At Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building a variety of stylists, from fashionistas with in-depth knowledge to sophisticated well-dressed gentlemen, will welcome you.

This time, we're introducing Atsushi Oyama, the manager of WOOLRICH , who is also in charge of sales at the pop-up store currently being held at The Stage on the 1st floor of Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building . Mr. Oyama, who has a background as a band member and now enjoys collecting analog records as a hobby, shared his thoughts on the appeal of records and his perspective on fashion.

Profile

Atsushi Oyama

WOOLRICH Store Manager, 5th Floor Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building

Born in Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture. He later grew up in Yokosuka, where he formed a punk band in high school and performed at local live music venues. In 1994, he moved to London. He returned to Japan in 1996 and entered the apparel world in 1998, starting with a sports shop in Harajuku. In 2008, he joined a domestic brand, working at Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building . He later moved to Barbour . In 2018, he joined Woolrich Japan Co., Ltd., and worked at WOOLRICH on the 7th floor Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building . Last year, he transferred to the Men's Tailored Clothing floor on the 5th floor Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building , where he currently works.

The reason a punk band from Yokosuka went to London

Early in the interview, he placed an LP record on the turntable, saying, "Since we're here..." When he dropped the needle, a melancholic blues harp melody and Showa-era pop songs began to play. The first track on the setlist of the legendary 1975 album "Piranha Corps," a group formed mainly by actors belonging to Toei, was listed as "Embracing the Loyalties of Others" (sung by Takaya Shimoyama).

"This is a well-known record among collectors, trading at a premium price in the used market. It was produced by folk singer Hiroshi Mikami, arranged by Ryuichi Sakamoto, and features an impressive lineup of musicians from the Piranha Group*1. Its re-release this August, after 48 years, even made the news..."

As he gazes fondly at the album cover, Atsushi Oyama is quite talkative. In our series "#○○ Manias Met at Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building which introduces unique, or rather, highly individualistic stylists working at Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building , Mr. Oyama is featured as an "analog record maniac." Is he a music lover, a fan of Showa-era pop songs, or something else? First, we asked Mr. Oyama about his background.

"I'd been in a band since high school, and I intended to go pro. But things didn't go so well... Around that time, my bandmates and I decided to go to London. That was in 1994. I wanted to experience live British music there, and if we could record and release songs there, it would create buzz when we returned to Japan. So we made a demo tape in Japan and went to England full of enthusiasm."

He lived with his bandmates, spending his days writing songs and going to live shows. At the time, he could have seen a live performance by Oasis*2, who had just debuted, for about 10 pounds, but he didn't go to a single one.

"When the reunion was announced this year, I felt like it was fate, but back then I was young and arrogant, and I deliberately didn't listen to Britpop*3 like Oasis. I used to see the male frontman of a certain rock band and a woman walking together behind the apartment where I lived in Shepherd's Bush. When he appeared in the media, his iconic look was a Fred Perry polo shirt, but his everyday clothes were baggy American casual style. Later, I read in a magazine interview that he had actually been into hip hop since his time in that rock band, and that the next project he was in charge of was conceived at that time, so I was like, 'Ah, so that's what it was' my first guess (laughs)."

Even as they reflected on their musical direction, they continued to struggle with their musical vision. The demo tapes they brought from Japan were repeatedly re-recorded because "something was off," but they never finished them. Eventually, they returned to Japan without achieving their original goal. After that, they continued to experiment and try different things, but before long, the band went on an indefinite hiatus.

"One day, I wanted the Adidas tracksuit that Jamiroquai*4 was wearing, so I went to the shop that sold it and they were looking for a part-time worker. Luckily, I got hired, and that's how I stepped into the world of apparel, and here I am today."

My career change to the apparel industry marked a turning point, shifting me from being a performer to a listener.

While working at a sports shop, she made friends with people in the local apparel industry. Eventually, she helped out with a brand launched by an acquaintance she met in London, but when the brand went on hiatus after a year, she left the apparel industry. She decided to change direction and, while working as a temporary employee for a manufacturer, she studied advertising design at a web design school, and it was then that she suddenly developed an interest in graphic design.

"I originally went to a high school that focused on design. I suddenly remembered that I really liked design. While using a Macintosh at a web design school, I became interested in graphic design, and around that time, a certain domestic brand in Harajuku contacted me and asked me to design some T-shirts. They then asked me if I'd like to become an employee."

Upon returning to the world of apparel, I began frequenting a record shop located near the store where I was working.

"At first, the young staff at the store were playing music I'd never heard before, and that piqued my interest, so I started going to record shops myself. I used to be in a band and followed all kinds of music, but there was so much music I didn't know. That was a bit of a shock, but I still found it interesting, and I started going to record shops frequently."

Having left the band and with some time having passed, it was around this time that he began to enjoy music purely as a listener. He started buying all kinds of records, regardless of genre. Eventually, while changing jobs to Barbour and WOOLRICH , collecting analog records became an integral part of Mr. Oyama's life.

"I just want to listen to exciting music. I mostly listen to music from the 70s to the 90s, but a while ago I was really into bleep techno*5 and now it's reggae. I go around to record stores almost every week. I have to go around to record stores in the Shinjuku area during my work breaks, so I'm pretty busy (laughs)."

Mr. Oyama asserts, "I don't use mainstream music streaming services or subscriptions." His listening habits consist of records, cassette tapes, and occasionally CDs. He buys most of his records from shops.

"When you're searching on your own, your world inevitably becomes narrower. But by choosing records with the help of the shop staff, you can discover genres and artists you never knew existed. The thrill of discovering unfamiliar music hasn't changed at all, then or now."

The best records that Mr. Oyama loves dearly

"I buy several records almost every week. My weekend routine is to hang up the laundry while converting the records I bought the day before to MP3s, splitting the files, naming the songs, and putting them on my iPod. Then listening to them on my commute the next day is my greatest pleasure."

The album "Piranha Army" that I mentioned at the beginning is a rare and highly regarded album that Mr. Oyama recently acquired. He even pre-ordered it, but after being shown the valuable bonus pamphlet that came with the original release at his favorite record shop, he bought another copy as a token of his gratitude, and now owns two copies.

"The cast includes some of the most iconic actors of the Showa era, such as Tsunehiko Watase, Takuzo Kawatani, Hideo Murota, and Masaru Shiga. The backing musicians are also an incredible lineup, including Shuichi "Ponta" Murakami, Tetsuro Kashibuchi of Moonriders*6, Tsugutoshi Goto, and Nobu Saito. But even more than that, Ryuichi Sakamoto's arrangements are absolutely fantastic, blending enka and folk, funk and mellow. I don't think we'll ever hear another LP like this again."

The second item is "Star" by Primal Scream*7. This 12-inch album, released in 1997, was a gift from a friend to Mr. Oyama when he returned from London, and he says that this one record was the catalyst for his current obsession with collecting analog records.

"This is a single cut from the album 'Vanishing Point.' It's a record from the period when Primal Scream was leaning towards dub*8. Jamaican reggae musician Augusta Pablo*9 participated on melodica, and it has a reggae-like atmosphere, which is why I love this record. My current obsession with reggae might have been influenced by this period."

The third album is "Marigold" by Solvent Cobalt*10. Solvent Cobalt is a new wave indie unit that continues to be active in Tokyo, and they are a favorite of Oyama, who frequently visits live music venues.

"This unit consists of a charismatic male vocalist and a female bassist, who were originally in a hardcore band that was popular overseas. Their drum machine and feedback noise are cool, and I like their really edgy sound. They're one of the few Japanese bands that I would want to see live."

These are all albums that hold special meaning for me, but the record case they were carried in is also really cool. Apparently, it's a limited edition box set created in collaboration with Lauryn Hill*11 for WOOLRICH 's global campaign in 2018. It's not for sale, but it contains luxurious items such as Lauryn Hill's LP record "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill," a limited edition LP, and a T-shirt produced for the campaign.

"It might be a bit surprising that WOOLRICH teamed up with hip-hop to express its connection to American culture, but as a record lover myself, I was happy that they released this kind of novelty item."

A "third place" where you choose clothes like you choose a record.

Ms. Oyama has listened to various genres of music, and along with that, her fashion sense has also changed.

"Music has always been a part of my life, so it's inevitable that it's influenced by me. Back in my punk band days, I wore Schott's 'One Star' sneakers and gauze t-shirts, and in London, I wore bell-bottom jeans and beanies even in the summer. When I worked in a shop, it was natural to wear the clothes the shop sold, but even then, the connection between fashion and music was so strong that I think for me, music came first, and then fashion came."

For Oyama, who has experience in band activities, living in London, and navigating the fashion scenes of Shibuya and Harajuku, fashion is full of reality. It's not about clothes seen in magazines or on social media, but clothes he actually picked up, purchased after talking to the store staff.

Even though he switched to brands like Barbour and WOOLRICH , which don't seem to have much connection to music, music is an inseparable part of British and American culture.

"That's why I try to prepare my style so that I can talk about those kinds of things as much as possible," said Mr. Oyama, and I asked him what he was focusing on with his style today.

"It was announced last fall that Todd Snyder will be taking over as Creative Director at WOOLRICH starting with the Fall/Winter 2024 collection, and he has launched a new collection called 'Black Label.' The world premiere of this collection will be held here at Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building on Wednesday, September 25th. Isn't it amazing that it will be unveiled before it's even released in the United States? Everything from the fixtures to the staff uniforms will be unified in black. It's a creative collection that will surprise anyone who is familiar with WOOLRICH up until now. Today, I've dressed in an all-black outfit with 'Black Label' in mind."

Mr. Oyama's words, spoken with the same passion and enthusiasm as when he spoke about his favorite records earlier, were evident. He said that the joy of buying clothes in a store rather than online is being able to hear information that hasn't been released anywhere else yet. And just as Mr. Oyama used to be, places that transform "not knowing" into "knowing" are places where people can meet. Talking to a shop assistant while digging through the bin*12 of a record shop is similar to having a stylist pick out clothes for you in a shop.

At the end of the interview, Oyama said, "I want the shop where I work to also have an aspect of being a 'third place'."

"I want people to come and talk about music I don't know about, and I want to create a shop like that. Young people these days wear Nirvana*13 t-shirts just because the design is cool, right? And that's fine. But I think if you can mention two or three things that can spark a conversation, like who wore it in that movie, or who you admire from which band, you can enjoy it in a different way. With records, you're interested not only in the music, but also in the background and story behind its creation, right? Clothes become more enjoyable when you know the story behind them."

From Wednesday, September 25th, Ms. Oyama will be at the pop-up store to greet customers. Why not go and experience the new WOOLRICH world and meet Ms. Oyama?

View WOOLRICH products at the Mitsukoshi Isetan online store.

Here is the event information for the period from September 25th (Wed) to October 1st (Tue).

[Series] "# Encounters with ○○ Enthusiasts at Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building "

You can view the archives of the series "#○○ Manias Met at Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building ," which introduces various stylists who welcome customers every day at Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building .