I discovered japanese made clothing through forums and websites. I got to know the brands through some fanatics jeans and also scanned magazine pages, which showed me a totally new universe. Since then, access to products from Japan rose sharply. Brands that previously operated only in the japanese market began appearing in stores all around the world. I also had the opportunity to know the country and see a bit of it all. But how they got to that point was still a mystery to me, why couldn't it be like that in Brazil too?
What Amora does is unify all this information through very extensive research. E. David Marx tracked many important figures and obscure clues to trace a narrative that explains the evolution of men's fashion industry in Japan, through the consumption behavior, creation, and content. Reading is light and the build up makes a very exciting plot. The book has less than 300 pages that talk about the Ivy style in Japan, the US denim reproductions, vintage culture, workwear, the avant-garde, and streetwear concept brands.
One of the most interesting things in the book is how it describes the role of men's style magazines. These magazines, written by enthusiasts, took on the function of describing the "rules" of American clothing, encoding all styles in categories such as "Ivy", "Heavy Duty", etc. If a Japanese wanted to use Ivy League clothes in the early '60s, he had no older as a reference point and so had to resort to the media to tell you what to buy and how to use. The American style in Japan was not a copy, but more of a filtered version by through the eyes of "influencers"
These authors were mainly inspired by catalogs, and as the Japanese rew more confident, magazines decreased the"cake recipes". I found this to be a very interesting aspect because we're in a similar boat here in Brazil. There are no references in our society for those who want to dress well, or those like a style in Brazil. Brands are pretty much all the same, and follow the same ideas. There is no diversity of styles... you can't find ivy, you can't find workwear, you can't find high fashion, at least not easily and without huge import duties. If a brand wants to introduce a new product it needs to explain how to use that product, show references, creates "rules", fight backslash of consumers, etc. We are still at the stage of how to tie a tie, not to ride your custom Harley wearing flip flops, etc. Even new creative brands do not have many resources because of operating costs, or access to knowledge and expertise to go beyond the surface of their inspiration. Sounds very much like the Japan in the early stages of "Ametora"! Unfortunately we do not have magazines and people creating content so cool, but fortunately we have the internet and books like this one!
I highly recomend it even if you're not into fashion and clothes. Read it for the history, cultural aspect, and thrilling story of some cool entrepeneurs.
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