KLASICA - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW & EDITORIAL

KLASICA クラシカ by Kohei Kawamura documented by Teo Josserand & Yann Virassamy. 

During the AW23-24 Paris Fashion Week, our editors Teo & Yann documented a set of designers under which no other than Klasica through a informal interview, accompanied with a series of atmospheric visuals of the garments from their last collection calles “NIGHT LANDS”, AW23. 

INTERVIEW

What is the meaning of KLASICA?

KLASICA means Classic, in Spanish and Italian, as a matter of fact I changed the C to the K. When I started my label numerous years ago, I thought that searching for old classic things would be something that will never change for my label. Then, this is how the term KLASICA naturally came to me.

How would you define your role in the fashion industry?

My role… what I truly wish is to be a kind of bridge between avant-garde and vintage, like something that would bond both worlds together.

What are your main inspirations for the design process of KLASICA?

The creations always start from daily life awareness to me. It could be from vintage, from folklore, old photography…all of these kinds of environments that surround our daily existence. In fact, I am not really ready when these inspirations are falling through my head, so I would just try to catch them.

Your fabrics are impressive, what is your personal approach to the fabric you use throughout the collections? 

Normally, I routinely start with the textile composition work for the new collections. By the seasons, sometimes the collection starts with a colorway, and another one would start from the authentic feeling of tactile sensation, between the hands and fabric…it is different season by season. Through my process, I constantly choose fine natural materials, such as linen, wool, silk, cotton and more as examples. 

As a Japanese designer, what made you decide to come to Paris for the Fashion Week and have your own showroom? 

My collections are at the borders of “genres'', in-between. Currently, most of the stores in Japan are typically basic or too “fashion” I think, they are really easy to understand and identify when you see the shops. Fortunately, there are some nice niche boutiques throughout Japan, luckily they found KLASICA in the past and it was a big pleasure for me when we started working together. These niche and avant-garde Japanese stores do have their own style, senses and filters, totally different from the typical basic and “fashionable” ones.

So after a time, I had a thought that my label would fit well with the international market, so I decided to try and join Paris Fashion Week. At the very first beginning, I started with being showcased in a super tiny booth in Tranoi, and then I moved to another showroom until a few years ago, when I finally fixed my own showroom address in Paris!

What is the dialog between Japanese culture and your work? 

I am living in Tokyo, being a local resident here brings me many pieces of information, constantly diving into my head. But when they come, I try to catch them in smaller amounts, then I would translate and use them through my work. There is definitely a dialogue between KLASICA and Japanese culture…I may use it unconsciously.

Do you have future projects that you aim to accomplish for KLASICA? 

Hmm future projects? Actually, I don’t have much time, and I do have less battery in my body compared to years ago haha. On the other hand, I tend to constantly think of having a custom center based on old KLASICA collections. From this center base, we do remake, reforming the garments for the customers of KLS. In fact, almost all the garments of my collections are made from high-grade natural textiles, which means after wearing the clothes for a long time, there will be a certain worn effect that brings a vintage aspect to the garments and a familiar fit, feeling to its wearers.

Define KLASICA in one word?

Unevenness.

CREDITS

Designer - KLASICA

Model - Yann Virassamy

Photography - Teo Josserand