Interview with Yusuke Oshiba (Part 1)

We hear about Oshiba Yusuke's unique " eyewear theory, " as he has been closely involved in fashion and culture.

OWN (hereinafter O): In this interview, I would like to talk about fashion and accessories . I've been hanging out with Oshiba-san for a long time, and I get the impression that you have quite a lot of fashion accessories, and that you like them, right?

Oshiba Yusuke (hereafter referred to as Y): You mean accessories that aren't clothing, right? Yes, I like them. Hats, glasses, watches, in general. Also, to me, bags are more like accessories than just something to carry my belongings. Not just bags, but I'm the type of person who likes to have several of my favorite accessories rather than having one thing that lasts a lifetime.

How did you choose those accessories?

Rather than choosing based on color or shape, I choose accessories on their own. With glasses, I choose whether I like the glasses themselves. I don't choose based on whether they go with the clothes I'm wearing.

OThat 's pretty special, isn't it? (laughs)

Y: I've never talked about this before, but I thought everyone was like this (laughs). I think I buy accessories just because I want to wear a certain pair of glasses, rather than because they go with an outfit. I think accessories are about whether they have appeal on their own.

O I don't think about whether the item I want in the store will fit into my home repertoire.

Y: I've never even thought about that (laughs).

So your standard when buying accessories is whether the item itself is attractive. Is that also true for clothes?

Y : Ah, that might be true. I feel like I choose my clothes in the same way, even though I'm not aware of it. So maybe that's why the clothes and accessories I own end up matching naturally.

At what age did you start to become aware of fashion accessories and small items?

Y: Ever since I was little, I had wanted to wear glasses. However, I couldn't wear them because I had good eyesight. So I was definitely conscious of it when I was in the lower grades of elementary school.

Did you recognize glasses as a fashionable item back then?

Y: I definitely did. Maybe it was because of the local area, but storytellers (rakugo artists) would come to give lectures at our school. You know those " old man black-rimmed glasses " that those guys wear? I remember thinking they were really nice. Also, my late grandfather was a pretty stylish guy. He was particularly particular about glasses and jeans. He was a very stylish guy, like going to the off-track betting parlor in Asakusa on Sundays and buying new glasses if he won a race. I was sometimes taken there too, so maybe my taste in glasses was influenced by him. That's why I still like relatively classic glasses.

O I see. Then as you grew up you were able to buy your own glasses and fashion accessories. Did you collect a lot of different things?

I did! But they all look so similar that people ask me, "How many of the same ones do you have?" (laughs). Most of them are black-rimmed. I still have the ones I thought were cool when I was a kid (laughs).

OI guess tastes don't change after all (laughs).

To be continued in the second part

This interview is featured in the OWN 1st Collection LOOK BOOK, which is currently on sale. It is said that print media is on the decline, but I believe that there is still a charm that only paper can offer. The LOOK BOOK also includes a Mix CD by Oshiba and OWN , as well as columns by specially selected authors, so I hope you will pick up the actual copy.

By OWN

OWN LOOK BOOK HERE