Clothing is the most practical art - Japanese clothing brand COHÉRENCE

Interview/ Giuseppe Hsu

Written by Mei Chiu

“I can’t find clothes I like.” is the starting point for the creation of many clothing brands. The Japanese clothing brand COHÉRENCE is also like this, but the difference is that what the founder Kentaro Nakagomi wants is far more than just a simple clothing style, but a memory of an era 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 philosophy 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.

Like Martin. Martin Margiela rewrote 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 called COHÉRENCE, which means coherence 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 : comes from the nickname of Tsuguharu Foujita. This is a name the French drew 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 could 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 time 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 type of male cloak robe from the late Middle Ages (around the 16th century).

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

Therefore, Gabardine generally uses worsted wool or cotton as the main material, and also blended ones. The yarn is first coated with sheep oil (Lalolin), and then woven into high-density twill through an extremely tight weaving method, which can achieve the functionality of lightness, wear resistance and windproof. 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 which it developed 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 design part is even more ingenious. Nakagomi, who has studied 20th century lifestyles, said that the coats at the time were quite loose, and from a modern perspective, they might be considered oversized or "big silhouettes." However, if we look back at people's lifestyles and technological conditions at the time, the appearance of such clothing could only be described as "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 the starting point is practicality, the heavy fabrics and the flowing rhythm that sways naturally with the movement of the human body are the unique aesthetics of that era, and are also the charm that Nakagomi is 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.