Whether it's fashion, music, or sports, there is a style that only each person can express in any genre. "Style is Everything." That's right, someone once said that style is everything. "Style Resume" is a series of interviews with adults who, as the name suggests, have style. Updated every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, in the 14th installment, we hear from Wakatsuki Yoshio, a director who continues to be active in fields around the world, about his behind-the-scenes aesthetic.
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09. A job where you can work alongside your favorite fashion designer.
Working at Salle International meant I was in front of such renowned people as Take-sensei (Kikuchi Takeo), Inaba Yoshie (fashion designer), Matsuda Mitsuhiro (NICOLE designer, late), Kobayashi Yukio (MONSIEUR NICOLE designer), and Nakajima Itsuko (NICOLE designer, late), who would call me "Wakatsuki-ee." It was truly thrilling.
The first Tokyo Pret-a-Porter Collection was held in 1985, sponsored by the Yomiuri Shimbun. Two tents, "EAST" and "WEST," were set up where the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building is now, and around 60 shows were held there, but our company was responsible for around 40 of them alone, so we hardly ever left the venue. But I was thrilled to be involved and the daily happenings that occurred. After the day's work was over, we went to a wrap party, and at dawn, I took a bath at a sauna called "Finland" in Shibuya, then drove straight to the site, put a note on the windshield saying "Please wake up the first person to arrive," and slept in the car.
The client was an edgy designer brand, but at the time I was dressing in a vintage BROOKS BROTHERS button-down shirt with cotton pants or jeans, which had an Ivy League feel. It was easy to move in and didn't stand out. That idea led me to wear only black clothes later on.
Profile
Yoshio Wakatsuki (director)
Born in Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture in 1962, he is a member of DRUMCAN, a company that produces music concerts and art exhibitions, primarily for the Paris and Tokyo Collections. He is a professional who has supported various brands as a director for over 40 years. He has committed himself to remaining active throughout his life, adhering to the aesthetics of being a behind-the-scenes worker, and continues to create new creations today.
Instagram @yoshio_wakatsuki
