YURINA KAWAGUCHI
PEOPLEText: Asami Miyachi
She worked at a company as a planner and press manager in the early 90’s and then worked at Slant Wide as a designer. Now Yurina Kawaguchi takes on the apparel line 20,000,000 Fragments as the designer for the collection of 2011S/S. She continues to make fabulous clothes, which bring out the beauty in women. We interviewed her on managing in the Tokyo fashion scene, a manifold fashion city, bringing hi-fashion to real clothes and also about herself.
Please introduce yourself.
My name is Yurina Kawaguchi, a designer from 20,000,000 Fragments.
By whom would you like your wears to be worn? Is this opinion changing from the beginning?
It is more important to me for whom than for what exactly when designing clothes for the women wearing my works.
I would like to create works that make a positive feeling when meeting someone, such as making a walk to somewhere better than usual. I also make the works to be used longer and to feel relaxing while wearing.
This idea is quite different than the first. I’m not an artistic designer. I think a garment is a realistic object, I do not know why, but I think as a female I feel like that.
Now I design a garment as real clothing, but at first I wanted to design an artistic garment.
Stylist: Yuriko E, Hair&make: Kenichi Yaguchi, Model: Ebba L (Wizard), Photo: Taro Mizutani
What part do you compromise?
I cannot make a compromise because I am a bigoted person! I am especially insistent on a pattern and sewing.
There are really mature pattern makers and I always trust their works. Also, I stick to makers in Japan.
Stylist: Yuriko E, Hair&make: Kenichi Yaguchi, Model: Ebba L (Wizard), Photo: Taro Mizutani
What are your favorite things or designers that provide your favorite sources of inspiration?
This is probably not the answer you want… but my experience as a whole. Everything I experience influences me to create. This depends on me to get better or not,
I believe to create good garments is to grow up myself.
I think that nature is a really good influence on me, not only my work but also everything. All nature has colors and textures, which will never be made by human. This is a powerful source of creation for me.
Stylist: Yuriko E, Hair&make: Kenichi Yaguchi, Model: Ebba L (Wizard), Photo: Taro Mizutani
What is the concept on the collection of this autumn?
In this time I decided to make what I want to make rather than what’s required.
And so I said again, to be natural with oneself is fabulous.
Please give a message about the Visual book.
I was considered for this book because a designer was changed. I am pleased to work with the photographer Taro Mizutani, I wanted to create something together.
I believe his picture’s color and light and mind as well, make 20,000,000 fragments reach the best looks ever.
Stylist: Yuriko E, Hair&make: Kenichi Yaguchi, Model: Ebba L (Wizard), Photo: Taro Mizutani
20,000,000 fragments is part of the Gas As Interface that mainly features creative cultures such as art, design, fashion and so on. So what is your future plan in such a field?
Gas have a lot of communication with talented artists such as Ahonen & Lamberg from 2011 S/S and Jonathan Zawada from 2011 A/W who is the graphic designer for the visual book. I’m thinking of more communication with not only graphics but also another brilliant field. It will be really fun.
Text: Asami Miyachi