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SCMP Reporter

How did you meet and why did you decide to open Hoods together?
Shinsuke Takizawa (far left):
We met at high school. Afterwards I worked for a record   firm and Tetsu worked for a variety of clothing brands including Stussy. I launched my brand in 1994 and we opened our boutique, originally named Neighborhood,  that same year in Tokyo's Harajuku district.
Tetsu Nishiyama:  Although neither of us has had any formal training in fashion design, we were always interested in functional design and  that's how we approach fashion.
We wanted to design clothing that suits our style and needs; to make clothing that we wanted to wear.
Why did you decide to each design your own label and house it in one store instead of operating two separate stores?
Nishiyama: I  was designing clothes before Shinsuke started the Neighborhood brand. I'd collaborated with Skatething on a label called 40% Against Rights, where we used the silk-screen process on most products. When we decided to open our boutique, I came on board as a creative director. WTAPS was  launched two years later.
What are some of the difficulties you faced  launching the store and brands?
Takizawa:   Starting your own brand is difficult enough as you have to learn how to balance both the business side and your creative side. However, if you also have to manage a boutique on top of that, it is even more difficult to juggle understanding and being responsible with the business aspects without losing your passion for the design process.
How would  you describe your approach to fashion design and  the aesthetic of  your respective lines?
Takizawa:  I have always been fascinated with American culture, particularly  American motorcycle culture.   Motorcycle-inspired pieces and motifs are a big part of my aesthetic  but I also like to incorporate military and music themes in my work.
Nishiyama:  I also believe that clothing should be easy to wear and comfortable but that doesn't mean that it  can't be conceptual. All my collections have a specific theme  and yet that may manifest itself in a subtle way.  For example, the  concept of my current collection for WTAPS is 'Extreme Prejudice'. To me, the significance of this is to break down or do away with preset concepts,  which I consider to be prejudices. In relation to fashion design,  it means I experimented with different ways to handle materials and alternative techniques to create clothing.
What was the concept for the Neighborhood collection?
Takizawa:  This season, I was inspired by Mississippi blues and the people from the Mississippi Delta. Osamu Nagahama, a photographer from Japan, travelled to that area and  I've silk-screened his images onto  a collection of T-shirts. The rest of the collection consists  of worker shirts, soft denim patchwork jackets, coveralls and overalls, deconstructed denim jeans as well as cotton shirts and jackets emblazoned with either motorcycle or Mississippi blues music motifs.
You have also worked with other labels.  Why are collaborations important to you as designers?
Nishiyama:  I believe in creative sharing and that  partnerships  and collaborations with other designers, whether fashion designers or not, open up a new world of creative possibilities. It really is a learning process working with different people and you can pick up new methods and ideas that you may never have thought of on your own.
Takizawa: I also believe  the idea  of designer collaboration is  something born from this new generation. In the past, it was inconceivable to imagine a brand such as Chanel and Gucci collaborating on a project.  However, collaborations are becoming more widespread with newer labels like ours. It is a way to keep things fresh and constantly moving forward as we learn   from each other.
Hoods is at 12 On Lan St, Central, tel: 2162 8009



Q&A: Shinsuke Takizawa and Tetsu Nishiyama, Hoods