[Conversation] A stylish collaboration between two people captivated by the world of 'Lupin III' and the sound of Yuji Ohno.(1/2)
Applebum CEO Muneo Sakaguchi (left) and hip-hop icon and "King of Diggin'" DJ MURO (right)
This time, we're highlighting two individuals who were greatly influenced by the Lupin III series as part of the generation that shaped their style: Muneo Sakaguchi, CEO of the popular brand APPLEBUM, and DJ MURO, the charismatic "King of Diggin'" in the hip-hop world. We'll delve into the full details of this dream collaboration, made possible by their 30-year friendship!
Event InformationISETAN x Lupin III #LupinSummerFestival
□ July 18th (Wed) - 23rd (Mon) *Ends at 6pm on the final day□Main building, 6th floor = Event hall
T-shirts and 7-inch vinyl records will be available at the "ISETAN x Lupin III #Lupin's Summer Festival" event held on the 6th floor of the main building from Wednesday, July 18th. Product details are on the next page.
Two talents, raised in hip-hop, resonate with each other.
Just as hip-hop was born from roots music, the popular brand APPLEBUM takes the edgy "sensibility" cultivated in 1990s Tokyo and bases its clothing designs on hip-hop culture, transforming it into cool designs suitable for adults. With this three-way collaboration between APPLEBUM, Lupin III, and Isetan, it goes without saying that it will attract a lot of attention. Sakaguchi, who himself has been strongly influenced by the worldview, characters, and music of Lupin III, is in charge of directing the brand as CEO and also spearheaded this collaboration project. It was at his strong request, "I want to do something music-related, not just clothes and goods!", that MURO, with whom he has a close relationship, was invited to participate.
"Of course, the stylishness of the story and visuals is important, but the sound created by the great creator Yuji Ohno is also a crucial element in shaping the world of 'Lupin the Third,' and I think it's a major part of its appeal. When I was a teenager, I learned about the coolness of hip-hop music and culture from MURO, and that's how I built my own identity. So I thought it would be amazing if I could convey Ohno's wonderful sound, which still hasn't lost its charm, to the world through the special 'filter' of MURO."

In fact, Lupin III is something special to MURO as well. Sakaguchi's request was "exactly what he wanted," and he readily agreed.
"It's an anime I remember watching in real time when I was in elementary school. I always looked forward to the evening reruns with my grandfather, who I was living with at the time. I would finish preparing dinner before Lupin started. So for me, 'Lupin III' is a work that smells like miso soup (laughs)."
MURO, who saw his ideal hero in the character of Lupin, said, "He was fundamentally different from the image of a hero of justice up until then. The fact that he was cool despite being a villain in a sense was very exciting, and he's definitely someone to admire."
Sakaguchi, who said, "I'm a little younger than MURO-san," also apparently watched it in real time.

"I was still very young then, so I may not have fully understood the story, but I felt a sense of a 'man's world' or a European atmosphere emanating from the cars and pistols... Looking back now, the music was truly original and clearly different from anything else. I think it had a very strong influence on me."
For this event, Sakaguchi has created fashion items such as T-shirts and caps, as well as iPhone cases, while MURO has produced a limited edition remix 7-inch analog record. The clothing and goods are sophisticated and full of hip-hop spirit. And the music is a remix by hip-hop legend MURO of an original track by jazz legend Ohno. Both are special items that you can't help but look forward to.
NEXT>What was at the root of their shared values?
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