The Bespoke of Your Dreams

I am involved in the design and sales of clothing at Koji Atelier in Ginza, which was started by my father, Koji Watanabe. After graduating from university and working at a department store, I decided I wanted to help with my father's business and began my studies. Since I had no prior knowledge of apparel, I relied on my father's connections to study pattern making and design at the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris.

After returning to Japan, I continued my studies in the Japanese apparel industry before joining Koji Atelier, where I continue my work today. The term "bespoke" originates from the idea of "be spoken for," through repeated dialogue with a tailor, and the charm of made-to-order suits lies in the connection between design and customer service.

I worked at Nippon TV as an announcer for 15 years before becoming a freelance announcer in 2020. I was appointed as an MC for a program on Kansai TV, and I am now based in Osaka.

I have always loved suits. Given my profession, a suit and tie are the basics, and I appear on programs wearing a suit every day. I've developed various preferences, and now going to have a suit made has become something of a hobby for me.

I see you on TV, and you always look very sharp.

Thank you. What I feel when actually ordering bespoke is that the process of making it is more enjoyable than anything else. Taking the time to choose the fabric and design, and watching it gradually improve as it nears completion, makes me truly happy.

I am the third-generation owner of a tailor shop on Akasaka Hitotsugi-dori. During my grandfather's generation, he tailored suits for General MacArthur and Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida. My grandfather was highly favored by Hajime Yasuda of the Yasuda Zaibatsu while apprenticing at Uehara Tailor in Moto-Akasaka, which handled the tailoring of court uniforms for the Empire of Japan. It was through that connection that he established the shop on Hitotsugi-dori.

Akasaka has a different atmosphere from Ginza. During my father's generation, celebrities appearing on TBS programs would come to have costumes made. Influenced by design owners like Pierre Cardin and Yves Saint Laurent, who were active in the 1960s, there was a group of six designers in Japan called the "Brilliant Six," including Tsukumo Igarashi. My father was the youngest member of that group.

Actually, I don't usually wear suits much; today is the first time I've worn a tie in a while. It's probably only the second time this year.

Recently, I've been running an Instagram account calling myself the "Shorts Tailor." There are many tailors with perfect coordination, but not many tailors who take measurements while wearing shorts (laughs).

That's certainly true (laughs).

In fact, while managing the tailor shop, I am also a researcher at the Keio University Graduate School of System Design and Management (SDM), conducting research groups under the theme of "Creating Japanese Luxury." I have launched a general incorporated association and held symposiums at Keio.

I wouldn't say visiting a tailor is a high hurdle, but everyone starts with mass retailers, don't they? Do you get walk-in customers at your tailor shop?

I hear there were many referrals in the past. Recently, some customers come after researching online or looking at word-of-mouth reviews.

They say that once you meet a tailor you can trust, it becomes a long-term relationship.

It is said that "you should never change your barber or your tailor." However, the number of tailors who can handle everything up to the sewing in-house is decreasing.

When you have a suit made full-order, including fittings, it takes several months to complete.

That's right. Mr. Aoki, what criteria do you use to choose a tailor?

I value a clean appearance. If you ask what a clean appearance is, it's about having the viewer feel that you look clean. Even if you are satisfied with yourself, it's meaningless if those around you don't feel the same way. The presence of a tailor who can give advice when making a suit is very important.

I particularly emphasize whether the suit fits my body size. This might be the same for suits from mass retailers, but you can only find the most perfectly fitting suit through custom ordering.

Someone with a good physique like you, Mr. Aoki, will look good even with a standard tailoring, but since there are various body types, fitting doesn't always equate to beauty.

Historically, after Chanel and Christian Dior, the era of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Cardin arrived. At that time, with slogans like "liberating women," bodies were fitted to the shape of the clothes. That kind of constructive garment making was probably broken down in the 1980s by the disruptive innovation of Armani.

In the 1990s, the classic Italian style called "Classico Italia" reached its peak. Various styles were born after that, but now, post-COVID, it could be said that they have mostly collapsed. Diversity is important, but fewer people are wearing suits, and classic styles are currently in a difficult situation within the market.

Since I focus on women's orders, the situation might be a bit different. At Koji Atelier, orders for suits are actually increasing. And they are formal, structured styles.

As for who wears them, one category is family "occasions" tailored to life stages. There are cases where families have suits made for events like shrine visits, Shichi-Go-San, entrance ceremonies, and graduation ceremonies. We receive requests from fathers, mothers, and children who want to have suits made from the same fabric.

There are families that have suits tailored together? That's amazing.

They seem to envision scenes where they will be seen by others. We receive requests for a sense of unity within the family.

Children's sizes change so quickly, though.

Exactly. The point is to tailor them according to their growth period. For example, for graduation or entrance ceremonies in March or April, measurements are taken around January. We make them assuming the children's height will increase during this time. We take orders including after-sales service for last-minute alterations.

Another need driving the increase in women's orders is women's advancement in society. Looking at fashion trends, the environment surrounding women has changed even more in the last few years. They are mothers at home and women who work hard in society. I truly feel that women's lifestyles themselves are diversifying now.

In that context, I hear voices saying that clothes suitable for formal settings like board meetings are not available as "off-the-rack" (ready-made) items. However, many in our generation are not used to ordering custom clothes and don't know what to choose. So, we offer suggestions on dressing etiquette and points for incorporating design even in formal settings.

For example, we explain that collars are essential for women's suits, just as the phrase "straighten one's collar" suggests, or that certain fabrics won't wrinkle. Even for the same directorial position, the presentation differs between the financial and manufacturing industries, so we consider the customer's requests, the TPO, and the type of job. This is one of the things that fast fashion cannot do.

I often receive requests from various companies to emcee award ceremonies for top-performing sales representatives, and in any organization, those who are honored have their suit style perfectly set. Seeing that firsthand, I can truly feel that the impression one's style and appearance give to others is completely different.

In my work as an announcer, I have always thought of a suit as battle gear. It's best to ask someone trustworthy about the meaning of style and the impression it gives to others. The aspect of clothing serving as a message to others applies to women as well, doesn't it?

Yes. At Koji Atelier, we always use three "S"s as keywords: Seiketsu (Cleanliness), Seijitsu (Sincerity), and Shinrai (Trust). To ensure the wearer possesses these three qualities, we always think about how we can help through clothing during our customer service.

Those three "S"s are important for announcers as well.

By the way, looking at how Europeans dress, I sometimes feel that Japanese style lacks elegance.

In what part does that difference in elegance appear?

I think it probably shows in the person.

I see. So it's not about the quality of the fabric or the tailoring.

Europeans are very good at showing off their style. Japanese people might be poor at properly conveying it, even if they are wearing good things.

One of my business partners in Italy is a man from a noble family that has lasted for 400 years. His great-great-grandfather, four generations back, was the one who started shoemaking 100 years ago. He reportedly opened a shoemaking production area in a town called Vigevano, 40 kilometers west of Milan. Shoemaking eventually flourished there, and now most luxury brand shoes are made in factories in this area.

When I started working with that partner about eight years ago, he was still only about 27 or 28 years old, but even at such a young age, he behaved with confidence in high-end restaurants. His manners were impeccable, and his posture when holding a knife and fork was perfectly natural.

I have a relatively frank personality and am the type who can quickly hit it off with Italians, but once he told me, "That's not elegant (non elegante)." For Europeans, being elegant is an important norm.

That's an expression you don't hear much in Japan. Is elegance something that can be acquired later in life?

That is exactly what relates to the research we are doing now. I hope it is something that can be acquired. I suspect it's about behavior after all.

I see.

My European acquaintances don't call selfish people elegant. Types who are all about "me, me, me" probably can't be called elegant. In Japan, perhaps that kind of value exists in the world of traditional Japanese clothing.

Do you ever feel a physical disadvantage for Japanese people in suits, which originated in Europe?

I do feel a disadvantage. Japanese people have large heads and short limbs. They walk with their chests out, and they have small buttocks.

Japanese buttocks tend to be large towards the bottom, but even within Asia, people in Korea have flat buttocks; standard body types differ by region. Thinking about it that way, I think the kimono fits the Japanese physique very well.

Kimonos certainly fit the Japanese physique.

Suits emerged from European culture, so they have a head start. In response to that, I am currently working to promote Japan Authentic Luxury under the concept of "JAXURY." "JAXURY" carries the nuance of a Japanese version of authentic luxury, which is different from so-called luxury. People often think of luxury as "extravagance" or "gaudiness," but the original nuance is "a joy rarely obtained."

When I asked that noble friend, "Luxury was originally a culture of the nobility, wasn't it?" he said, "No, luxury is a lifestyle." His table manners were also disciplined as a child by holding books under both arms while learning to use a knife and fork. Actually, if you pull the knife with your arms tucked in, force is applied to the tip, so the meat is cut cleanly.

The beauty of one's conduct was actually logical.

Exactly. Knowing that, I felt like I understood the meaning of luxury being a way of life. I believe that kind of grace must have existed in Japan as well.

In pursuing authentic luxury originating from Japan, what I want to work on is "Japan Tailoring." Until now, Japanese craftsmen have made Italian-style, British-style, and French-style, but there should be a Japan-classic suit. So I launched a brand called "AUXCA."

At AUXCA., we think about design with a subtractive mindset, in contrast to Western culture which adds decoration. For example, we made a T-shirt using fabric made from yarn originating in India. We kept the design simple and pursued comfort. The cost of the fabric is about eight times that of commercial products, but the person wearing it looks very wonderful. I think this is a product that cannot be made by imitating the West.

When I show a jacket made with a similar idea to my noble friend, he says it's very Japanese and good.

Even though the jacket itself is a global item with a long history. He probably recognized that various elements were stripped away and that the quality was high upon touching that jacket.

I think that's truly wonderful. For example, whisky originated in England and Ireland, but the ones now called the world's five major whiskies include American, Canadian, and Japanese whisky.

Similarly, the culture of suits, which started in the West, has likely given birth to something new by adding Japanese essence. You are currently trying to create a future where that becomes authentic, Mr. Sumiya.

Just as Yohji Yamamoto, Issey Miyake, and Rei Kawakubo once entered the fashion world as leaders of mode, I think it's fine for international-standard Japan-classics to emerge in the world of suits. I am currently working on design with the intention of creating such things.

Ordering has so many options that you could say the combinations are infinite. Whether it's British traditional or Italian style, the style changes significantly just by changing the shape of the collar. Collaborating with a tailor to decide every single stitch in bespoke has a joy similar to solving a difficult mathematical formula.

What kind of things do you talk about with your tailor, Mr. Aoki?

It takes time for a suit to be completed, after all. I also do muscle training as a hobby to look good in a suit, and I ask things like "Which muscles should I build?" Then, a shirt maker might tell me, "Please don't add any more chest muscle" (laughs).

Japanese people have fewer back muscles compared to Westerners, so to look good, we have to work hard on muscle training in those areas. When making a suit, they also teach me things like, "If this muscle bulges, it will look like this."

That's true. People who come to Koji Atelier basically have a specific purpose, such as attending a ceremonial occasion or a party. There aren't many people who just drop by to make a suit. Therefore, we often decide on the fabric and design while discussing how they want to be perceived according to their purpose.

The design elements for women's suits are also very abundant. Whether to have a collar or not, long sleeves or short sleeves, whether to make it asymmetrical, and so on—we decide on the direction while listening to the customer's requests.

What's interesting for a tailor is that it becomes a one-of-a-kind design unique to the customer. The choice of fabric, design, and size are all original. When the best possible piece is completed, the emotion the customer feels when they put it on is very clearly conveyed.

By the way, is the fabric for men's clothing mostly wool?

Yes, that's right. However, we also use cotton in the summer. The types of fabrics have been increasing lately, haven't they?

Yes. Fabrics focused on functionality have been developed, and I feel there are more choices than before.

In ladies' wear recently, there has been a high demand for polyester that reproduces a wool-like texture. For working women, materials that don't wrinkle easily even when sitting for long periods, or that have stretch, seem to be preferred.

Trends in women's clothing change quickly, don't they? How much do you incorporate design trends at Koji Atelier?

We don't actively incorporate trends very much. This is because we want the clothes we tailor to be worn for three generations.

That's wonderful.

This is also a policy we hold as a family brand. Among my father's customers, there are people in their 70s and 80s, and such people might make a suit with the same fabric as their daughters-in-law or grandchildren.

There are also cases where "hand-me-downs" are remade. For example, making the shoulder pads of a suit that a grandmother used to wear a little thinner and changing the collar for her daughter to wear. We also accept requests for such remakes.

It's gratifying to have clothes worn across generations.

Earlier, Mr. Aoki mentioned "battle dress," but at our atelier, we also call them "winning outfits." When imagining the scenes where such clothes are worn, it might be better not to show trends too strongly. Saying that might make you imagine something a bit old-fashioned, but we also propose that new ways of wearing can be achieved through coordination.

For example, wearing a suit made of the same material for the top and bottom with pumps creates a very classic style, but by incorporating suggestions on how to wear it into the bespoke process—such as "you can wear it like this with boots" or "if you put a knit underneath, you can pair denim pants even with a tweed jacket"—even a winning outfit becomes highly versatile fashion. This is also one of the real pleasures of bespoke.

That proposal is exactly what bespoke is about. You go to have it tailored with a purpose, but it's really nice to get advice so that it can be worn in other scenes as well.

Recently, with the progress of DX, the number of suits that can be made cheaply and quickly has increased. There are shops where you can have tailoring done in China in one week for 50,000 yen. When people get used to that situation, some customers start asking, "Can't it be done right away?"

I feel that people like Mr. Aoki, who love suits and enjoy making them, are decreasing quite a bit now. How is it for women's suits?

My gut feeling is that, on the contrary, the number of people in their 30s and 40s who feel the joy of waiting is increasing. Perhaps they've had enough of fast fashion. When I suggest a design with this kind of fabric, some people can't quite imagine it at first, but they sometimes say that imagining it is fun.

So everyone really does enjoy the time spent making them.

That's right. Conversely, customers sometimes ask, "How about this design with this fabric?" It's also a pleasure to receive such suggestions.

Of course, depending on the fabric, it may not be suitable due to its characteristics. For example, it might become too stiff if made into a skirt. In such cases, I make counter-proposals and fine-tune them, saying, "How about doing it this way?"

In our case, there are customers who start ordering from a single occasion, and we have relationships where we age together with those people. Someone who made their first suit for their child's elementary school entrance ceremony might tailor a new suit for special occasions like a graduation ceremony or a wedding. It feels like walking through life stages together.

More than just selling clothes as a mere product, it's a very enjoyable job to be able to enjoy life while deepening relationships with customers.

Ms. Watanabe, you really talk about it with such joy (laughs).

When the relationship is long, I end up talking at length with the customers. When the conversation gets lively, sometimes we later wonder, "What did we decide on today?" (laughs). Closing the distance with the customer like that is also part of the fun of customer service.

When the conversation gets exciting, you can accidentally forget the agenda for that day's process, can't you?

Yes. Instead, a depth beyond the product itself is born.

I suppose the relationship of trust built over many years is a big factor.

By the way, when Mr. Aoki makes a suit, with what kind of motivation do you go to a tailor?

When I see people who look cool in their suits, I can't help but want to make one myself and head out. I'm always observing the shirt colors of people who wear them well, the balance of the tie and pocket square, or how a certain fabric looks. A suit is battle dress worn for work, but bespoke is truly in the realm of a hobby.

I think the culture of bespoke will increasingly approach that of the kimono. When you go out in a properly tailored suit, it conveys to the people working at hotels and restaurants that you are properly dressed. I always hope that the culture of tailoring suits will remain in a good form, especially among young people.

Was there a special trigger that made you like suits, Mr. Aoki?

Until I joined the TV station, I only wore so-called recruitment suits for entrance and graduation ceremonies. It was the Nippon TV announcement department that taught me various things about how to wear a suit. I was taught everything from basic rules like matching the color of the belt, shoes, and watch.

The NTV announcement department is strict about how to wear a suit. When I got my first bonus, a senior colleague invited me, saying, "Let's go buy leather shoes." At first, I wondered why someone else should decide how I spend my bonus. But I still wear those shoes today, sending them out for repairs and maintaining them.

It was a case of being taught the basics by my seniors and getting hooked.

So NTV had "clothing education."

Clothing education! That's a great term!

I've always thought that I want that to be adopted in school education as well. At Koji Atelier, we supervise the uniform designs for Keio Yochisha Elementary School, Keio Yokohama Elementary School, and Chutobu Junior High School. I've always wanted to spread the culture of formal wear, clothes for showing respect to others, or the culture of learning from attire, such as why we dress formally, within education.

Whether or not you can meet someone who teaches you how to dress, like I did, changes greatly depending on the environment. I have a son who is now in elementary school, and I'm already looking forward to going to make his first suit in the future (laughs). I have to be careful because I feel like I'll end up meddling too much.

By the way, Mr. Aoki, if you were to recommend bespoke to a junior or an acquaintance, what points would you emphasize?

First and foremost, that your movements become elegant. When you put on a suit that was carefully made, you naturally handle it with care and your back straightens. I want to convey that putting on something made with effort and time is a very good experience.

Many people handle things roughly if they are easily obtainable, don't they? That surely won't happen with bespoke. Giving a sloppy impression is not good for an announcer, so I would definitely recommend it to my junior announcers in terms of the sense of cleanliness that appearance provides.

But there are many stylish announcers in Japan. On European TV, the announcers don't look stylish.

In Japan, there is often a stylist attached, so you can be taught the minimum. Someone I admire for his suit style is the actor Shosuke Tanihara. He's always really cool, and I check Mr. Tanihara's program every morning at 8:00 (laughs).

I admire the 007 style from the era of Sean Connery and Roger Moore. It's alluring and very cool. Watching 007 makes me want to wear a suit.

Me too. Generationally, it's Daniel Craig, but one cool thing about James Bond's style is that he can fight (laughs). At the same time, 007 has the possibility of having an audience with Her Majesty the Queen in the story. That's why his style is always wrapped in elegance and is cool.

Speaking of British suits, King Charles. His suit style is indeed cool. The Emperor Emeritus of Japan is also very wonderful.

I'm also always interested in the fashion of the British Royal Family. In particular, I'm impressed by Princess Catherine's style; even though she wears classic suits, she incorporates fast fashion in some parts to add a bit of a "twist." That exquisite balance of not everything being custom-made is wonderful.

Adding a "twist" to create a relaxed feel.

Yes. But it doesn't become offensive. It's really a learning experience.

At Koji Atelier, we also tailor suits for the Japanese Imperial Family. We are always asked for very formal dresses, but I secretly hope that someday they might wear fashion like Princess Catherine's.

When you wanted to learn how to dress, fashion magazines used to be strong, didn't they? I think the influence of "MEN'S EX" and "LEON" was significant in the popularity of Classico Italia. I also studied nerdy ways of tying neckties in magazines.

Magazines were the textbooks.

Now that the influence of magazines is weakening, I think meeting a good teacher like Mr. Aoki is really significant. But not everyone can meet such a person.

Lately, there are men who don't know how to tie a necktie. Among doctors, those who usually wear T-shirts under their white coats might not know how to tie one. It's also not well known that you should unbutton your jacket when sitting in a suit.

Exactly. Some people fasten their buttons to pull in their stomachs when taking a photo, and I sometimes tell them that's not right. But they don't teach such things in school...

Recently, what beauty journalist Kaoru Saito said at our study group was that "the concept of beauty is collapsing." For example, train cosmetics. It used to be said that applying makeup inside a train was unrefined, but now it has become a common sight.

There is a distinction between things that must not be changed and things that must be changed, isn't there?

The "etiquette of attire."

Hearing "clothing education" earlier made sense to me.

Everyone knows too little.

On the other hand, there is also a culture of enjoying breaking the rules on purpose. For example, when I see someone with working cuffs (a jacket design where the cuffs open) and the outermost button is undone, I feel happy, thinking, "That person has working cuffs!" (laughs).

Ah, so Mr. Aoki really does love suits (laughs).

Yes. But that's probably just something I enjoy personally, and it's not like there's a specific correct answer.

Mr. Aoki, try sewing a buttonhole for a cuff yourself. If you do it yourself, you'll want to thank the person who sews them.

I see. It is difficult, isn't it?

That's right. Buttonholes are particularly difficult.

It's a bit embarrassing, but I actually have my buttons sewn on unevenly on purpose. I tell the tailor not to sew them in a straight line. It's a way of showing that it was made by hand rather than by a machine.

Do you know the origin of the culture where uneven buttons are considered cool?

I don't. Please tell me.

Japanese tailors are very meticulous, so they have the skill to align things perfectly. In comparison, Italian tailors are more casual in their work. However, that Italian style became the trend.

As a result, unevenness came to be seen as stylish and popular. Even suits from famous brands like Kiton have wavy cuffs.

I see. Certainly, with a Japanese mindset, one would finish things straight and neatly. Is your concept of JAXUARY a proposal to re-evaluate that Japanese meticulousness?

That's right. I want to properly update the best of Japanese manufacturing and the best of European manufacturing. Japanese suits are crisp, but they are like armor and lack sex appeal. Japanese business people want to put everything in their pockets, like wallets and notebooks, don't they?

That's true.

Suits were not originally made for that. It's not elegant to have various things in your pockets. Therefore, European tailors clearly tell their clients to carry a bag.

In the past, Japanese tailors took orders like order-takers. They responded seriously to requests from customers who wanted suits with durable pockets. As a result, they would put in stiff interlining, creating thick jackets.

It's no wonder they aren't beautiful. I think putting everything in your pockets is a bad habit.

The way of thinking about shirts is also different. In Japan, shirts are often thought of as an extension of underwear, but for Europeans, they are outerwear just like jackets. Did you know that shirt factories are actually disappearing in Japan?

No, I didn't know that.

An overwhelming number of people thought that while they would spend hundreds of thousands of yen on a suit, a standard dress shirt was fine. Because of that, the number of shirt makers doing meticulous work has decreased. It's been changing little by little recently, but there are probably only about five shirt shops in the country today where you can have a shirt made bespoke.

The reason Japanese tailors are decreasing is that by responding seriously to customer requests, the suits became unappealing and lost out to Italian-made ones. In the past, when department stores held order events inviting Italian tailors, roughly sewn Italian suits costing 700,000 yen sold well, while perfectly made Japanese suits didn't sell even at 300,000 yen.

I'm deeply convinced. The reason I like bespoke is that I can hear stories like this from the tailors. I graduated from the Faculty of Letters with a Major in History at Keio, and it's truly enjoyable to touch upon history and culture. I felt like I could listen to this forever.

Indeed. Since there is no single correct answer in fashion, it's very educational to unravel its history.

I rarely have the opportunity to talk objectively about my work with someone who actually orders bespoke, so today was a valuable experience.