The Brilliance!

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We’re really internet and we’re really back. A website about things Benjamin , Chuck , Virgil , and various friends & guests think are interesting. Little-to-no specific focus, a bit odd, speling errors, and incredibly culturally relevant.

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Interview! > Kazuki Kuraishi !

TB! > Explain the Fragment design collective? What determines the projects Fragment takes on and how are projects managed within the group.

KK! > Fragment is Hiroshi Fujiwara's office and there are two other people working for the company. Hiroshi and I work on the design projects but since I work as a free-lancer I am not the typical Full-time job position. When I am asked to design for Fragment, Hiroshi and myself would discuss first and make a decision.

TB! > What clients are you working for at the moment?

KK! > Fragment is involved designing for Levi's Fenom, Idiom, Neighborhood 07Autumn/Fall and Resonate 07Autumn/Fall collection. As for me, I just finished designing for an album and single cover for Japanese artists called, RYUKYU DISCO, which will be released June, July and August.

TB! > What is your daily routine?

KK! > I go to work 11am everyday and go home different time depending on the workload.

TB! > Name 3 necessities of your office environment?

KK! > Mac,Music and Coffee.

TB! > Do you ever find yourself designing to meet your clients needs or your personal likes and dislikes?

KK! > For clothing, we only make what we want. This is how we've worked and will always be so. Though for CD cover jacket, I would always talk and share ideas with the artists until we both agree.

TB! > Expansion of Japan streetwear culture has been much more widespread in recent years. Are you surprised by the somewhat sudden interest in Japanese culture influencing Western culture rather than what seemed to be the reverse?

KK! > I don't really think about it... Just making things what we like and people started to call it street fashion. I am very happy to see the fact that people worldwide are paying attention to it.

TB! > How important is traveling for your creative inspiration? Any cities/countries you have yet to visit but would really love to before you die?

KK! > It is very important. For me there's no boundaries between work and private, so meeting friends, visiting museums, and going supermarket, I am influenced by everything. These experiences positively affect my design sometimes, but just breathing at a different land excites me. I would love to visit somewhere I have not been yet -- maybe Alaska for snowboarding!

TB! > What are some of your favorite brands in the world in any industry? Favorite brands in fashion/streetwear right now and why?

KK! > VISVIM which I also help designing. The design is so simple and the brand logo is often humbly attached, if none, yet the wear itself makes it so VISVIM. For example, you don't have to find logo to identify VISVIM shoes, but by simply looking at the shoe itself, you can identify the brand. And more important, the comfort and the fit is really great.

TB! > The spectrum of textiles used in the streetwear fashion differs greatly from the spectrum of textiles used in the major fashion industry. How important is an understanding the fabrics in your clothing projects?

KK! > Not too long time ago, there were more attention to design rather than fabric material for the street wear. But brands like VISVIM changed the industry where now both design and quality of the fabric material are very important. But to categorize VISVIM as a street wear or not is another question... I personally like simple design with particular attention to the textile.

TB! > Does your graphic design process begin on paper or the computer?

KK! > To avoid what everyone nowadays is doing, just design by PC, I put effort to process design by paper.

TB! > Favorite piece of furniture?

KK! > Eames's Plywood Elephant chair.

TB! > Last major purchase?

KK! > Eames's Plywood Elephant chair.

TB! > Preferred mode of transportation around Tokyo?

KK! > There's too much traffic so bike or motorbike.

TB! > Favorite Font?

KK! > Helvetica

TB! > Magazines or Blogs? New York or London? Hi-tops or Low Top shoes? Comme de Garcons or Martin Margiela?

KK! > Magazines,London,Hi-tops,Gomme de Garcons.

TB! > If you weren't in this profession, what else could you see yourself doing?

KK! > Not sure but I think I'd be still making things.

TB! > Thanks for the insight. Very much appreciated. Is there anyone you would like to thank?

KK! > All my friends!

End.

http://www.fragment.jp/