Fashion styles are versatile and individual. Some always wear the same clothes and others wear something new every time you meet them. If you have a unique item or a custom that can be defined as your identity, your style can be deeper in its meaning. In this section, we would like to talk about favourite things of those, who have been influencing us with their unique fashion styles. We believe they inspire us and show us how important it is to have an individual style that is your identity.

 

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Setup suits with black-rimmed glasses. Looking at a portrait of musicians and their smart appearances, I give more than a passing thought to style. Buddy Holly, aka a rock ‘n’ roller with glasses, who passed away at the age of 22. His glasses were a wellington frame, which sides rose upwards. It is said that his style was one of reasons to convince John Lennon to wear glasses.

 

Many people must have seen Bill Evans’s classic style on the album cover of Portrait in Jazz, which was released in 1959. Jazzmen at the time were fashion icons. Styled up in a suit together with black-framed glasses give the impression of intellect. It was a formal outfit worn by a musician performing on stage.

This style was established as their “workwear” but it became recognized as a state-of-the-art fashion and gained popularity.

 

On the other hand, when Elvis Costello made his debut in the late 70’s, it was in the middle of the Punk movement that was sweeping the world. So his outfit, a set-up suit with black-framed glasses, was very alien for a rock musician to wear and people said that it was reminiscent of Buddy Holly. The underling point is being different from others and a little bit of inevitability. A suit with black-rimmed glasses, is well suited as a portrait of a smart musician.

 
 
Elvis Costello
(August 25, 1953) is a Liverpool-born musician, composer and producer. Since his debut in 1977, Costello is one of the leading figures in the Rock scene.
 
Bill Evans
(August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist. Evans was one of the most talented artists in the modern-jazz world who created numerous masterpieces.
 
Buddy Holly
(September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959) was an American rock ’n’ roller. Holly created a foundation of the so-called band style and made a very strong impact on the future styles of rock music.
 
 
 

Photo Taijun Hiramoto Styling Shuhei Yoshida

Illustration Éi Kaneko

Text Ryo Tajima Translate Fumie Tsuji