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Unfinished business
Hiromichi Nakano may be one of the biggest names in Japanese
fashion, but he’s still got something to prove. Martin
Webb catches up with the workaholic designer.
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Designer, movie critic, jet-setting entrepreneur, father—Hiromichi
Nakano is much more than the average fashion label boss. Best
known among the European style set for his Paris catwalk collections
and their snappy, mod style with a touch of wa, this workaholic
craftsman has been a household name here in Japan for almost
20 years, ever since his legendary role as self-effacing fashion
commentator in the early ’90s TV smash, “Asayan,”
laundered him into the spotlight. Wealth and fame certainly
haven’t gone to his head, though. Despite his aesthetic
having become an intractable part of the national consciousness
and the constant demand for his design kudos, Nakano has no
time for sycophants. He places enormous importance on how
his shows are received overseas, and for him the Parisian
fashion press represents the ultimate acid-test. “I might
be famous here, but that’s all the more reason to show
in Paris? I don’t value the praise of Japanese yes-men.
In Paris people speak their minds. If your show is bad even
once, they just won’t come again.”
Culture Flash
Born in Miyagi prefecture in 1951, Nakano
established his signature label in 1984 and, after working for
a series of Japanese apparel giants, has never looked back.
Producing well-received shows has become a raison d’Ítre
for this mild-mannered family man. “I didn’t want
to end up working like a sarariiman,” he says. “I
entered this business so that I could create things, but I have
to do other jobs so that I can continue to produce my work.”
With his breadth of experience at big clothing companies, the
award-winning designer is still in high demand for licensing
deals and freelance projects. His work as a judge at student
fashion contests helps maintain a connection with fashion’s
new generation, while costume design contracts for TV, movies
and the theater keep him well versed in the more outrageous
side of clothing creation. But these are not the only side businesses
this trend-setting trooper manages to fit into a punishing schedule
that seems enough to reduce a lesser man to exhaustion. Nakano
is also an acclaimed movie critic and writes two regular columns
for top-selling magazines, Anan and Junon, jobs that require
him to watch almost one movie per day.
All these responsibilities and deadlines, along with the fearsome
task of producing a Paris catwalk spectacular, don’t
leave much time for fun and frolics. Nakano visits his team
in France six or seven times a year, and the little spare
time he has left over he spends in Kyoto or Kanazawa. The
Japanese genius sees even these excursions as part of his
work—he uses the time to research pieces of history and
culture of his homeland that he can incorporate into his clothes.
After two decades at the peak of his profession, Nakano now
sees the Japanese sense of style in a whole new light. Since
his signature label’s Paris catwalk debut in 1998, he
has felt a need to incorporate elements of his native country’s
aesthetic into his designs. “If we don’t understand
our own heritage, how can we expect anyone to understand us?”
he asks. “The French hold their culture in very high
esteem, and that’s why they have such a developed fashion
industry. Japanese designers have to have a similar appreciation
of their roots if they are to win international acclaim.”
Like a virgin
The Hiromichi Nakano label’s Spring/Summer ’03 collection
provides an illustrative example of these Japanese characteristics;
the theme is “Twiggy visits Taisho era Japan.” “In
the 1920s, the Taisho era, the upper stratum of Tokyo society
went to Europe and brought back European clothes, which were
then worn alongside kimono. The ’60s London vibe was
influenced by art nouveau and Japonisme. I’m very interested
in this kind of cross-cultural pollination,” he says.
Even Nakano’s signature girlish micro floral prints can
be interpreted as part of an effort to incorporate a sense
of Japanese-ness into his work. “Compared with the ripeness
of the French fashion industry, Japanese fashion is still
very fragile, very na've, in its adolescence—like
a pubescent girl.’ Think Virgin Suicides. You can see
it in the work of artists like Takashi Murakami and Yoshitomo
Nara. I want to communicate that naivety through my work too,”
says the veteran designer.
Nakano sees a role for himself as a sort of cultural ambassador
for traditional Japanese style, presenting kimono culture
to the rest of the world. He dreams of seeing a time when
people wearing Western clothes and kimono can walk down the
street together. This is perhaps the loftiest of his ambitions.
“In the short term,” he says, “my ambition
is just to be able to show in Paris next year, to keep my
collection going.” Despite all his fame and fortune there
remains one elusive trophy for the humble Nakano. “I
haven’t had ‘bravos’ in Paris yet,” he
says. “When I start getting bravos from the journalists
in Paris, then I’ll be satisfied.”
Photo credit: Courtesy of
Hiromichi Nakano
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