Worldwide Creative Journal n°4
Going to New York, a city where many young people are looking to start something new, might just help you become a new person again...
Believing this to be true, Ryu Hayama abandoned his path to becoming an engineer and launched his own brand, FINGERS CROSSED.
This is where the history of fashion designer Ryu Hayama began. Not for anyone else, but for himself.
And for the sake of someone I will meet in the future.
FALL'09 "BLACK STAR SPANGLES
Please introduce yourself.
In Japan, I attended a science and mathematics school, where I mainly researched carbon fiber and fiberglass. After that, I came to New York and currently work for an apparel company. In addition to that, I started the FINGERS CROSSED project in 2008 as my own creative activity. I named it this way because of the charm (FINGERS CROSSED) that is made by crossing your middle finger over your index finger, hoping that things will go well.
Could you tell me what brought you to New York and how it all started?
Since I was little, I used to visit my aunt who lived in America, and experiencing the local lifestyle and culture was the starting point. It might have just been a simple longing, but at some point, I started to think that I wanted to live in America in the future. I had always been interested in fashion, but I studied something unrelated to fashion at university in Japan, so I thought it would be best to study abroad from scratch. After graduating, I came to New York and enrolled in the menswear program at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York.
What was the first project you worked on after moving to the United States?
While still a student, I started working as an intern for a small design company called Indigo People. After graduation, I continued working there, involved in all processes from design and pattern making to production, and I believe that's where I built the foundation for my current work. After that, I worked at CLOAK, the men's design studio of Alexandre Plokhov for Versace, where I learned a great deal about men's design.
Could you tell me about the differences in creativity between Japan and New York?
Japan has a refined and clean creativity, while New York has a rougher but more atmospheric creativity. Japanese creativity is of a high standard, and you can feel the attention to detail and the skill of the craftsman, but at times it can feel uniform. In contrast, in New York, there is a wide variety of races, values, upbringings, and creative directions, resulting in some wonderful works and some that are difficult to understand. In short, I think the range of creativity is very broad.
What is the most important or influential thing in your creative process?
It might be a cliché answer, but I believe the most important thing when creating something is the concept. It could be a place, a culture, or an object. It doesn't matter what it is, I create things centered around things that have influenced me. I also make sure not to forget to add something new and entertaining.
Please tell me about your future plans and your latest projects.
My latest project is "Black Star Spangles," a collection inspired by the artists Lovett/Codagnone. I first saw their work at PS1 in New York, and many of their pieces were painted black. At the time, I was reading Hideo Okuda's novel "Southbound," and I was impressed by the anarchist lifestyle of the protagonist's father. So, I created a collection centered around black, the key color of anarchism. Next, I plan to create a collection inspired by Jack Kerouac's novel "On the Road."
Styling & Casting: John Tang Photo: Bell Soto (www.bellsoto.com)
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