Shunsuke Ishikawa, a designer who was one of the first in Japan to bring "traceability" to fashion, launched MARKA in 2003, and after the high-end line MARKAWARE, he is launching his third brand, TEXT, this autumn/winter. This brand has the potential to be remembered in the future as a pioneer of brands that strongly emphasize "sustainability," a topic that is frequently discussed in the current fashion scene.

This time, ahead of the pop-up shop that will be held from Wednesday, October 30th at Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building 6th floor = Men's Contemporary, we spoke with the brand not only about its new brand concept and items, but also about their thoughts on fabric making and the future of fashion brands.

What I want to convey is the "text" and the "context".

--Mr. Ishikawa, you were quick to adopt "visualization" and traceability, which were commonplace in the food industry at the time. What was the background behind launching this brand?

First of all, the fashion industry is changing rapidly on a global scale. Even when talking to people overseas who are involved in fabric production from raw materials, I feel that the trend towards sustainability and organic practices is progressing rapidly. Major European suppliers are also pushing forward with environmentally conscious manufacturing. In this context, Japan seems to be lagging somewhat, and I myself felt a sense of crisis. For 10 years, I have been working on "traceability," "organic," and "sustainability" with "Markaware," and we have many existing customers. I decided that it was time to launch a new brand in order to deliver a message that is more in line with the times.

──Where did you get the idea for the brand name "TEXT"?


The word "TEXT" actually has several meanings. "Texture" refers to the emphasis we place on fabric creation when making clothes from scratch. "Context" refers to the background behind each garment, and we want to convey the story of its production. Who grew the cotton, who made the yarn, turned it into fabric, cut it, sewed it, and how a single garment came to be. The brand "TEXT" encompasses that entire story. As you can see from the image lookbook, "genderless" is also a major theme of the brand.

—Telling the stories behind the creation of clothing is also a major trend in fashion.

What's needed of us is to honestly and clearly communicate the inner workings of our business. This applies not only to our customers, but also to everyone involved in production, such as the fabric factories and sewing factories. We must communicate the current situation clearly and on equal footing, without being condescending. There are many world-class craftsmen working in the Japanese clothing industry. In order to pass this on to future generations, we must carefully consider what constitutes manufacturing that is relevant to the times.


—I think that knowing what goes on behind the scenes makes it possible to have a richer "brand experience."

I believe it's important to know where and how the clothes you're wearing were made. On the brand's website, we have a "Journal" section where we document our visits to places where raw materials are produced and factories. For example, regarding raw materials, we've visited cotton farmers in India, factories that produce organic cotton, and organic wool ranches in Argentina. As for factories, we've written about Kanekichi Industries, which makes cut-and-sew garments using rare loopwheel knitting machines, of which only a handful remain in Japan, and Kaneta Textiles, which still produces cotton textiles using shuttle looms. We leave behind as much information as we can convey through our own words and photographs. Being in those places gives me a great deal of inspiration and makes me think a lot, but when you wear clothes with those stories in mind, that moment becomes richer. I hope that by noticing the comfort and quality of the clothing at unexpected moments, it will make that day a little more fulfilling.

The origins of clothing making lie in agriculture.

--Could you tell us about the key items of the new brand?

For this collection, all items are made with newly designed patterns. There are basically two main fabrics. First, there's black alpaca. Nowadays, over 90% of alpacas are white, but there are farmers in Peru who are working to increase the number of colored alpacas, and we are able to source ours directly from them. Undyed natural black alpaca accounts for less than 1%, making it a very rare and valuable material. It's a difficult material to work with, but we humbly asked (laughs) Katsuri Keori, a factory in Bishu with over 100 years of history, to weave it for us. For the finishing, we've entrusted it to Fujii Wakamiya Seijyu in Osaka, who are skilled at napping cashmere and other materials. The fabric has such presence that both the coats and jackets become the centerpiece of any outfit just by putting them on.


Another material I found in Peru is organic cotton. I learned about this from a local while searching for fabrics; there's a village deep in the jungle that grows high-quality cotton, and that's where I source it. I mixed brown and white cotton to create a fabric that was made using a loopwheel knitting machine by Kanekichi Industries, and then used to create this sweatshirt hoodie. The lining is alpaca, making it incredibly comfortable to wear. Both the outer and inner layers are left undyed.

—To reiterate, what are your thoughts on the importance of sustainability?

I believe sustainability is one of the biggest advancements in fashion. Originally, clothes were made from natural materials such as silk, cotton, and linen, but they increasingly shifted to synthetic fibers. The processes for producing natural materials also grew in scale, placing a heavy burden on the environment. As a result, it has led to unacceptable environmental pollution and extremely poor working conditions that endanger lives. That's why the fashion industry as a whole is trying to go back to the old ways. This movement to improve the negative aspects while maintaining current technological capabilities is progressing regardless of whether it's luxury or independent fashion.


—Taking good care of your belongings is one of the qualities of a gentleman, isn't it?

I believe that by letting people know about the production process, they will cherish their clothes more. Looking ahead, I'm also considering a service where customers can bring in clothes they previously purchased, and we can repair the silhouette and any damaged areas to create reproductions.

--Finally, do you have a message for our readers about this pop-up event?

Fashion is undergoing a major transformation right now. With our new brand, "Text," we hope to propose a new kind of coolness. I plan to show up at as many pop-ups as possible, and I'd love to talk to everyone about various things. After all, I believe that it's not enough to just create; it's important to communicate. I hope you'll come and enjoy the feel of the alpaca and the texture of the cotton.