question of who I am. I grew up in Japan, but my designer soul was born and brought up in Italy. I noticed that there is too much information and confusion in our lives through the internet now, so I blocked enormous information overflowing in the world in order to produce my designs. I stopped watching the Internet and instead read books and looked at the architectures, sculptures, paintings and beautiful things around me in Italy— the Japanese landscapes and experiences reflected in my eyes. I have naturally found out the original style using Japanese origami that I used to play in my childhood, as well as Italian artistic craftsmanship. Now, I aim to disseminate the arts, beauty, culture, and craftsmanship of Italy and Japan to people around the world through fashion. MOD: What’s your favorite piece from your latest collection & why? Yojiro: My favorite item is the Whole Petals Jacket. I believe this jacket is not a stage costume, it can be real clothing that expresses women’s full delicacy, strength, femininity, and elegance. Also, I value the fact that we are the slow fashion brand, and this jacket can be a symbol of our craftsmanship, which is made by incorporating manual works. MOD: If you could design for anyone in the world, who would be your ideal muse & why? Yojiro: Most of our current customers are in creative fields, such as architects, novelists, artists, photographers, designers and other people who have artistic minds. They are always my muses, and they always help me to create new ideas. I create designs seriously towards those who care for their clothing like their skin. MOD: What helps you get in the zone, while designing? Yojiro: For [designing], I need the same work places, desk, chair, table, pen, sketchbook, silence, as usual—they make me relax to the utmost, and always lead me to the right way. mod: What’s your motto? Yojiro: It is not just to design clothes; Design people’s minds. mod: What are some of the most notable ways you’ve evolved as a designer, since you started? Yojiro: I believed that the technological capabilities would produce better design, when I was in Japan. However, I got the opportunity to produce experimental clothes, such as dresses made of paper and jackets made of empty cans, when I was studying in Italy, which is the country of art. This experience changed my values significantly. I noticed the attractiveness of designs that can’t be created with technology. From this experience, it lead to a design made with origami, which is the origin of my label. mod: What’s been the highlight of your design career, so far?
Yojiro: I received the “Polimoda Talent” award after my presentation at the Polimoda final show in 2012, Florence Italy. It was during Milan Fashion Week, exhibited at the Mauro Grifoni Flagship Store in Milan, and was a great success. At the same time, I started to work for Roberto Cavalli as a textile designer. In 2014, I collaborated with “Class Hair Academy” in Prato, as an Italian representative, and designed the costumes in the form of performances, such as my first fashion show at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. In 2013, the logo of label Yojiro Kake was registered officially in Florence Italy, then approved as a legal company in March 2016. mod: Where would you like to see yourself and your designs in the future? Yojiro: I am Japanese, and my label was born and [developed] in Italy, so I have a strong desire to see my label at the Milan Fashion Week runway show, as an Italian brand, in the future. mod: What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned on your journey in fashion, thus far? Yojiro: What I learned through fashion is the diversity of beauty and that people’s different appearance and style is not called “difference,” it’s “one kind of beauty.” mod: Any advice for other young, aspiring designers out there? Yojiro: Always ask yourself who you are and who you are going to design for. mod: What are three pieces every woman should have in her wardrobe? Yojiro: In the increasingly frenetic and globalized world, the most important thing, in my opinion, is to maintain one’s personality. So, I would say that, first of all, they have to be the design leaders that emphasize the personality of the wearer, and at the same time, emphasize femininity. For today’s modern woman, I would choose an elegant dress with soft lines, a shirt with a strong design that can be combined with any skirt or trousers, and a nice coat or overcoat. mod: Tell us a fun fact about yourself. What are some things you enjoy? Yojiro: Recently, I’ve been having fun, having a stroll, bringing a camera. Everything visible here in Tuscany, Italy is beautiful— the buildings, the sculptures, the arts, the landscape surrounded by the mountains. The seasonal change gives me peace and discovery. mod: Where can people find you and more of your work? Yojiro: Website: www.yojirokake.com Instagram: @yojirokake Facebook: Yojiro Kake