Amvai, a men's fashion media site that seeks out and promotes items that are "just right"—neither "safe" nor "irrelevant"—stands out for its members, the AMVARs, who are discerning and knowledgeable about everything. As part of a collaboration between Amvai and Isetan Men's Net, we conducted interviews with three designers from three brands carried at Men's Authentic on the 7th floor Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building .
The theme is "Exploring Fashion Masters Through Classic Books." We will unravel the present, past, and future of designers by exploring why certain books resonated with them.

Continuing from the first part , we delve into AUBERGE designer Kobayashi's unique perspective on fashion, centering on two books that represent the elements that shaped him: "The World's Finest Goods Encyclopedia" (Kodansha) and "Cheap Chic."

Between "You can dance" and "Don't be forced to dance"...

Kobayashi: These two books are at the heart of my own business. If "The World's Finest Goods Encyclopedia" represents the origin of the department store business in the sense that it "removed the high barrier to entry for select brands," then "Cheap Chic" is more like a select shop, representing the ultimate contradiction of facing reality rather than aspiration.

Although they are contradictory, I want to pursue this middle ground in my own creative process.
While I have a policy of wanting to rebel against hippies and the establishment, I never want to forget my love for shiny things. I like ripped jeans, and I also like Chanel tweed.


Kobayashi : Of course, both of these books deal with the concept of "the real thing" from a certain perspective, but "Cheap Chic" in particular sends a strong message throughout every page: "Discern the real thing in things you wear, eat, etc. If it's the real thing, you won't go astray."
The idea of living a stoic life while smelling the money of capitalism seems to fit perfectly with the timing of the change to the new era name, "Reiwa"...

The members of "Amvai," the AMVARs, must also possess both of these aspects to their mindset; they can play a role in being swayed by the times, while also being sharp-tongued detractors. The people appearing in this project also possess both aspects, but in reality, they don't belong to anything right now. Including myself, we all have a strong sense of being lone wolves.

Page 2: People don't buy things they don't aspire to. Aspiration = Grouper Hot Pot Theory