"The Cats Meow Tokyo ( @thecatsmeow__tokyo )" is an Instagram community for people who love old vintage fashion from the 1920s to the 1950s. At its heart is barber Yoshio Suyama. This winter, Isetan Men's is proposing an "old Hollywood style" in collaboration with Mr. Suyama. Mr. Suyama himself will be releasing his first ever made-to-order shirts and suits.

In a back alley of Moto-Asakusa, Tokyo, there is a barbershop called "YS". The glass entrance is decorated in an Art Deco style, and the entire interior is a uniform royal green. What is overwhelming in this space, which has the atmosphere of a classic barbershop relocated from overseas, is the appearance of the owner, Yoshio Suyama, who serves customers dressed in a classic suit and with his hair neatly styled with pomade.



This is his new home, where he achieved independence this year. After moving to England at the age of 20 and immersing himself in the classic barber shops and culture there, he returned to Japan and worked at Freeman's Sporting Club, a barber shop from New York. It was in this place, which encapsulates his entire lifestyle, that Kozono, in charge of men's tailored clothing at Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building spoke with him.

Appearing on the cover of 'We Are Dandy'

Kozono: Actually, I've been following Suyama-san's Instagram since my student days, so I'm familiar with him.

Suyama: Thank you.


Kozono: What is the origin of the "Old Hollywood style" that Mr. Suyama proposes?

Suyama: When I was living in London as a hairdresser, I met a stylist at Tommy Guns who was incredibly cool, and I became a regular at his salon. That was my first encounter with the brand.

Kozono: Did you go to the barber shop all the time?

Suyama: At "Tommy Guns," the uniform was a beard, tattoos, and a classic suit. I would get new tattoos and pass by the shop, and I would go in all the time to get them trimmed, so there was hardly anything left to cut (laughs). I happened to get hired when a staff member opened up, and being able to work with them became the starting point for my current style.


Kozono: After that, your work graced the cover of the photobook "We Are Dandy" by New York photographer Rose Kahalan.

Suyama: I met her through Instagram when she debuted with "I am Dandy" in 2013. I had just left London and was working at a barber shop in Toronto when she sent me a direct message one day inviting me to a classic jazz festival in New York. The festival was filled with people dressed in classic suits, but in one corner of the venue, there was a group of people relaxing and enjoying the music in a space where everything from the tables to the glasses was designed to evoke the 1920s. It was exactly like the world of "I am Dandy." I think that connection with them has had a big influence on my current "Old Hollywood style."

The style theme is "Eclectic blend of Japanese and Western styles."

Kozono: When I look at Ms. Suyama, everything from her clothing style to her demeanor is a genuine vintage style.

Suyama: I believe that wearing classic suits regularly, rather than just dressing casually and only changing into a suit for special occasions, is reflected in every aspect of one's demeanor. However, I also know that it wouldn't work for me, a Japanese person, to simply copy the styling of Westerners. From the perspective of people overseas, it would just look like Japanese people are imitating them. The important thing is how to wear a suit while maintaining one's Japanese identity.


Kozono: Indeed, if it's just imitation, it feels the same as cosplay.

Suyama: My style is heavily influenced by the element of "East-meets-West." Japanese people have their own classic style, so I try to wear it according to my own rules and style.

Kozono: That's precisely what I think defines Mr. Suyama's dandyism.

Suyama: I think that if you don't keep your hair neat and wear a suit on a regular basis, there are some things you can't achieve through cosplay.


Kozono: That's true, not just his clothes, but his hairstyle too. His hair is always neatly styled with pomade.

Suyama: This pomade is a collaboration between me and Takahashi Hair Salon, and it was born from the idea that it would be great if we could add fragrance to pomade.

Kozono: What is that bottle next to it called "Actors Choice Conditioner Hair Care Milk"?

Suyama: This is a hair fragrance that also contains treatment ingredients, to be used before applying pomade. We produced two different scents because we thought it would be nice if pomade had a more elegant scent.

Kozono: "Glory Bullfighter" gives the impression of a refreshing daytime scent. "Exotic Ballroom Dancer" is perhaps a spicy and sexy nighttime scent. It also feels somewhat nostalgic. The names are brilliant too.

Suyama: This fragrance is inspired by the bullfighters and dancers played by Rudolph Valentino, a film actor from the 1920s, and it has been well-received by our female customers as well.

▶Click here for YS ORIGINAL PRODUCTS (Men) hair styling HOWTO video

Suyama Model Shirts & Suits

Kozono: We asked Mr. Suyama, who has worked as a barber and created pomades, to collaborate with us on a made-to-measure project for custom-made shirts and suits. At the order event we are holding, we will also be introducing pomades, which are essential for styling.

Suyama: This was my first time planning shirts and suits, so it was very worthwhile. My own styling is inspired by the illustrations in old fashion advertisements drawn by JC Leyendecker, and I based the style for this project on those illustrations.


The Kozono suit is a double-breasted, six-button suit. The trousers are high-waisted, wide-legged, and button-fly. They feature beltless side adjusters and two inward pleats.


Suyama: Compared to modern suits, it has slightly broader shoulders, but the waist is neatly tapered. It's a plain yet elegant shape. As for recommended fabrics for tailoring, we have British fabrics such as Rusher Mills and William Halstead, as well as Italian fabrics and domestic wool serge.



Kozono: The shirts are also full of thoughtful details. The round-collar cleric shirt has a pinhole collar and double cuffs. The sleeves are made of the same fabric as the body.

Suyama: Cleric shirts usually have the collar and sleeves made of a different white fabric, but I intentionally made the sleeves from the same fabric as the collar, imagining a classic dress shirt with a detachable collar.


Kozono: Older shirts had a lot of room in both the sleeves and the body, but considering that they would be worn under a suit, we made the sleeves a little more roomy while adding darts in the back, and the body was made to be slimmer.

Suyama: I added gathers to the cuffs and back yoke because I wanted to incorporate traditional techniques.


Kozono: The lineup of fabrics also reflects Mr. Suyama's unique style.

Suyama: It might seem a little flashy, but I chose tones that would easily match the suits I showed earlier, both the solid colors and the thick candy stripes. The color palette is inspired by Robert Redford's "The Great Gatsby." I mainly chose pale tones for the yellow, lilac, and green, which is also the store's theme color.


Kozono: During the event, Ms. Suyama will also be at the store to give styling and ordering advice.

In Search of Japanese Classics

Kozono: Recently, Ms. Suyama's Instagram has featured photos of her in traditional Japanese clothing.

Suyama: I started taking tea ceremony lessons around last year.


Kozono: Tea? Why something so traditionally Japanese?

Suyama: I started practicing the tea ceremony because I wanted to master the "way" that is connected to the Japanese samurai code. As I mentioned, my suit style is heavily influenced by the element of "East-meets-West" style, but I felt that you can't truly wear classic Japanese style without possessing the Japanese spirit.

Kozono: Traditional Japanese clothing embodies the spirit of the Japanese people.

Suyama: Even something as simple as how you handle the hem of your kimono is different from how you wear slacks, and I think that mastering the manners of wearing traditional Japanese clothing can become part of one's Japanese identity. I believe that my entire lifestyle is reflected in my clothing.

Kozono: Perhaps that's why you opened your shop in the downtown area?

Suyama: This area has a traditional townscape, and people here are still full of a sense of duty and compassion.


Kozono: You live in this town as a barber, and occasionally you go to Asakusa to learn the tea ceremony. That lifestyle will be reflected in Mr. Suyama's suit style going forward, won't it?

Suyama: I've always wanted to try Kyudo (Japanese archery) someday. I hope that the three principles of Kyudo—truth, goodness, and beauty—will be reflected in my demeanor and actions.

Text: Yasuyuki Ikeda
Photograph: Tatsuya Ozawa

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