1 month ago
URAWA, Japan (AP) — One Japanese creation grabbing attraction connected nan Oscars reddish carpet wasn’t a movie: nan kitsch shoes that seemed to beryllium clenched successful Godzilla’s claw.
They were nan activity of Ryosuke Matsui, who precocious described his joyousness astatine seeing “Godzilla Minus One” head Takashi Yamazaki and his Shirogumi special-effects squad locomotion nan reddish carpet and triumph nan ocular effects Oscar, each while wearing his shoes.
“The head loves my shoes. He calls them his uniform,” Matsui told The Associated Press successful an interview.
At 35 pinch a manner profession that’s hardly a decade old, Matsui heads his ain marque called Hazama, which intends “the space-in-between” successful Japanese.
A mini business pinch conscionable six employees, Hazama offers girlie outfits pinch fluffy skirts, arsenic good arsenic Gothic themes, kimono and sweaters successful gradient colors, jackets pinch repetitive motifs evocative of Andy Warhol, sofas and java tables, and, of course, nan shoes pinch nan crazy heels.
One brace has a pistol trigger you tin really propulsion though without immoderate bullets, while different looks for illustration it’s stuck successful an alien’s blood-red teeth.
“Dark fantasy” is what Matsui calls his motifs. His imaginary world is filled pinch overseas creatures for illustration witches, scary penguins and iridescent polar bears, wherever objects abruptly melt, a look mightiness get replaced by a elephantine rose, aliases a horrific manus grabs your bottommost from underground.
His brand’s spaces in-between are nan filters done which Matsui sees and expresses his mesmerizing stories of nan beginnings of time, inhabited by “the people” he’s concocted. He would emotion to person his ain café aliases activity connected an animation project.
“Of course, cool group look great, nary matter what they wear, but apparel tin alteration nan measurement you think, really you subordinate to group astir you, activity arsenic that doorway into building your confidence,” he said.
Matsui’s no-nonsense friends cognition defies his demure first impression. Sitting amid mounds of boxes and packages of clothing astatine his agency connected nan outskirts of Tokyo, he was wearing a Hazama-designed hoodie pinch rainbow-tinged fangs of an “aurora shark” for studs, pinch torn Yves Saint Laurent jeans and Nike sneakers. He said he wasn’t wearing his Godzilla shoes because he was working.
The Godzilla shoes originated arsenic a typical bid from nan film’s shaper for nan Japan premiere successful October past year. Their stealing nan show astatine nan caller Academy Awards ceremonial wasn’t moreover successful nan book then.
It took Matsui astir a twelvemonth to decorativeness nan first 3 designs, nan 75,000 yen (about $500) reddish pumps for character Minami Hamabe, nan 88,000 yen ($600) shoes for Yamazaki, and boots dressed up pinch jagged scales, priced astatine 105,500 yen ($700), for Ryunosuke Kamiki, nan movie’s co-star alongside Godzilla.
The full first batch of respective 100 already sold out. Plans are underway to nutrient more, possibly successful different colors, for illustration golden successful homage of nan Oscar statue.
Interest has been huge, according to Matsui. But, successful theory, everyone who’s sewage their hearts group connected a Godzilla footwear should beryllium capable to get one, eventually.
Growing up successful a loving family that sent him to soft and swimming lessons and “juku” cram schools, Matsui is simply a postgraduate of nan prestigious Keio University and could person easy go a successful “salaryman” for illustration different young Japanese men.
But he didn’t want to portion pinch his then-blond hair.
Although he has ever respected Yohji Yamamoto, he purposely pursued colour and cloth texture, alternatively of Yamamoto’s attraction connected achromatic and stark lines.
When asked astir his world ambitions, Matsui acknowledged he is rather happy moving successful Japan. His dream is amazingly local: to create nan manner for Bump of Chicken, a Japanese stone band.
Besides, he’s acrophobic of flying.
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Yuri Kageyama is connected X: https://twitter.com/yurikageyama
