On Wednesday, August 26th, the highly anticipated brand BLACK LABEL CRESTBRIDGE made its debut at Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building marking the start of the full-fledged autumn/winter season. To commemorate the debut of the brand, which has Yasuhiro Mihara as its creative director, a special talk show was held.
Mr. Mihara, whose playful approach to craftsmanship has garnered attention both domestically and internationally, introduced his latest noteworthy items in his own words. These items are born from his unconventional thinking and in-depth design work, which are hallmarks of his craft.


--First, could you tell us about the concept of Black Label Crestbridge (hereinafter referred to as Crestbridge)?

It's all about being British. I envisioned scenes from Britain that I admire, and expressed the style with the keywords "inheritance and innovation." "Inheritance" represents Sanyo Shokai's approach to manufacturing, exemplified by their trench coats, and their love for Britain. "Innovation" is about creating something new while reflecting contemporary British culture.
By the way, the clothes I'm wearing today are, of course, from Crestbridge. The short-length mountain blouson and the denim with embroidery on the back are some of my favorite details.

--This season's theme is "Romantic Mods"

When I was a teenager, I was influenced by various fields, not just fashion, but also music, culture, and art, when I talked about British style, whether it was punk or mod. The true essence of mod (the word mod originates from modern) is to incorporate modern style into a classical British atmosphere, and I included the word romantic because it evokes a sense of melancholy and classicism. By adding the modern essence of mod after the classic word romantic, it creates an atmosphere that matches but combines seemingly contradictory elements, making the mod style a hybrid that suits the present age.


—This pop-up store is themed around your debut collection, which was released in March of this year. What were your thoughts and feelings going into this project?

There was a lot of talk going on, from the name recognition of the predecessor Black Label to the expectations for the new brand, so I wanted to do a show to clear things up. Mihara Yasuhiro is recognized overseas for his avant-garde and unconventional creations, but I myself was also under scrutiny regarding how I would build Crestbridge and how I would work with Sanyo Shokai, so the recent show was, in a sense, a collection in which I poured a lot of energy to convey how I would inherit and change the image of the previous Black Label.

I think it was a great opportunity to convey the overall worldview, the current momentum of Black Label, and that passion to our customers. I feel the same way as the staff at Sanyo Shokai, and I think our unity has grown even stronger because of the show.

This time, I've come to realize once again that even just the word "British," including mods and music culture, has many cross-cultural elements in various ways. Within that context, I think I was able to express what a Japanese person considers to be British style, a country that I admire.

NEXT≫ What is Mr. Mihara's commitment to "Made in Japan"?