2-tacs and SEVEN BY SEVEN have collaborated for the first time, resulting in a line of one-of-a-kind work shirts made from remade vintage clothing. These items are imbued with the twists, playfulness, and uniqueness that only two people who share a love of American culture can bring to the table.
| 2-tacs 1-tac is a brand created by stylist Ryoji Homma and was launched in 1998. The brand name is a combination of the words "remaking vintage clothing (1-tac)" and "processing clothes to fit each individual (1-tac)." |
The base for the remake was an American work shirt from the 70s and 80s. This shirt, which was a uniform for workers, had the wearer's name patch sewn onto it, but by adding chain stitching of "I'm not" on top, it was transformed into a joke shirt. It's a piece with a twist, where someone's clothes have been transformed into their own with a bit of fun.
In fact, this idea was conceived by Homma about 25 years ago and released by 2-tacs. Kawakami, who knew him back then, suggested, "Why don't we try that again?", which is how this collaboration came to fruition.
Kawakami has collected over 100 work shirts, and has added chain embroidery (which was done with a marker pen at the time) based on Homma's idea, along with cut-off pieces of the map jacket that 2-tacs used in the brand's early days, to create unique pieces.
The chain embroidery comes in three colors. The map jacket tags are all assorted. Find your own unique piece from the wide range of designs and materials.
Question and Answer session
By two designers
"Question and Answer"
We asked the two, who work seriously with clothes in their respective fields every day, a question-and-answer session. In their conversation, we glimpsed the "fun of fashion" and the "interest of remaking."
Q1. What is the first thing you think about when making clothes?
Homma: What I want.
Kawakami: Fabric.
Q2. Which do you prioritize: comfort or appearance?
Homma: Comfort.
Kawakami: It's difficult, but I guess it's appearance.
Q3. What was the first fashion item you bought?
Homma: 501 (Levi's).
Kawakami: Superstar (adidas).
Q4. What is the oldest item in your closet?
Homma: Red Wing engineer boots.
Kawakami: Levi's jeans.
Q5. What do you want most right now?
Homma: A chainsaw.
Kawakami: Nothing in particular.
Q6. If you weren't working in fashion, what would you be doing?
Homma: Shoplifting detective.
Kawakami: A craftsman of some kind.
Q7.What do you like most about this collaboration?
Homma: I can't choose.
Kawakami: I think it's this one I'm wearing now.
Q8. If you had to name one style icon, who would it be?
Homma: An ordinary man at a nearby station.
Kawakami: Mr. Honma.
Q9. Will you collaborate again?
Kawakami: If Mr. Honma gives the OK.
Homma: When the time comes!
The two check their answers.
Kawakami: What do you want, a chainsaw? (laughs)
Homma: A long chainsaw with a blade length of 70cm. I really want one. I'm currently making chairs and such.
Kawakami: Is there any clothing you want? I can't think of anything at all.
Homma: I have a strong desire for material things, so there are a lot of things I want. Even now, when I have time, I go around to second-hand clothing stores.
Kawakami: I do it too, but it's not because I'm driven by material desires; rather, it would be more accurate to say that I'm looking for something that will stimulate my material desires.
Homma: I understand that too. It's the desire to find something you don't know yet, something you've never seen before. I have that too. It's what they call "discovering something new." But that's the fun of vintage clothing.
Kawakami: It was the same with this collaboration. I was looking through various vintage clothes and happened to come across a lot of work shirts. I was like, "I've come across this, I have to do it" (laughs).
Homma: By the way, there are about 30 outfits here today. Which one is your favorite?
Kawakami: I'm wearing the gray one right now.
Homma: I also thought it was the one I'm wearing now, but looking at it again today, I can see something different. It feels like my perception of it changes every time I see it... I think that's part of the fun of remaking things.
Kawakami: Remakes are all about having fun.
Homma: To be honest, I don't know if this is a fashionable item or not (laughs). But I do think it's a really interesting item.
Kawakami: You said that your style icon is a middle-aged man from around here. I understand that (laughs).
Homma: There are those every now and then. People who make you wonder, "Is this person's way of matching socks intentional or just a coincidence?!" To begin with, I believe that if someone finds out that something is fashionable, it's no longer fashionable, so the more subtle those people are, the more I find them helpful. Like, "I'll take that idea."
Kawakami: I'd love to collaborate with you again.
Homma: Well, even if we do it that often, when the time comes, let's do something fun again.