Last June, visvim held its first-ever runway show during "PITTI IMAGINE UOMO" in Florence, Italy. You can experience that show at Isetan Men's.

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[Open Report] visvim/Visvim | A pop-up shop where you can enjoy a space that recreates the Pitti Uomo show venue.

The world of the brand's first runway show will be recreated at Isetan Men's.

—Why haven't you done shows before? And why did you decide to try doing a show for the first time this time?

When Visvim started, shoes were our main focus, so we didn't have a product lineup that allowed for runway shows. We held exhibition-style presentations each season, and by the time we had a complete clothing collection, we had developed our own unique "style." Once our format was established, there was no need to transition to a new format, and to be honest, we never really had a strong attachment to runway shows, which brings us to where we are today.

The reason I decided to take on this challenge was because the Pitti Association recommended me and told me I could do whatever I wanted, and also because I felt that I wouldn't have another opportunity to try something new.

Left: The wave-like pattern depicted on the matching happi coats distributed is a Japanese-inspired motif based on bamboo.
Right/ The show venue featured vintage cars and motorcycles that Nakamura loves.

—What were some of the things you focused on in terms of direction and expression?

In our previous exhibitions, we've focused on allowing customers to see and touch the products. With a runway show, there's inevitably a distance between the customers and the products. The theme was how to bridge that gap. We handed out happi coats at the entrance of the venue and had the audience wear them in their seats because we wanted them to feel the atmosphere of the show venue more realistically by becoming a part of the show itself.

──Now that it's over, what are your impressions?

I was nervous for the first time in a while, but it was also fun. The show was only 12 or 13 minutes long, but by condensing my creativity into the entire presentation, the sense of exhilaration was different from that of an exhibition. I've created various worldviews in the past, such as store spaces, print media, and products, but I felt that the show format made it much easier to convey my ideas.

—What are your priorities when it comes to manufacturing, what direction are you aiming for as a brand, and what do you hope to achieve?

I want to honestly express the things I've felt and been moved by throughout my life, each season. I'm naturally drawn to things with a character or handmade items that have a warm, personal touch. And I want to create products that can be used and enjoyed for a long time.

This collection blends traditional Japanese clothing and the delicate craftsmanship unique to Japanese artisans, the American casual style I've always loved, and the real life I experience in America where I currently live. The vintage roadsters and motorcycles displayed at the show also symbolize the range of my interests.

The runway showcased a fusion of coats inspired by traditional Japanese clothing and American casual style.

—Could you tell us about this season's theme and the characteristics of the items you will be releasing?

I used the word "peerless" in this collection. It means "nothing similar, nothing comparable," and it seems to have been a word commonly used in the 1950s, but it's not used much anymore.

Key items include jackets, coats, and shirts made from handmade Japanese paper. Products woven with Japanese paper threads use shibugami paper and feature prints created using carved woodblock prints. Lightning bolts are a motif that symbolizes America in the 1940s and 1950s, and were also used in Japan during the Edo period. At the same time, items printed with bamboo and carp patterns will also be featured.

A mix of Japanese tradition and craftsmanship, and the happy side of 1950s America. This collection blends Japanese aesthetics with cowboy, Western, and Native American influences—all things I love.

Left / The theme of the runway show is "PEERLESS".
The mop dancer on the right was brought in by Nakamura from England.

──What do you want to express and convey through the Isetan Men's promotion that will be held from Wednesday, February 8th?

Up until now, my desire has always been to make people happy by conveying love, passion, and the warmth of things created by human hands through manufacturing. The runway show at Pitti was something I wanted to share with everyone—things that are always around me and the way I expand on the imagination in my head.

While this promotion won't involve an actual runway show, we plan to decorate the venue to evoke the feeling of the Pitti Uomo show. We want to convey the atmosphere of that day by showing our customers 360-degree video footage of the runway show.

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