The Viridi-Anne
interviewed by Marc / Stealthprojekt
edited by Arto M.
While studying at the Universuty of Fine Arts in Tokyo, Tomoaki Okaniwa didn’t feel a connection with the typical Japanese fashion scene but rather found his interest in foreign media, art and culture. His interest in making garments was born from a necessity – to make something he could wear every day. This lead him to form a successful streetwear company, and later, after sifting his focus towards a more mature style, to the birth of The Viridi-Anne. Over 8 years later, the brand has become highly popular in Japan and spread overseas to Europe and North America, where it’s stocked in many notable avant-garde boutiques. With a strong attention to unique materials, well thought out details and classic cuts with a twist, The Viridi-Anne has been showing it’s collections during men’s fashion week in Paris for the past 3 years.
How did your interest in garment making come about?
The stunning appearance of the sex pistols lead me to punk fashion and then to the early work of Vivienne Westwood. So it was this interest in UK / punk culture which first inspired me to create clothing. As an art student I had no disposable income, so the only way to wear something comparable to Westwood was to make something for myself. It has always been my aim to apply what I’ve learned and love about art to creating clothes. To take art down from the gallery wall and make it into something one can wear everyday on your own body and enjoy in everyday life.
When was the label born, then?
In 2001. We decided to start making the clothes we wanted to wear ourselves. I had lost interest in street wear which was very popular in japan at that point. As said it was born out of necessity and i think this is the mother of all the best creation.
The label has been around for a good while now, how has it developed along the way?
The label has been shown for 8 years, 3 years have involved showing in Paris. During this period the brand has changed quite a lot as I have grown personally and travelled more frequently outside Japan. The market in Japan is geared towards and dictated by younger people. As we have migrated abroad we have evolved into a label and aesthetic which can be worn by a wider age-range. This has also meant a pressure to improve the quality of design, details and materials in order to appeal to the more discerning foreign customers and buyers.
Talking about the expansion to Europe and the US, is this something you aimed for?
At first, I never thought about it and I certainly never envisioned we would become this popular this quickly. But I actually started the label and business through the influence of foreign design, arts and culture, so in a way it now seems perfectly natural that this is the way things have gone. There is almost a sense of giving something back.
So going overseas has had its mark on the style of The Viridi-Anne.
Most definitely yes, as mentioned I was already heavily attracted to all kinds of foreign media and culture from a very young age. I was always the type of person who was interested in things from abroad and was not very impressed or interested in the fashion scene here in Japan, except for a few special designers. For example I never read any Japanese fashion magazines.
You've shown in Paris for several years now.
Showing in Paris and selling our clothes next to the very best designers in all the very best boutiques has meant and added positive pressure on me to strive to create originality and excellence. I need and want our designs to be at least as good as those from designers in say Belgium and Italy, or else I would feel shame and embarrassment to be shown in the same spaces.
How do you start working on a new collection?
Now that we have our own brand identity and look, it is mostly a case of wearing the clothes from this season and improving and refining the important pieces for the next season. The choice of fabrics and small details such as buttons, hooks and zippers are obviously crucial in shaping the designs. Originally we were known for a very Japanese zen-type aesthetic; the “wabi-sabi” – an antique look on parts of the collections, but now things have become much more complicated and varied.
What inspires you right now?
I am inspired to begin and shift the design in any particular direction by travel, the work of various artists and visits to galleries etc., and also on the street and my everyday life. I find that as time goes by, the clothes are not so much about solely the surface appearance, but more about wearability, practicality and ease of use coupled with the importance of the pleasure that wearing a piece will bring you. The touch and feel of materials and construction. These things all help to shape the process, keep it moving forward and dictate the outcome.
A japanese painter called Leonard Fujita was also a big inspiration because he actually went and lived in paris back in 1913 and hung out with Picasso and Matisse etc. He was a true original and an early example of a truly international Japanese artist and therefore his life story is really inspiring. As for the present, the atmosphere of the work of Christian Boltanski is always very moving.
You mentioned the feel of materials - interesting fabrics seem to play an important part.
I try to keep abreast of all the latest fabric developments. Here in Japan the industry is very strong and it’s also used by the very best designers world-wide, so I am very lucky in this respect. I also try to develop my own original materials as much as possible and spend time experimenting with mixes and interesting organic materials, such as bamboo and paper. Generally though, I prefer fabric that is made from a very fine thread and weaved tightly so that the touch is extremely soft whilst remaining strong. So my absolute favorite fabrics are generally linen (and its derivatives such as ramie), silk and cotton and often also a mix of all three.
What about manufacturing, where does it take place?
Obviously all our fabrics and garments are created here in Japan. I strive for originality so I try to find factories and ateliers which have unique and original processes and sometimes we have things hand-made, particularly shoes for example.
How do you find these type of places?
In Japan, certain areas in cities and parts of the country are famous for the creation of some particular articles or for working with a certain type of material, so I’ve had to spend a lot of time traveling to various places and sitting down with these craftsmen to create a close understanding and working relationship. Small factories can only cope with small quantities and only a few clients, so I need to make sure that I find the best places and can collaborate. Many are small, secretive operations in rather out of the way places. If you want to be original and have an edge, I think this is one of the best ways to keep us distinct and unique.
Where do you see the future of The Viridi-Anne?
I have no idea because I try to stay in the present and not speculate about the future too much. Obviously the future begins right here in our troubled economic times so it does not seem to appear to be very bright. However I feel that this adversity can be a very positive pressure on me to strive to work harder and survive. To establish my label as truly original and to try to reach as many people who care about design and beautiful clothes as possible all over the world.
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