Japan has many unique traditional techniques, but the issue of their inheritance has long been a social issue. Shunsuke Teranishi, a fashion designer who worked for world-famous fashion houses such as Hermès, decided to put an end to his career in Milan and Paris in order to face this challenge, and started using traditional Japanese techniques and fashion. We started the fusion project "MIZEN" in 2022. Teranishi's unique worldview and the new beauty of Japan ask us many questions.

Trust in Japanese people and Japanese aesthetic sense revealed when traveling to Europe

I hear that Shunsuke Teranishi, the representative of Mizen, was a boy who loved making things and fashion since childhood. He chose Kyoto University's Faculty of Architecture as his destination. Although he went to university because he thought he could make things, he still couldn't shake his love for fashion, so after graduating from university he decided to work at YOHJI YAMAMOTO.
``At the time, YOHJI YAMAMOTO did not have a designer job, and patterners were required to have design, pattern, and sewing skills, as they designed and sewed it into 3D (three-dimensional) shapes. This is not unusual for Japanese designer brands, and such patterners are called XNUMXD designers, but they were a surprising presence in European maisons where labor was completely divided, and they were also highly valued in Japan. I felt that it was highly valued in Milan and Paris, partly because of the sincere work of the people."

Teranishi went to Europe, the home of fashion, and worked as a 3D designer at the world's top maisons, starting with ``CAROL CHRISTIAN POELL'', ``AGNONA'', and Hermès, but he lived in Japan. He says that he gradually began to realize new goals and things he didn't realize when he was working.

``When I moved to Europe, I thought I would never return to Japan, but after living in Milan and Paris, I realized that Japan was my origin and that I wanted to contribute to society. I was born.”
Although he is grateful for the high praise and trust given to Japanese designers, he says that he has started to think about the value of individual existence.
“I was able to fulfill my dreams one after another, such as moving to Europe in my 20s and working at Hermès in my 30s. Hermès is a very good company and I have been blessed with great colleagues, but even if I were to quit... Hermes is Hermes, nothing has changed.”
I hear that there are many designers in Europe who go from one prestigious house to another, but Teranishi was not drawn to building a brilliant career at a prestigious house, and instead wanted to challenge himself to do something that only he could do, something that he could do for Japan. I felt a desire to continue doing so.

The wonderful handiwork of the craftsmen who support traditional Japanese techniques

At that time, I had a shocking encounter at PremiereVision, a trade fair for fashion materials held in Paris.
``Tamiya Raden'' (Kyotango City), which produces ``Raden Ori,'' which is woven with mother-of-pearl from shells, hand-crafts rare ``Tamayu'' cocoons made by two silkworms together. The yarn is made using wonderful techniques that even Japanese people did not know about, such as the beautifully colored ``Ushikubi Tsumugi'' by Hakusan Kobo (Hakusan City, Ishikawa Prefecture). Teranishi was moved by many of them.
After returning to Japan, he visited textile producing regions such as Kyotango and Amami Oshima, and witnessed the wonderful handiwork of the craftsmen. He says he has come to think that this is what he should do next.

“Even world-famous maisons have used kimono weaving and dyeing in their collections, but this is just a one-time initiative.This does not lead to the inheritance of traditional techniques or the stability of work for craftsmen. If more stable work can be ordered, the income of the craftsmen will be stable and it will be more rewarding for the craftsmen.To achieve this, we need to be more interested in these techniques and understand their value. I believe that this will lead to the passing on of this technology.And that's when I decided to start a project to do that, and that's how Mizen started.''

Teranishi made up his mind and decided to return to Japan in 2018. When he was at the airport for his return, the phone rang with an offer from a famous French brand. Although the brand appealed to everyone, Teranishi's determination remained unchanged, and he returned to Japan and worked hard to launch a new brand. The following year, we launched ARLNATA, the predecessor of Mizen, and in 2022, we will increase the number of fabric production areas we handle, create fabrics with original designs, and create Mizen that offers more flexible and versatile styles. I started it.

The name Mizen comes from the word ``unnatural form''. It is a brand centered on craftsmen, which has never existed before, and a fashion project that utilizes traditional techniques and creates a new system that is close to the craftsmen began here.

Part of our job is to let people know about the production areas, handicrafts, and craftsmen who produce them.

The interior of Mizen in Minami Aoyama is lined with woven fabrics from various regions, creating a modern space that shows a strong respect for traditional Japanese techniques. When you go up to the second floor, you'll see Teranishi's beautifully designed clothes hanging on hangers. The worldview of Mizen, which is supple and dignified and skillfully uses beautiful handmade pongee and kasuri materials, is simply overwhelming.
At Mizen, you can select and order fabrics such as pongee and kasuri from your favorite region based on samples. At that time, Teranishi always carefully explains the dyeing and weaving techniques, the production area, and how the products came to be. Teranishi says that the main character of Mizen is not the designer, but the traditional technique and the craftsman behind it.

``We put tags on our clothes that indicate the origin of their production, because we want them to be worn with stories about the textiles and traditional techniques.As I did, there are many production areas and techniques that even Japanese people don't know about. I want people to feel the important Japanese techniques and the passion of the craftsmen."

Turning kimono materials into clothes is actually not easy. Some delicate kimono materials are not strong enough to be worn like clothes, so Teranishi combines them with knit, silk, other woven fabrics, and dyed fabrics to make them easier to wear as clothes. ing.
“During my time at Hermès, I had designed designs that combined stretchable and non-stretchable materials, but sewing together fabrics with different stretchability requires a high level of skill.First of all, I needed to find a factory and craftsman in Japan that could do this. Basically, all mizen is sewn in Japan, so high Japanese sewing techniques are also essential.
To be honest, Mizen's clothes are not cheap, but I would be happy if you could know that behind them is the careful handwork, detailed work, and special skills of the many craftsmen involved in weaving and dyeing. Wearing Mizen's clothes and accessories is a tribute to these techniques, and I hope you will think of it as supporting them."

Teranishi says that the next generation of luxury is not just about satisfying one's own desires, but that the value lies in the connections between people, the presence of craftsmen and other people, and the stories behind them. My style is proof of empathy, and I feel proud of it. This may be the new value of luxury.

Now that celebrities around the world are paying attention to Japan's continuing tradition and the mizen style created by Shunsuke Teranishi, I have a feeling that a new Japanese luxury brand will be budding.

(Titles omitted)

Shunsuke Teranishi Shunsuke Teranishi

Mizen representative. After graduating from the Department of Architecture at Kyoto University, he joined YOHJI YAMAMOTO and moved to Milan, Italy.After gaining experience as a chief patterner and 3D designer exclusive to AGNONA creative director STEFANO PILATI, he joined HERMÈS and moved to Paris, France. Move. He works as a 3D designer for women's ready-to-wear under artistic director Nadège Vanhée-Cybulski. After returning to Japan in 2018, he established STUDIO ALATA and launched ARLNATA with the aim of disseminating new value of traditional industries. After that, in April 2022, he will launch Mizen with the founder of the hometown tax donation portal site "Furusato Choice." In 4, he won "CULTURE-PRENEURS 2023 30" sponsored by FORBES JAPAN.