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We present a second volume of the special discussion for T-1 from
Zenta Nishida, an assistant editor of “Casa BRUTUS”.
Risa Tanaka, an editor of “Senden Kaigi”.
And Ureshka, chief editor of onlile design magazine “Pingmag“.
How those three specialists see the “Tokyo design” ?
| ── |
For this year’s T-1, designers are participated from worldwide-13 countries. How do you guys feel about “Tokyo design”? |
| Tanaka |
Talking about Japanese advertisement, the movement like getting a Clio Award this year is becoming visible little by little. Speaking with tendency, advertisements with smaller tricks are getting more attention than fancy advertisements from abroad. Even our editorial office gets the request from Netherlands and Sweden for having a chance to see Japanese creators. I’m realizing Japan is being watched and getting attention.
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| Nishida |
ago, so it’s not like Japan is getting attention now particularly. But following them, people like Tadao Ando who trained and had a carrier in commercial architecture came up… And now, 30-60years old architects are blended together and fight and help each other. That is the situation.
So, I thought it was an interesting approach choosing architects for participants. |
| ── |
We also were excited about the way architects who usually make 3D objects draw their design on T-shirts that is 2D campus. |
| Nishida |
Besides that, for example now, people like Kashiwa Sato who is mainly successful in 2D field try to expand their places to a direction of architect.
The border between fields of design may be getting unclear. |
| Tanaka |
That’s true. |
| Nishida |
For design people, drawing a line for their stage is getting more harder.
Especially after the 90s, non-professional people started to do graphic and make books…that kind of thing became easier and also is an interesting point of Tokyo, I think. |
| ── |
I see. |
| Nishida |
On the other hand, it is severe for graphic designers because graphic is not only for them anymore. For example, we couldn’t think of product designers design T-shirts 10 years ago and even if they did it, I guess that nobody cared. Also there was no media for pulling it together. |
| ── |
Sure. You might be right. |
| Nishida |
Different backgrounds people fight against each other just for under the rule of “T-shirts”… We can say that is why it has got to be “T-shirts”.
No one can take advantage of it. |
| Tanaka |
Right. |
| Nishida |
And it doesn’t translate to everyone even if you say you made an advertisement for SMAP, because occupations, ages and even nationalities of the audience are different.
It’s amazing that even a name like Kashiwa Sato doesn’t mean anything. |
| Tanaka |
Last year’s theme was “T-shirts that everyone wants to wear”, so creators thought about “What do they want to wear?” for the first place.
But this time, I feel more of “spirits of designers”, and there might be conflict between “This kind of T-shirt is cool.” “I want them to wear a T-shirt like this.” feelings and “ Be honest, I want to be chosen.” like-feeling. |
| ── |
Yes. |
| Tanaka |
So, I have a comment that everybody have determined about that part of things and made designs for this T-1. Because of that, it seems more difficult but more than that, it’s really fun to look at.
There were some T-shirts that impression was unexpected. “Kashiwa did it like this for this time.” or “Yanai, I couldn’t imagine this”. |
| ── |
Was Yanai’s T-shirt unexpected? |
| Tanaka |
Yes, pretty much it was. |
| Nishida |
What does it mean? |
| ── |
The name is “OREKOKO T (I’m here T)”… |
| Nishida |
Oh, There is Japanese map on the part of a heart. |
| ── |
Adding for it, if you go abroad, you can ask, “Where is your country?” and are pointed. |
| Nishida |
I see. For that reason, I’d like him to remake it when borders changes every single time. |
| Tanaka |
Yeah. (laugh) |
| Nishida |
You can recognize that T-shirt is from 3 years ago.
“This country is already gone now.” Like this. (laugh) |
| Tanaka |
Both of Gugi Akiyama and Katsunori Aoki love soccer, so they made images like this with hearts a full of cheering. |
| ── |
Only Ayumi Ohashi used “Japan Blue”. |
| Tanaka |
Thinking about that, it feels weird other Japanese designers didn’t use it. |
| ── |
Is there any reason for many of T-shirts on white? |
| Nishida |
Well, I guess it is going to be white if you want to win.
Jun Aoki might have thought about it.
Various kinds of T-shirts would appear; so white might be turn to be stuck out. |
| ── |
Silas’s design, it’s on the satellite…
What is the meaning of “Happy Ending” which was attached to the T-shirt’s design? |
| Uleshka |
This is NASA’s design.
There is a soccer field and inside of it, there are Adam, Eve and some balls, “Happy Ending”.
Does it mean happy ending when the game ends? |
| ── |
Oh, I see!
If I hear that, I can see like that! |
| Nishida |
If it’s so, I wanted them to have soccer balls, and then I could understand. |
| 一同 |
Hahaha. |
| ── |
Who is the person you’ve known through an interview, Uleshka? |
| Uleshka |
Stefan Sagmeister, Naoto Fukasawa, Kam Tang, Oded Ezer, Erik Spiekermann…Tom Vincent, of course. (laugh) |
| ── |
How is Nando Costa? |
| Uleshka |
I know him pretty much. |
| ── |
What do you think the Nando Costa’s motif expresses? |
| Uleshka |
Green color is maybe a soccer field and as well as a color of Brazil. Nando uses this “hand” motif a lot in these days. It’s like a puppet. And the meaning can be that “who has a right to control?” |
| Tanaka |
Oh, I see. |
| Uleshka |
We have an image for Brazil as “a country of soccer power”.
Using that Brazil color but at the same time, maybe he wanted to put many meanings like “Who is the strongest for real?” or “Who controls Brazilian soccer?” “Does soccer control Brazil?” and made this design. |
| Nishida |
Anyway, we usually don’t have an opportunity to discuss about T-shirts like this. (laugh) |
| Tanaka |
It seems like we can talk about it forever. (laugh) |
| ── |
Mimi Son from Korea drew “ heart” in Korean. |
| Uleshka |
In this case, does the “heart” have a nuance like “my country”? Mimi is very powerful and energetic woman. She gave a birth in recent, and maybe that’s why the heart is drawn.
I can’t understand well the Ayumi Ohashi’s T-shirt… |
| ── |
These are Japanese “wave” and “sun”.
In the back, there is “Mt. Fuji”. |
| Tanaka |
Those Japanese symbols are used as a motif, so it’s really easy to understand for Japanese people. (laugh) |
| Uleshka |
Oh! I got it. |
| ── |
Maybe it’s easier to understand a T-shirt from your own country.
The Hamansutra’s T-shirt seems wanting a description. |
| Uleshka |
He is a fashion designer who was making clothes for German military forces.
He actually had a background of studying making military clothes and makes really crazy clothes. |
| Nishida |
Is this a baby? |
| Uleshka |
Yes.
This baby is a dummy for crash experiments. |
| Nishida |
Ah-huh, the crash experiments for cars.
That is little bit grotesque…
If I look at it carefully, it seems like the baby wears a seatbelt. |
| Uleshka |
He was born in Germany and studied in London…
He is a designer being famous in many countries and has a complicated nationality.
His design is freely and aggressive, though. |
| ── |
Is that from his experiences living in many countries? |
| Uleshka |
I don’t know about that.
Klein Dytham architecture’s T-shirt says “Let’s foreign”,
They make a joke about their selves being in Japan. |
| Nishida |
How should I get this meaning?
Does it mean, “Let’s being a foreigner.” or “Let’s go abroad.”? |
| Uleshka |
I can’t say.
“Let’s” is not used in correct grammar. |
| ── |
The back print of the T-shirt has a hint.
In Katakana, “Foreigners are great (I’m not scared of foreigners.)!”. |
| Nishida |
Ah-huh!
I understand that kind of nuance from it. |
| ── |
And the motifs are a thing for Matcha and an English teacup.
That makes a “Tea” shirt. (laugh) |
| Tanaka |
Tea shirts, okay.(laugh) |
| Uleshka |
He’s playing with words.
However, I think the Usman’s T-shirt is hard to tell his nationality. |
| ── |
Kam Tang, too. |
| Tanaka |
This one is cute. |
| Uleshka |
Yes, it is cute.
Oded’s design is very interesting, too. We rarely see Hebrew words and the character by itself is really experimental, so actually I think we can’t read it. |
| ── |
Oded also works on 3D objects. |
| Uleshka |
Yes. He makes typography in 3D and creates an object looked like an insect.
He is so famous in his country, Israel. |
| Nishida |
I was looking at these T-shirts one by one, but these designs are really sharp for the project of “Hobonichi”.
Is this really for “Hobonichi”?
That’s why it is so interesting.
It is like “They come to a field like this.” |
| ── |
Those designers are from various fields, so there is not much of T-shirt-ish T-shirts. |
| Nishida |
From that aspect, the biggest thing is like I said that borderlines are getting unclear.
If the design by itself is strong enough, even when it’s categorized “T-shirts” for example, all sorts of people who have titles can get together at one point. |
| Tanaka |
And you can pick anything if you simply like it without knowing about the designer. That is T-1. |
| Nishida |
T-1’s system makes it work.
They keep going in a right way.
It’s weird way of saying but I think you shouldn’t do something that can’t be a business.
It’s not good if you do just singing and having fun.
You should pay an incentive fee for makers and give buyers satisfaction… |
| Uleshka |
Especially, people who bought the champion T-shirt can have pleasure of being in first place. It’s got some essence of gambling. |
| Nishida |
So, my conclusion is “the important thing is a system. That’s it.” And you get all these people who can do “sharp ” things for their designs together.I’m impressed for that point. |
[To be continued]
2006/6/19
First of all, we’d like to thank you for the offers for sharing your place as a “museum” to exhibit the T-1 WORLD CUP t-shirts!
48 “T-1 Museums” will be opening throughout the world!
From stylish interior shops to record stores and book stores in Tokyo; cafes, schools, windows of a corporate building, pub in north Kanto, and even a temple in the Shikoku region will become a “museum” to exhibit one out of the 24 t-shirts!
Plus, this “museum” is going international!!
4 t-shirts will be displayed in 4 cities around the world; New York, London, Edinburgh, and Shanghai!
Here are a few of the “museums” that will open!
hhstyle.com Harajuku Shop (Shibuya-ku, Tokyo)
Barikiya (Kamo-gun, Shizuoka)
Mainichi Okinawa Maioki Cafe (Okinawa City, Okinawa)
The “museums” are there for you to enjoy the atmosphere with the t-shirt displayed, or for you to check the design in detail, like the colors of the print, or the way the ink is used.
The opening hours and other details of each “museum” will be announced in the near future. Meanwhile, this page is for you to check the “museum” opening nearby.
Don’t miss the reports from the museums we’ll be updating soon!
2006/6/19
T-shirts are made to be worn, and seeing the t-shirts on people let’s us see the design in a new perspective.
It struck us how lively the t-shirt looked on the photo of Stefan Sagmeister.
We want more than the usual portraits of models wearing the shirts; we want you in the game!
We’ve decided to take photos of you, wearing the t-shirts!
We’re recruiting teams with 24 members or more to become the models for our t-shirts!
Let us take a group photo of you and your team wearing each of the 24 t-shirts!
Are you going to play in a local soccer game? How about your team and your rival team together as a model?
Are you in a baseball team? How about having your team photo taken in the baseball field?
Are you in a lacrosse team at school? Is your class over 24 students? How about you and your colleagues at your office?
Any team can apply, as long as you are a team of over 24 members, and you can get together somewhere in or near Tokyo.
Just a group of friends over 24 people is also ok.
The staff of the T-1 WORLD CUP office and the photographer will visit you at the time and place your team is available for the shoot.
And we’ll bring the 24 t-shirts for you to wear!
The photos will appear on this page in the near future.
For your team to become a model, send us a message titled “Team Model” to the address below.
The shooting is scheduled between June 23rd and July 3rd.
Please tell us when your team is available during this period, and also tell us the name of the leader of your team.
The deadline for application is June 22nd (Thu).
mail@t-1.cc
We’ll pick out the teams to shoot from the e-mails we receive, and will contact the groups we decide to visit.
Since there is a limitation to the time and place our staff can reach, models are limited to teams and groups in or near Tokyo.
This may be the chance for your team to make its world debut in the T-1 WORLD CUP!
2006/6/18
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