Rather than being unexpected, these are clothes for the discerning adult man—when you look at the clothes of Jipijapa, designed by Seiichi Kaga, you are reminded of the words of the late Nakamura Kanzaburo XVIII, who said, "It's because there's a form that it's unconventional. Without a form, there's no form." Kaga, who is well-versed in men's fashion, has a playful and imaginative approach that is truly unconventional. From Wednesday, January 18th, items featuring Liberty prints dyed with indigo will be available exclusively at Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building 6th floor = Contemporary Casual.

Seiichi Kaga, the designer behind Jipijapa/Hipihapa

It is only by being well-versed in the fundamental standards that one can enjoy designing.

Ms. Kaga was smiling the whole time during the interview; she's a very humorous person. Her latest collection is full of elaborately crafted clothes, and I wondered how they were made; there are so many items that I don't think you can find anything like them anywhere else.

"This kind of thinking sounds like a joke, doesn't it? It sounds like I'm messing around, doesn't it? But I'm serious," says Kaga. There's a playful spirit, but also a strong sense of commitment, resulting in clothes that the wearer finds fun to wear, and that playful spirit is properly shaped into a finished garment. The designer's "serious playfulness and dedication" comes across directly.

The encounter with Isetan and the brand concept of HipiHapa

I've had a relationship with Isetan for almost 20 years now. It all started when they discovered my brand at a small exhibition called TRANOI overseas. At the time, major select shops had a lot of restrictions and were often dictated to me, so they wouldn't carry the items that I was particular about as a brand. But Isetan had a broader perspective, understood my preferences, and carried items that matched my vision.

The name Hipihapa comes from the Spanish word for reed, which is used in Panama hats and is harvested in Ecuador, South America. I liked the sound and spelling of the name when I heard it in a hat shop I visited in New York a long time ago, so I named the brand Hipihapa. Since the brand's founding in 1992, the collections have been developed with the keyword "ordinary, but a little interesting." Shirts with China collars and sweaters made from Kevlar, the same material used in bulletproof vests, have become popular, and a windbreaker made with mosquito netting was worn as stage wear by Liam Gallagher of Oasis.

The name "Hipihapa" may not sound familiar, but I wanted a brand that started with "J," and I thought it would be easy to judge whether or not our brand recognition had increased, so I chose that name.

NEXT≫ The reason why I decided to indigo-dye Liberty prints and what I find so appealing about them.