RYUTAS WELT PART 4
Konnichiwa. My name is Ryuta aka "Du-tah", a Tokyo-based artist/hobo. I've been in Seattle for three years and now working for Blackbird/The Field House as Vintage Buyer and Merchandiser. I would like to share my ideas with you in what I call Ryutas Welt.
Needless to say, almost all of the merchandise in The Field House emits an olde-timey, viva-country aura. I believe that the outfit that I styled for Ryutas Welt Part 4 turned out to be the most Field-Housey piece yet. I intended to portray a combination of American military man, hunter, and writer. It looks more or less traditional and conventional for my styling, but my real attempt was to fully express my aesthetic sense within the limited concept and merchandise. Despite less colours and craziness that are indicated in the outfit, it was my objective to trace Ryuta's characteristics, there for people to still realize it was done by me.
The outfit includes: Billykirk olive heather English Walker hat, Filson Moleskin Shirt, vintage tie, vintage brass tie clip, Filson Shelter Cloth Jacket, Filson wool Western Vest, vintage Dutch framed photo broach, vintage pants, Alden Unlined Chukka Boot suede
I am by and large fond of the whimsically insane, current high fashion scene. However, I am extremely happy to witness this whole olde-timey phenomenon in the casual fashion scene not because that's something that I'd like to wear, but because it is lovely and precious that traditional aesthetic is utterly appreciated and respected amongst the modern people who constantly demand something new.
This phenomenon reminds me of Kimono in Japan. Between the 1910s to 1920s, Kimono was becoming less popular and was taken over by Western clothing due to the drastic social shift that occurred in Japan. As they had experienced Westernization, Kimono is no longer worn on a daily basis (except for many elders) but on special occasions. Regardless of how rare it is worn and thought to be stylish and "cool", for the past several years, there has been a fashion phenomenon on a small scale where young people appreciate Kimono and actually wear it relatively often. Some wear just Kimono by itself, understanding and appreciating the beauty of Japanese tradition, whereas others coordinate Kimono and Western clothing together, creating a brand new way to wear and live.
For both the olde-timey phenomenon in the U.S. and the Kimono phenomenon in Japan, I consider it very delightful that people are recognizing traditions as something that belongs to themselves because it is never easy to fully appreciate traditional things that we grow up with. On top of that, there's always a new trend that eats up the old, worn-out trend. I wonder if we could still appreciate our own tradition when those phenomena come to an end.
Merci.
Ryuta Iwashita
