Clothing is the most practical art - Japanese clothing brand COHÉRENCE

Interview/ Giuseppe Hsu

Written by Mei Chiu

"Can't find clothes I like." This is the starting point for many clothing brands. The Japanese clothing brand COHÉRENCE is also like this, but the difference is that the founder Kentaro Nakagomi wants to go far beyond the pure clothing pattern, but a memory of the times and an artistic attitude. This time, OAK ROOM is very honored to have a face-to-face interview with the founder and invite him to share the birth story and creative concept of COHÉRENCE.

A clothing brand originated from art

Kentaro Nakagomi grew up immersed in art, music, and traditional Japanese kimonos, which helped him develop a unique taste. He has a special liking for the dressing styles of artists, intellectuals, and movie characters in the early 20th century, especially coats. The large and neat items make people look particularly chic.

However, most clothing changes with the times, and the coat styles and shapes he loved gradually disappeared from the general clothing market. He could only try his luck in the vintage market, but this was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Therefore, he, who had experience working in textiles and clothing at the time, had an idea: "Maybe I can create a brand to specialize in making my ideal coat."

This is the starting point of COHÉRENCE and also his personal artistic practice.

COHÉRENCE: A connection across race, culture and language

For Kentaro Nakagomi, art is not a label used to demonstrate taste or indicate identity and status, but a way to rewrite the rules of the world and express forward-looking ideas, viewpoints and concepts through various artistic media. It is a unique model that transcends race, culture and language.

Martin Margiela changed the rules of the fashion industry by deconstructing and changing the positions of clothing elements; Duchamp used "ready-made objects" to replace concepts and oppose traditional aesthetics; Le Corbusier laid the foundation for modern architecture; and Foujita changed the established impression of skin color in the painting circle.

Therefore, the brand name is COHÉRENCE, which means continuity and connection.

In order to pay tribute to those pioneers who dared to innovate, the coats launched in the early days of COHÉRENCE were all inspired by the actual photos and artistic concepts of these celebrities. The names of the products also use the names of the artists and designers, such as the most famous coat style:

• Corb : taken from the abbreviation of the name of the architect Le Corbusier

• Foufou : A nickname from Tsuguharu Foujita. This is a name the French took from his last name "Fujita", which also means "rebel" in French.

• MUTT : Derived from the graffiti "R. MUTT" on Duchamp's masterpiece "Fountain". Duchamp himself once revealed that the word "Mutt" was adapted from the name of the store where urinals can be purchased, "Mott".

However, COHÉRENCE's clothing is not just a pure copy of the looks of these artists. From the yarn to the fabric and pattern, Kentaro Nakagomi used his past experience in assisting European brands in production and had in-depth discussions with the production team.

Made in Japan, showing Japan's precise and delicate clothing craftsmanship

“I used to work in Europe but was based in Tokyo and had textile experience, so when I decided to start my brand, I decided to produce in Japan to maximize the potential of Japanese manufacturing. Because Japan has excellent mechanical technology and is good at making precise, stable and delicate products, I believe that Japan will be the best place to produce high-quality coats and jackets. "

In order to recreate the sense of the times and lifestyle of the first half of the 20th century, many of COHÉRENCE's classic coats are made of a fabric called "Gabardine". The word Gabardine comes from a kind of male cloak robe in the late Middle Ages (around the 16th century).

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Later, Thomas Burberry, the founder of the British windbreaker brand, invented a waterproof twill fabric, and used this term as the name of the fabric, and obtained a patent in 1888. Early textile materials and technology were not as advanced as they are today. There was no Gore-tex or artificial fiber to use. Only natural fibers could be used with weaving technology to make the fabric as windproof and waterproof as possible.

Therefore, Gabardine is generally made of worsted wool or cotton as the main material, and there are also blended ones. After the yarn is first coated with sheep oil (Lalolin), it is woven into a high-density twill through an extremely tight weaving method to achieve lightness, wear resistance, and windproof functionality. After Gabardine appeared, it was very popular in the military and later became a common material for many work clothes and coats. COHÉRENCE uses Indian cotton Gabardine fabric developed by itself.

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In addition, Nakagomi will also give the fabrics a particularly subtle distressing treatment depending on the style, so that even if the clothes are made in the 21st century, they can have a 20th century feel.

The pattern is even more ingenious. Nakagomi, who has studied the lifestyle of the 20th century, said that the pattern of the coat at that time was quite loose. From the perspective of modern people, it may be considered as Oversize or (Big Silhouette), but if we look back at the living and technological conditions of people at that time, the appearance of such clothing can only be described as "Standard Size" (Medium Fit).

"Because the essence of coats is to protect the body. In that era when there were no down jackets or functional materials, if it rained, the rain had to be able to slide down the fabric to the outside of the body to avoid soaking the body and catching a cold. So the hem of the coat had to be very long." Nakagomi explained that in order to keep warm, people would wear many layers of clothing under their coats, so the coat must have enough capacity to accommodate the inner clothing.

“So the coats of that era were more like small rooms with complete functions than clothes,” he concluded.

From the inside out, although it was designed with practicality in mind, the weighty fabric and the flowing rhythm that swayed naturally with the movement of the human body were the unique aesthetics of that era, and were also the charm that Nakagomi was deeply fascinated by.

With COHÉRENCE's delicacy and focus on clothing, these seemingly low-key but detailed garments have gradually gained a group of die-hard fans. They also hope that in addition to coats, COHÉRENCE can transfer such care and aesthetics to other items. Therefore, the brand began to have more daily items, turning the pure art practice 10 years ago into a complete practical art series.

Since the early days of COHÉRENCE, OAK ROOM has been attracted by its elegant temperament, starting with coats such as Corb and Foufou, and now gradually introducing daily items such as shirts and trousers . After careful consideration, art and the humanistic landscape of the last century are unraveled and transformed into low-key and simple clothing. It is worth your personal experience to feel the language that the brand desires to convey with your body.