The popular JM WESTON pop-up store, a spring tradition since 2021, is coming again this year!
From Wednesday, May 1st to Tuesday, May 21st, The Stage on the 1st floor Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building will be offering special content, including the sale of the ever-popular "WESTON VINTAGE" line, as well as rare items and the opportunity to order cordovan models.

To coincide with the event, we interviewed three fashion experts who are currently interested in JM WESTON . They shared their thoughts with us.

►Event information starting May 1st (Wed) Click here for details

FACE is known for his pop, graphical, and humorous works.
A Tokyo-born artist/illustrator who is active globally and has provided artwork for brands such as adidas, STUSSY, and HUMAN MADE®.
I heard that FACE has recently become interested in JM WESTON shoes, so to find out why, I visited his studio with "Weston Vintage."

Skater culture and JM WESTON

"Actually, I've had many opportunities to develop a growing interest in JM WESTON 's '#180 Signature Loafers'."

This is what Mr. FACE said. He also said that he has a strong preference for classic music.

"I like a variety of things, but I'm particularly drawn to the word 'classic.' For example, in the UK, there are brands like Barbour and Clarks —things that have been around for a long time and haven't changed. I have a desire to own such items in my size and wear them for a long time. I own several pairs of Clarks desert boots, like the ones I'm wearing today, and I replace them with new ones when they get old."

And this preference for classic styles extends to the sneakers that FACE usually wears.

"My interest in fashion started with Vans checker slip-ons, so I've been wearing American-made Vans and Converse Chuck Taylors for a long time. I also like the shape of the toe, which isn't upturned."

What made JM WESTON JM WESTON a strong impression on FACE was the video work "The Shoe," which was produced in 2011 in collaboration with graffiti artist Andre Saraiva (*Note).

"There was a scene where someone was skateboarding wearing JM WESTON 's '#180 Signature Loafers,' and I thought it looked incredibly cool. I had known about JM WESTON before that, but it made me realize again what great shoes they are."

Choose your size from "Weston Vintage"

For this interview, we brought two pairs of shoes to FACE's atelier: the "#180 Signature Loafer" and the "#641 Golf" from "Weston Vintage," a line of shoes that JM WESTON collects, repairs and restores in its own factory, and then sells.

* "Weston Vintage" #180 Signature Loafers

* "Weston Vintage" #641 Golf

"When I first heard 'Weston Vintage,' I thought it was a new model that was a reproduction of an old design. But I was surprised to learn that JM WESTON actually repaired and finished their own shoes that they had collected. I also like eyeglasses, and there's a brand in America called The Spectacle that cleans up and reassembles collected frames and proposes them as modern eyewear. I feel a similar approach here. It's not about carefully preserving old things without damaging them, but rather using them in a new way, which I find very appealing."

This is how FACE describes his impression of "Weston Vintage." JM WESTON 's "#180 Signature Loafers" are known for their wide range of sizes and widths, but at "Weston Vintage," they first determine the customer's foot size and then show them shoes that match. As a staff member commented, "First-time customers are usually surprised by how well their shoes fit," and FACE was indeed quite surprised by the size they were shown. The shoe selection process continued with explanations of the disadvantages of shoes that were too loose.

Of the "Weston Vintage" stock I brought with me today, FACE seemed particularly interested in the "#180 Signature Loafers" in black suede.

"A few years after seeing the video for 'The Shoe,' I went to the Palace Skateboards shop in London, and the staff there were wearing suede loafers, which looked really cool. In street style, it's quite common to wear leather shoes instead of sneakers as a kind of unexpected element."

The "#180 Signature Loafers" stand out with their original style.

On the other hand, FACE also said the following:

"While it's nice to cherish and use my 'Weston Vintage' shoes, I also like the idea of making new shoes into vintage pieces by wearing them myself. This might be a good opportunity to finally get those black smooth leather loafers that I've always put off buying because I thought I could always get them anytime. It's a tough decision."

And if FACE were to get his hands on the "#180 Signature Loafers," how would he wear them?

"I want to create an image where I'm wearing relatively casual clothes, but it's obvious I'm actually wearing JM WESTON shoes. Also, I want to wear them when I'm happy and in a good mood."

By the way, it seems that what FACE has been into lately is custom-making clothes and bags.

"I bought a sewing machine and I'm hooked on customizing it myself. I remake clothes I already own or old clothes, or make new things using fabrics, and I put tags on them as works of art. But I don't sell them; it's just for myself, and that's why it's so much fun."

*A vintage MA-1 jacket with sleeves customized with a different fabric is particularly striking.

FACE's styling of JM WESTON pieces is sure to be inspiring and full of creative ideas.