DAIWA, a globally renowned leading brand in the fishing genre, has created a real clothes line, DAIWA PIER39, that expresses the experience cultivated there in the field of everyday life. A pop-up event for DAIWA PIER39, born from the passion for fishing, will be held from Wednesday, February 17th at Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building 6th floor, Men's Contemporary.

And now, to coincide with this pop-up event, they have announced special collaboration items with "WEEKEND," a creative team that is currently causing a stir in the fashion scene. We immediately spoke to the members of "WEEKEND" and Mr. Nakata, the director of BEAMS/BEAMS Men's Casual, who also serves as the director of Daiwa Pier 39, to find out more.

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  Keiji Kaneko

  After working as a buyer at the select shop "EDIFICE," he became independent. After exploring his own activities, he later launched "L'ECHOPPE."
  
  
  

  

  Hiroyuki Oshima

  After graduating from Bunka Fashion College, she worked for a certain designer brand and a major select shop before launching her own unisex brand , HERILL, in the Fall/Winter 2019 season.
  
  
  

  

  Taishi Nishino

  After working in press relations for a long-established American traditional brand, he is currently the director of the press office "NISHINOYA," where he is in charge of PR for more than 20 domestic and international brands. In 2015, he launched NEAT, a brand specializing in trousers.
  
  
  

  

  Shinsuke Nakata

  Director of Men's Casual Wear at BEAMS. After becoming the director of BEAMS PLUS in 2012, he also served as the chief buyer for BEAMS, and has held his current position since March 2015. He is the mastermind behind BEAMS' entire men's casual wear line and also serves as the director of Daiwa Pier 39.

What exactly is "WEEKEND"?

—Before we introduce the special order items, could you tell us a little about "WEEKEND"?

Nishino: We have two labels: "WEEKEND" and "THE WEEKEND CITY CLUB". "WEEKEND" was the first one to be formed, I think it was around the fall of 2019. The members are Kaneko-san, Oshima-san, and myself, and we got together with a really simple motivation: it would be great if we could tour the country every month while holding a flea market on the weekends. As we continued, we started talking about making souvenir goods like T-shirts and caps with the name "WEEKEND" on them, and when we tried making items with the logo on them, thankfully more and more people started coming specifically for those items. That's how we've been operating in a relaxed way.

—Are each of your roles predetermined?

Kaneko: I come up with ideas as the director, Oshima brings them to life, and Nishino handles public relations. That's roughly our division of roles. Everyone has different areas of expertise, so sometimes we can't come together, but we all share the same goal, so we manage to get by somehow (laughs).


—So, what is "THE WEEKEND CITY CLUB"?

Kaneko: Around last summer, we were talking about wanting to do something hands-on together. I think the first idea was a batting cage?

Oshima: Golf.

Kaneko: That's right, someone said we had to go golfing, so we decided to do it, but we're all beginners and can't play a full course, so we decided our main battleground would be the driving range! However, we didn't want to be looked down upon, so we talked about making uniforms and wearing the same thing. Golf clubs are often called "XX COUNTRY CLUB," right? In our case, since we're at a driving range, shouldn't it be "CITY CLUB"? (laughs)

—I see. I was surprised to hear that it all started with golf!

Kaneko: In the end, the idea of uniforms for the driving range never materialized (laughs). But since it's an activity done in the city, we thought "CITY CLUB" would be interesting. I thought that, like cycling or running, we should create something that everyone can do according to their own interests. And that's how "THE WEEKEND CITY CLUB" was born. It's kind of like a club activity.




—So, in that sense, this collaboration with Daiwa Pier 39 is also part of your club activities.

Kaneko: That's right.

Oshima: I think it was around the time we were creating the logo for "THE WEEKEND CITY CLUB" that we were talking about how, in addition to golf, fishing should also be included.

Nishino: That's right, he said he wanted to go to a fishing pond (laughs).

Kaneko: Well, at just the right time, there was a Daiwa Pier 39 exhibition, and things progressed smoothly from there.

The ingenious fusion of fishing and military.

—By the way, do any of you have any experience fishing?

Kaneko: Almost none.

Nishino: I don't have one either. Oshima-san, you did, right?

Oshima: I think I was into bass fishing from when I was a kid until I was 25 or 26. I was really into it back then, and I would go night fishing in Chiba after work.

—In that sense, Daiwa is a familiar brand to you, isn't it, Mr. Oshima?

Oshima: That's right. Of course I knew about it, but only as a fishing brand.

—How about Kaneko-san and Nishino-san?

Kaneko: Like Oshima-san, I think it's a fishing brand that everyone knows.

Nishino: That's right. I think it's something even people who don't fish would know.





—How did the Daiwa Pier 39 project begin?

Nakata: Daiwa is the number one fishing tackle manufacturer in the industry. However, they told us that they wanted to reach out to newer generations and demographics, not just those who are already familiar with fishing, so we said, "Let's do it!" Of course, the fact that interest in fishing was on the rise at that time, and seeing Daiwa's materials and production background, made us excited about the possibility of creating something interesting, which also contributed to our collaboration.

Looking at your first collection (Spring/Summer 2020), I got the impression that there were many items with strong military elements, or rather, items that didn't look like typical fishing wear in a good way. What aspects did you keep in mind when you started creating your products?

Nakata: It's not simply about high-tech gear; the approach is to create everyday clothes that you can fish in. Up until now, we've made clothes specifically for fishing, but we wanted to change that into everyday clothes that you can also fish in.

—It's like blurring the lines between the city and fishing.

Nakata: That's right. Ultimately, I think fishing clothes are about functional beauty, and if the beauty of utility is the most important thing, then when I think about what kind of fashion best expresses functional beauty and the beauty of utility, I think it's "military."


—I agree, fishing and military themes seem to go well together.

Nakata: That's right. I thought that if we combined fishing culture with the heavy-duty era and military wear, we could create new fishing wear. So, we proceeded with the design based on the theme of 1970s San Francisco. The "Pier 39" in Daiwa Pier 39 is also a pier at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, a tourist spot, but we named it that because it's a place where the city and nature intersect.

—I see. Will that military element be carried over to the Spring/Summer 2021 collection as well?

Nakata: Yes. For the first season, I wanted to make it as easy to understand as possible, so I went all out with a military theme, and from a fashion perspective, I focused on the color scheme. The image was of happy military wear with colors like orange and light blue. For the new season, I've refined that and created a collection with stronger American casual elements.


—What were your impressions of Daiwa Pier39's items before you created these special order items for "WEEKEND"?

Kaneko: I don't know much about fishing, so I can't really comment on the details from a fishing perspective, but even putting that aside, I got the impression that it's clothing that can be incorporated into everyday life. Conversely, I think that understanding the meaning of the details could be a trigger for people to become interested in fishing.

—How about you, Nishino-san?

Nishino: My first impression was that it's something I could wear on a daily basis. Also, although I don't know much about fishing, I really like stories behind details, like "this detail exists for this purpose," so I was really drawn to how those kinds of details are scattered throughout the garment. Therefore, I think it's clothing that will be well-received not only by fashion lovers but also by fishing enthusiasts.

Oshima: I'd like to add to what Nishino said, but what's great about it is that it doesn't have that typical fishing feel, in a good way. When you hear "Daiwa clothing," you might even imagine something completely unrelated to fashion, but the Daiwa Pier 39 has a modern silhouette and design. I really think it will be widely accepted.


—And now, regarding "THE WEEKEND FISHING CLUB," which is being released this time, could you tell us about the process leading up to its completion?

Kaneko: This is simple and straightforward. We all went to an exhibition, each of us tried on and chose what we liked, and in the end, we decided to base the design on what everyone agreed on.

Nishino: That's the Type 5.

—I see. Each bass line is inline, but how do you arrange them?

Nishino: Regarding the pants, the base was a pair of knickerbockers with a shorter length, but we prefer full-length pants, so we kept the details the same and just lengthened the hems. For the shirts, we combined the button-down collar style with our favorite aspects of work shirts. Kaneko is really particular about shirts (laughs).

Kaneko: The jacket's cut remains the same, but since it's meant to be worn outdoors, we decided to use Gore-Tex. The sweatshirt was made at the request of Isetan to express the souvenir feel of "WEEKEND." For the headwear, we made it a bucket hat instead of a cap so that it can be worn outdoors.



—This "THE WEEKEND FISHING CLUB" project is a good example, but I think we've made a lot of new friends through "WEEKEND" over the past year. These have included collaborations that go beyond the boundaries of individual select shops.

Kaneko: I think everyone wants to try a variety of things. Especially if it's something they enjoy, I think it will spread even more in the future.

Nakata: I think there's some truth to the idea that we're now in an era where individuals are more likely to take the lead. I want to break down barriers and do more and more fun things!

—Is this the last episode of "THE WEEKEND FISHING CLUB"?

Kaneko: Of course, we'll continue! Starting with this pop-up event, I think I'll meet people I wouldn't normally meet, so I hope we can launch new projects from there.

—I'm really looking forward to it! Thank you all so much for today.




Find the latest information on Men's Creators and Men's Contemporary here.

Photograph: Kensuke Ido
Styling: Tomomichi Kondo
Text: Jun Nakada