| Mixed
bag Veteran designer Yuki Torii bridges the generation gap with her mix
of haute couture and sporty looks, Chris Betros observes.  | | The
corporate uniform makes a comeback with the trouser suit revamped |
These
are busy days at the Yuki Torii head office and showroom in Azabu. Buyers wander
in and out, while a video repeats Torii's most recent collection for autumn/winter
2003-04. Leaving her staff to deal with the business side of things, Torii is
already working on her next collection-the 2004 spring/summer look-which
will be paraded in late October. That's more or less been the pattern of
Torii's life since she established her company in 1970. Not only does she
take part in the Tokyo collections twice a year, but she also unveils her collection
in Paris first, where she has been a regular since 1975. "Fashion
design goes back in my family for three generations," says Torii, relaxing
for an hour in a small ornate room above the showroom. It's a nice little
hideaway where she can receive visitors, have a cigarette, a cup of coffee, or
just chill out. "My grandmother and my mother were both designers and I
used to help in their shop. But I don't think there was ever any one moment
where I knew I was going to become a designer. What got me interested was that
back then there were certain designs I would liked to have seen, things we couldn't
do because the materials were not available then. I wanted to make outfits I would
wear." Besides her mother, Torii recalls being inspired by Hanae
Mori and Christian Dior, whose collection she went to see at the Imperial Hotel.
"We didn't get a lot of fashion information from overseas in those
days," she recalls. "It was mainly in movies rather than TV or fashion
magazines that we learned about glamour. I lived in Roppongi and I used to buy
magazines from used book stores and interior design shops to see what was new."
Having lost her father when she was three, Torii depended on her mother and grandmother
for experience. "I went to a fashion design school, but I think working
with my mother was a better school. I was only 15 and there was a bit of a competitive
spirit between us, although she never really critiqued my designs. I was grateful
for that," says Torii, who first started contributing to her mother's
shows in 1962. Joie de vivre
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| Classic black and white checks spell sophistication |
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| The winter mini will always have a home
in Japan | Over the years, Torii's style could
best be described as "mixed." Her clothes this summer feature zigzag
stitching on striped suit stresses, Oriental dresses with rose patterns, and sporty
items in mesh fabric. For next autumn/winter, she has all sorts of ensembles featuring
jacquard skirts and pants, velveteen jackets, chiffon printed blouses, wrap skirts,
and details such as fake fur trimmings on gloves, hoods and hats. "I
never think of my clothes as being in one style for any one generation,"
says Torii who has a huge loyal following of niche customers ranging in age from
women in their 20s to 60s. "I want to go beyond traditional concepts of
generations. My theme is dress to be happy and enjoy life whatever your age. I
prefer vivid colors so people will look at my clothes and think they would be
fun to wear." Her shows are certainly fun. Until 2000, she used to incorporate
a men's collection in the show and always invited celebrities, among them
actors, chefs, sports stars and TV personalities, to model her clothes. She could
even make Konishiki look sleek. Shows are a hectic time. "Backstage
is like a war zone," Torii says. "However, I try to be as natural
as possible, otherwise I won't be able to move my hands or anything at
all." She is not particularly concerned with what critics have to say.
"As soon as the show is over, I am already aware of my mistakes, what I
should have done, how I can do better next time. So when I read anything critical,
I can easily accept it. Overseas, fashion writers can be very harsh. In Paris,
after a show, they come backstage immediately and tell me their impressions honestly-what
was good and bad in the show, not just with the clothes but also with the stage
settings and music as well. I enjoy hearing a variety of evaluations,"
says Torii, who admits she can hold a French conversation using fashion-related
words only. While she finds Paris a stimulating place to hold her shows,
she agrees that the Tokyo collections tend to drag out too long over three weeks.
"It must be tough for you guys having to rush from one show to the next
in venues far apart," she says. To make things easier for herself, she
uses the same models in Tokyo as she does in Paris to save time and money refitting
the girls, not because she particularly thinks foreign models project a better
image, as many of her colleagues do. Torii designs all her clothes herself
rather than getting any input from her staff. "I guess I am a strict boss,"
she says almost apologetically. Her husband handles the business end, which is
quite considerable. Torii's clothes are sold in 50 department stores and
60 boutiques nationwide. In addition to her regular line for both women and men,
Torii designs uniforms, yukata, bed linen, towels, aprons, slippers, gloves, handbags,
luggage, lacquerware, cups, kitchen utensils, glasses and jewelry. She markets
under several brands, including Yuki Torii Pink Label, Yuki Torii Homme, Yuki
Torii International and Parissima Yuki Torii, to name a few.  | | Torii
keeps a close watch over all creative aspects |
Her brands
have proven remarkably resilient in Japan's long recession. "Our
sales have actually gone up," she says. "Our customers range in
age from 20-60. If you have new and original outfits, customers will come even
in a recession. Changing the look a bit and mixing styles is important for this
purpose." Torii works a long day, from mid-morning until about 11:30pm.
"I enjoy my work and it is not so stressful at all," she says. She
is at her most creative in quiet spaces with lots of sunlight. There are days,
of course, when nothing clicks. "I go for a walk at such times. I can get
ideas from seeing everyday sights on the street. I like seeing young women's
fashions today. They are expressing their individuality much more." Photo
credit: Chris Betros, Courtesy of Yuki Torii
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