#06 Takayuki Kijima / Hat Designer
Collaboration and close involvement with artists and creators is a special and important time to be creative and sincere. To empathize with their positive pride and mentality, and to listen to their voices. By bringing this to as many people as possible, WIND AND SEA is constantly evolving.
#06 is by Takayuki Kijima, hat designer for 〈KIJIMA TAKAYUKI〉.
The role of hats in fashion is
not to be the mainstay of style,
but to be abstract.
Before entering the hat industry, I simply loved fashion. While I was exploring what I could do, I vaguely thought that working with "accessories related to clothing" might suit me. One day, I saw an advertisement for a hat-making class led by Akio Hirata in the magazine 『an-an』, and I thought, "This could be interesting." That’s how I started attending the class and met him. After spending a year there, which was quite undisciplined and lazy—something I wouldn't want to tell anyone about—I didn't decide on the next class to take, nor did I consider my future career. So, I consulted with the teacher about employment, and he immediately offered me an opportunity at his atelier on the floor above. I had an interview right away and was able to start working there.
It was quite lucky that there was an opening at the time, but making hats was a tough profession for women back then. Especially the work of molding winter felt or summer natural materials onto wooden blocks required more physical strength than expected, and the process involved steaming at high temperatures, which would also dry out your hands. At that time, there were only two men in the atelier, so I was hired on the spot.
When I was younger, I enjoyed personally customizing American vintage clothes, but when I visited the UK, I was greatly influenced by what I saw there. London fashion in the '80s was a transitional period, shifting from the typical punk aesthetic to the early influences of hip-hop, and movements that were starting to resemble the style of jazz dancers. Judy Blame and others from the House of Beauty and Culture were opening stores, and I became fascinated by styles that weren't seen in Japan at the time. I also noticed how ordinary, stylish people would mix relatively casual suits with work boots, and that freedom in fashion was a huge cultural shock to me. It wasn’t about following strict rules of what "should" be worn; rather, it was about learning the fun of breaking those rules. I think that experience has stayed with me and influences my approach to hats today.
My perspective on the role of hats in fashion has always remained the same. I don't need them to be the focus—in fact, I prefer it if they're not. Rather than drawing attention to one specific part, I appreciate a person's overall style that leaves a lasting impression.
I believe most hat manufacturers tend to focus on creating a specific range of items. But I'm a bit greedy and competitive, and deep down, I have a strong desire not to lose when it comes to hats. That's why I want to cover all aspects of it. Also, I'm not particularly skilled at wearing hats myself. Because of that, I can understand the feelings of those who may not be comfortable wearing hats, and in a way, my position as a creator aligns with theirs. When I make hats, the sense of "feeling just right" that I aim for might be what defines the uniqueness of the brand.
I am a designer and a craftsman
who learned the art of haute couture
to give form to my sensibilities.
I sew the samples myself. I only sketch rough illustrations as notes, so in the end, I cut the patterns myself and think about things like how to stitch, how to open seams, and so on, as I sew. There are many things you can’t understand just by working at a desk. Drawing from my experience learning hat haute couture, I focus on the details in order to provide the most beautiful pieces for each individual. As I design each hat, I imagine various people’s wearing scenarios. Of course, the design comes first, and to bring it to life, technical ideas are necessary, so I could say that my title is both designer and craftsman.
When I started expanding into overseas sales, changing the brand name from the previous one to 〈KIJIMA TAKAYUKI〉 11 years ago marked a turning point for me. Before that, I avoided interviews as much as possible and never appeared in magazines. However, with the rise of social media, I began to realize the importance of adapting to the times.
When it came to overseas expansion, I initially felt quite relaxed, thinking that my long years of experience in Japan and my approach to hats could be something I could offer to a wider audience. But, I didn’t feel any real response. First of all, the mindset between Japan and Europe was completely different. Japan is a country rooted in the concept of 『wa』 (harmony). There is a strong cultural tendency to consider things in terms of overall balance. But in Europe, there seems to be a deeply ingrained traditional mindset, like "this hat is for hunting," for example.
The free mix-and-match sense that captivated me in London in the '80s, a style that wasn’t bound by rules, turned out to be something very unique to Japan, and I realized that this difference presented a challenge.
Social media is about a sense of shared empathy. It's become easier to travel internationally, and the barriers have lowered. Now, people from overseas who visit Japan and fall in love with the hats help spread them abroad. Unlike before, when the strategy was to establish a base overseas and adjust the production to fit the foreign market in order to gain recognition, now it feels more like staying true to our own style. Over time, this approach has become more easily recognized and embraced.
For 〈KIJIMA TAKAYUKI〉, our main goal is still to get as many people as possible to know about the brand. We want to deliver our style to a wide audience. Since it’s hard to tell whether a hat will suit someone without trying it on, I want to expand our direct stores overseas. I believe that once people know about it, they'll like it. Maybe it's a bit of overconfidence, but I feel that way (laughs).
