A personality that is easily influenced and quickly bored.

Shibata, what was your student life like?

I feel like there was a time when all I could think about was fashion . Starting with Shibuya casual, then clean casual, feminine men, mods, and 1950s styles, I was influenced by the fashion trends of the time, and my feelings and style of dress changed constantly. I'm the type of person who delves into culture through fashion, so for example, when I became interested in mod fashion, I traced the music that mods listened to and got into bands. But when I lost interest in fashion, I lost interest in music too. I'm easily influenced and I get bored easily.

Were you not interested in becoming a tailor for Shibata's clothing?

Yamashita: I was a little interested, but I knew I wasn't the type of person who could settle on "this style," so I figured that even if I joined an apparel company, my feelings would change quickly and I wouldn't last long... I guess I went into magazines because I get bored easily.

Shibata : I see... After hearing your story, it makes perfect sense that you prioritized magazine production over clothing design.


Yamashita: My approach to dressing is almost like cosplay. It just so happens that my interest is in "fashion," but my mindset is no different from that of an otaku in Akihabara; I immediately try to imitate the fashion and styles I admire. That feeling has always been the same, and it hasn't changed at all even now.

Shibata, for example...

Yamashita : When I became inspired by Woody Allen, I stopped even looking at the skinny mod-style trousers I used to wear, and started wearing two-pleat chinos with a tweed jacket and a button-down shirt. Or, when I watched a movie starring Takenaka Naoto, I became obsessed with Comme des Garçons and Yohji Yamamoto (laughs).
Before I can master one style, my interest moves on to the next, so you could say I'm a fanatic, or perhaps a "super fanatic" in the world of fanatics.

Shibata tends to lose interest before he fully explores something... But I don't get that impression of Yamashita-san. From the outside, he seems to be quite thorough in his explorations.

Yamashita: I feel like I'm cosplaying (laughs), but because of the kind of work I do, I feel like I'm constantly thinking about "how to wear the styles that are influencing me right now using the things I already have." If I wasn't working for magazines, I think I'd be wearing vintage clothes from head to toe.

Page 3: Every day, the fashion of the era I'm interested in and my current feelings coexist and blend together.