる、そんな深みのあるクリエーション。

強い存在感を放つ白黒の太いボーダー生地。安住の地を求め最期まで独りで彷徨い続けた尾崎放哉は、ある意味誰よりも死と向き合いながら”生きた”、安らぎの囚人だったのかもしれない。

デザイナーの山縣良和さんはいわゆる天才気質だと思う。実際、業界でも彼を天才と呼ぶ声は多い。でも、海外では彼の突飛な発送は度々理解されず、”なんじゃこりゃーファッション”のまとめサイトなどに必ずと言っていい程入っていたりする。裏返せば、それは人々の理解が簡単に及ばない領域のクリエーションをしているという証。その代償。山縣良和というデザイナーはまさに、”天才と変人は背中合わせ”、紙一重なのだと感じさせる存在。

http://www.writtenafterwards.com/　(experimental line)

Words by Misha Janette & Natsumi Yasuoka

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