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Mint condition
The creative trio behind Mint Designs, give Martin Webb
the inside scoop on the most talked about debut at this season’s
Tokyo Collections.
Photo by Martin Webb
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| The creative minds that
make up Mint Designs. From left to right: Hokuto Katsui
(30), Nao Yagi (30) and Yusuke Takeyama (25) |
Fashion is a fickle beast, especially in fad-conscious Tokyo
where trends come and go at such alarming speed, even the
industry mags have trouble keeping up with them. And more
often than not, Japan’s design world is subjected to
the whims of their capricious customers and mercurial critics.
But one trio of young Japanese designers is making a name
for itself with timeless clothing that challenge Tokyo fashion’s
status quo. The three dressed-down creators of Mint Designs—Director
Hokuto Katsui and colleagues Nao Yagi and Yusuke Takeyama—have
put their heads together to create a refreshing label with
staying power, clothes, they say, that reflect their anti-fashion
philosophy.
Sitting in their Omotesando Atelier, the three, who returned
from Europe a year ago, are all too happy to discuss the origin
of their unique concept, which in part they owe to time spent
abroad. “We want to produce design classics, not something
that you have to purge from your wardrobe six months after
you’ve bought it,” says Yagi, a former assistant
to Hussein Chalayan, adding that the industry gives out awards
for such timeless, universal designs. Katsui experienced this
firsthand during his time at the Alexander McQueen atelier.
“Each season had a concept, but as soon as the show was
over it got forgotten and discarded,” he recalls. “I
couldn’t help feeling that there were ideas that hadn’t
been fully explored, so here at Mint we’re working at
a different pace and being more thorough.”
Return to form
This nonconformist approach to clothing design formed the
basis of their debut at the Tokyo Collections Spring/Summer
2003 and captured the attention of editors and buyers who
demonstrated their approval with a healthy dose of applause.
But it was the last thing the three expected. Despite a successful
small-scale exhibition held in spring 2002 for friends and
important buyers, a catwalk premiere was a far greater challenge.
“Last [spring’s] dry run was really informal,”
says Yagi, “The pressure of showing on the catwalk was
tough, and all the press attention was a bit disconcerting.”
But a little ingenuity—and a lot of tenacity—paid
off in the fall when a crowd of editors, stylists, rival designers
and boutique buyers squeezed into the crouching-room-only
café, waiting to see the collection that had generated
considerable buzz on the fashion grapevine.
Eerie experimental music set the tone for an ironic rebellion,
as scruffed-up models descended the two-story catwalk in Mint
Designs’ answer to fly-by-night fashion. In stark contrast
to the flamboyant styles of Alexander McQueen and the intricate,
complex creations of Hussein Chalayan, Mint Designs’
plain pastel colors, jersey fabrics, uneven ribbing and silhouette
prints possessed a simplicity and utilitarian design that
was an antithesis to the clothing of many entrants whose try-too-hard
shows fail to make an impression not only on industry gurus
but the market. When the young trio descended the stairs to
take a sheepish bow, the warm ripples of applause and urgent
chatter of the crowd signaled broad approval of the neophyte
label’s anti-fashion statement.
Staying power
The newcomers see their work as “clothing design,”
not “fashion,” and this is what the audience seemed
to be responding to. “The concept was to make clothes
for everyday wear, things to be worn about the house, but
that could also be worn outside,” Yagi says. “We’re
far more about attention to detail and high quality than visual
impact.”
Like so many other Tokyo brands, Mint Designs already has
the overseas market firmly in their sights. That they chose
to show in Tokyo has little effect on their line. “We’re
not specifically targeting Japan as such,” says Yagi,
noting that the label is also on sale in London, “but
there are so few opportunities to show off fabulous clothes
here.” If all goes according to plan, their next step
is a show in Antwerp or London.
Their dour Spring/Summer 2003 collection is due to hit stores
across Japan in a matter of weeks, and the team has had little
rest in the new year; preparations for the Autumn/Winter show
are already underway. But the group is also keen to discuss
other plans for the longer-term future, including their own
store, which, in an ideal world would underscore their commitment
to timeless design. Yagi suggests that a Mint Designs boutique
could allow customers to buy clothes from previous collections.
“For example, when you have a top you really love and
somehow it gets ruined or stained, of course you want the
exact same top, right?” says Yagi. “But if you go
back to the store, the next season’s clothes are on the
shelves, and you just can’t get it. That’s so frustrating,
and we’d like to offer a solution.”
Pipe dreams also include developing a lifestyle brand with
interior goods and interior design. But for now at least,
the world must be content with watching the trio express their
concept of “Good Design” through their clothing
creations.
Photos courtesy of Mint Designs
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