About five years ago.
Regarding KENNETH FIELD, I wrote an article asking, "Is it an easy-to-understand brand or a difficult-to-understand brand?"
I once wrote an article like that.
My answer then is the same as now.
For me, KENNETH FIELD is still a hard-to-understand brand.
But strangely, I've been continuously drawn to it.
While working in clothing retail out of passion, there are several moments when I think, "This is a沼 (swamp/trap)."
One of them is for items in genres I love.
The more similar things I buy, the more I notice small differences, and I want them again.
Most of the things I love are items that feel just right when I wear them.
Such encounters naturally loosen my purse strings.
After all, I want to wear things that are "like me."
And for those of you reading this article,
There's another "entrance to the沼 (swamp/trap)" that you've probably experienced at least once. It's when you encounter something that you're not sure if it suits you, but you're stimulated to try it on (or want to master wearing it).
You could just keep buying things you know suit you, but there are times when you want to step outside that boundary.
That's when I think, "This is a沼 (swamp/trap)."
For me, the brand KENNETH FIELD is precisely the kind of existence that stirs such impulses.
KENNETH FIELD was launched in 2012.
The concept is "For NEW TRADITIONALIST."
Based on the theme "For people who respect tradition but never forget their mixed sensibilities and playfulness that are not bound by the times," the brand offers items that update American traditional clothing from multiple angles.
The designer is Kenichi Kusano.
He designs primarily American traditional clothing from the 80s onwards that he experienced, while focusing on cultures from various countries and regions from the early 1990s to the present.
Sports coats, chambray shirts, gurkha trousers, ties.
There are many iconic items of the brand,
but strangely, I can't narrow it down to just one and say, "This is KENNETH FIELD."
Is it trad?
Is it workwear?
Is it military?
Is it outdoor?
The person who looks best in KENNETH FIELD clothes is Mr. Kusano.
This is natural, as he creates things he truly wants to wear, based on his own experiences, filters, and philosophy...
However, instead of combining categories with different roots,
details like cigar pockets and fishing motifs reflect Mr. Kusano's own lifestyle.
I believe that the unique appeal of KENNETH FIELD lies in this blend of the grand scale of history and culture from various countries with the more intimate scale of individual daily life.
From the products born from this,
I feel as if I'm being asked questions like:
"How do you see this?"
"How would you wear this?"
I sometimes wonder if my interpretation is wrong,
or if I'm just thinking that way on my own.
But more than that, I want to challenge myself.
A few years ago, I ordered a suit as recommended by Mr. Kusano.
To be honest, I didn't fully understand why that fabric and that model were chosen.
But I think that was fine.
I think about it as I wear it.
Why this one? How would I wear it?
And even now, looking back.
As I search for its meaning, changes in my own sensibilities and subsequent reflections come to mind.
When I engage with KENNETH FIELD clothing, I naturally spend more time thinking about clothes.
And before I know it, I find myself enjoying fashion even more.
Including the thinking and the struggling,
each time it becomes a habit, and I think, "Ah, this is a沼 (swamp/trap)."
That's what I think.
