Japanese fashion brand founded in 2010 CHRISTIAN DADA In the name of Dadaism, it integrates the challenge of tradition into the design, deconstructing and reorganizing the Eastern and Western cultures. And with the well-known photographer Araki Nobuyoshi (Nobuyoshi Araki) and other artists collaborate to try to remove the boundaries between art. In the designer Morikawa Masato (Masanori Morikawa) in the eyes of “imperfect, incomplete, but also a kind of beauty”, so this kind of incomplete beauty is quite common in the CHRISTIAN DADA series. Just when the “Thousand-Handed Avalokitesvara” in the 2020 spring and summer series was amazing, people began to expect what kind of surprises the brand will bring in the second decade, but they never thought that this season would become a swan song.
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The following year, Morikawa Zhengde brought a new brand BASICKS start again. However, the design style this time has changed from the avant-garde and boldness of the past, showing people with a simple texture that is closer to daily wear. The name, which combines the words “Basics” and “Sick”, also hints at the brand’s focus on thinking about the essence of everyday silhouettes.A few days ago, the BASICKS 2023 spring and summer series ended at Tokyo Fashion Week. In addition to exposure and Umbrian The co-branding collaboration, the on-site cross-dressing that has caused heated discussions in social media also reminds people of the genius of the previous work. This time, Hypebeast invited Morikawa Masatori to share with you his personal must-have items, behind-the-scenes design stories, and his most iconic masterpieces with brand DNA.
personal essentials
UNDERCOVER/Vintage/Native Sons/Savile Row Sunglasses
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Masanori Morikawa:Round sunglasses have always been my signature. For me, not going out without sunglasses is like a girl without makeup.
Ferrari Car Key + Vintage Rolex Submariner 5513 + Goro’s Feather and Tataki
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Masanori Morikawa:I bought this Ferrari when I was CHRISTIAN DADA and I’ll be switching to a more comfortable model soon; this 1983 Rolex Submariner is my latest Vintage, and the all black Rolex Explorer Was my first watch, custom made by Bamford for my needs; I bought this string of Goro’s when I was very young, I don’t like the typical Goro’s style like most people do, so I made an original watch rope to use as a lanyard for sunglasses.
Vintage Rock Band T-shirts
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Masanori Morikawa:I have a lot of vintage rock band t-shirts that basically keep me through the summer, especially this one from The Smiths that I wear the most and I’ve never been able to find a 2nd of the same.
Contax T3
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Masanori Morikawa:I use this camera a lot when I go out, like going to nightclubs, the countryside, or drinking with friends.
Byredo La Tulipe Perfume
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Masanori Morikawa:I use this fragrance a lot. Many friends who meet for the first time will say that I smell good.
Create behind-the-scenes stories
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Hypebeast: First of all, can you introduce yourself and the brand to our readers?
Masanori Morikawa:I was born in 1984. CHRISTIAN DADA, a personal brand launched in 2010, was on the Paris Fashion Week in 2016 and will be suspended until 2020. The new brand BASICKS launched in 2021 is my current main business. The concept of the brand is to outline everyday wear, no matter how trends and styles change, it will retain a timeless silhouette and rethink “what is clothing, fashion and design”.
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Hypebeast: The embroidery elements in your work are impressive, such as the rose embroidered jacket in the CHRISTIAN DADA 2018 autumn/winter collection. Can you share why you are so obsessed with embroidery?
Masanori Morikawa:I remember when I was a kid, my grandfather would fight the police every week in front of my house because he made beautiful embroidery for the “Bosozoku” biker jackets, which is illegal in Japan. At the time we were living together and my grandfather took care of me when my parents were away, which is why I used embroidery a lot in CHRISTIAN DADA as my logo.
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Hypebeast: It’s a pity that CHRISTIAN DADA’s abrupt end, can you reveal that we still have a chance to see its return?
Masanori Morikawa:Thanks so much for the love of DADA, I have also tried to bring the brand back, but signing a contract with a former sponsor seems complicated. However, I will be launching a brand new personal brand this winter. To be honest, I haven’t disclosed it to anyone other than you so far. If possible, the brand plans to return to Paris Fashion Week in the coming years, so stay tuned.
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Hypebeast: I’m glad to see you come back with a new brand BASICKS last year, but unlike previous works, BASICKS focuses on simplicity and neutrality. Why did the style change this time?
Masanori Morikawa:The concept of BASICKS and CHRISTIAN DADA is totally different, because I want to show another dimension of me, just like folk (BASICKS) and hard rock (DADA)… At the same time BASICKS is also closer to my personal wardrobe. So basically BASICKS focuses on second-hand vintage rather than making new clothes, i.e. upgrading previous clothes. However, as just mentioned, the new brands that are about to meet you will bring more creative designs.
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Hypebeast: What have you learned from your experience at CHRISTIAN DADA? Is it reflected in BASICKS today?
Masanori Morikawa:Well… if I have to say it, life is short, people are fragile but powerful at the same time. Regarding design, as I get older, I start to like the design of continuity. When I was at CHRISTIAN DADA, I deliberately tried to design something that would not perpetuate Dadaist ideology.
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Hypebeast: You have also designed looks for artists such as Lady Gaga and Takashi Murakami. Can you share some interesting behind-the-scenes stories?
Masanori Morikawa:I have many stories of designing clothing for artists. About Lady Gaga, she’s one of the busiest artists in the world, and her stylist suddenly sent an email asking “she’s going to Tokyo now, can you design her outfit for her tour until the day after tomorrow” or something, so almost There was no time left for me to design for her. However, she is a truly amazing artist and has always had her own mind on all tours.
As for Takashi Murakami, when he told me he wanted to collaborate, he already had a picture of his imagination, so he gave me a rough sketch and I made the design as close to it as possible. I mean, the really cool artists always have specific vision needs before the designers.
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Hypebeast: David Lynch’s films and Nobuyoshi Araki’s photography have all appeared in your work. Can you share the work that inspires you the most?
Masanori Morikawa:There is a lot behind my design. But when I knew nothing about art, it was Radiohead’s Kid A that changed my student life. I used to listen to traditional rock and pop, and this album shatters the ideology that “things” should be. In addition, there are works by Vivienne Westwood and Pablo Ruiz Picasso.
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Hypebeast: Besides clothing, what other hobbies are you passionate about in your life? If not in clothing, what career would you choose?
Masanori Morikawa:When I was younger I wanted to be a rocker or a skateboarder, but now I want to be a boxer if possible. Many people may not know that I used to practice boxing for a while, and Naoya “Monster” Inoue is a boxer I admire now.
Brand representative works
BASICKS Boyfriend & Girlfriend Shirt
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Masanori Morikawa:This shirt looks ordinary. But to design this blouse, I personally collected dozens of vintage women’s silk blouses, modifying them over and over again to fit any season and style. This shirt, you can see how good it is when you put it on.
BASICKS Heart Stitch Organic Denim
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Masanori Morikawa:These jeans are a BASICKS signature. I myself like to wear flared jeans like Levi’s 517, so this design also has a flared silhouette. The pants also feature our patented Heart White Stitch Pocket. In addition, the fabric is made of organic cotton.
BASICKS Signature Heart Bucket Hat
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Masanori Morikawa:This hat is a continuation of the iconic hat style of the CHRISTIAN DADA period, with a longer brim and a deeper hat than the average bucket hat. Of course, organic materials are also used.
CHRISTIAN DADA x NOBUYOSHI ARAKI Shirt
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Masanori Morikawa:The shirts from this collection are unforgettable memories for me, and this is my first collaboration with one of my favorite photographers, Nobuyoshi Araki. The previous brand CHRISTIAN DADA has tried many times to eliminate the boundaries between art and art, which is common now, but it was not common at the time.
For that season, I used photos from his photobook Laments: From Close-Range – a year after his wife’s death, he continued to photograph balconies and sky, a way to express his sadness. project. I used to discuss collaborative projects with Mr. Araki on Christmas Eve, which also left a very precious memory for me.