Junko Koshino

Tokyo's Fashion Queen and Tony Award-nominee Junko Koshino, renowned for her fashion,
costume and uniform design, shares the latest in Tokyo's fashion scene.

Junko Koshino

TJ: What was the first article of clothing you ever designed?
KOSHINO: When I was in the third grade I made a skirt. I grew up in a house with a mother who owned a clothing shop; therefore, designing and needlework were very familiar to me. I made a simple skirt that was just arranged with an elastic band and displayed it in the shop without permission.

TJ: What are your favorite colors to work with and why?
KOSHINO: Red and yellow, or white and black; I like contrasts. I also like the contrast between light and shadow, circles and squares and day and night, etc. I believe that the circle is the shape God made and the square is the shape humans made.

TJ: What are your favorite fabrics to work with and why?
KOSHINO: I like jersey because it is not an expensive fabric, but it is easy to handle and can be used for everything from an evening
dress to more casual clothing. I have been using this fabric to make original colors and textures for a long time.

TJ: What are your favorite patterns or prints to work with and why?
KOSHINO: I like squares and circles like on the dress I’m wearing now. Materials do not necessarily need to be expensive, but clothing should be made with assiduous care and consistency. Generally speaking, more expensive clothes are higher quality. But quality is priceless. Like artwork, how deeply viewers are moved is important. Quality clothing remains traditional: It will not disappear the next day and will become historical. These designs demonstrate the fact that quality things remain in good condition after decades. In other words, cheap materials can be fixed by good design, but quality materials need no sophisticated design. Consequently, they can attain the same quality. tj

ファッション・衣装・ユニフォームのデザインで知られ、 トニー賞にもノミネートされた東京のファションクイーン コシノ・ジュンコさんに、 東京のファッション・シーンの最新情報を語っていただきました。

TJ: 生まれて初めてデザインした服は?
コシノ: 小学校3年生の時にスカートを作りま した。母が衣料店を経営していたので、デザイ ンや針仕事はずっと身近なものでした。だからウエストにゴムを着けた簡単なスカートを自分で作って、勝手に母の店のディスプレイに飾ったんです。

TJ: 一番好きな色は?その理由は?
コシノ: 基本的には赤と黒です。私はコントラスト、バランスを重視します。光と影、丸と四
角、昼と夜など対極のコンセプトです。たとえ ば丸は神が作ったものの形、四角は人間が作っ
たものの形。赤と黒だけでなく、黄と黒、白と黒といった組み合わせも好きです。

TJ: 一番好きなパターン(模様)は?その理由は?
コシノ: 丸と四角です。今着ている服も丸が効 いています。


TJ: 質の高い服とはどういうものだと思われま すか?
コシノ: 必ずしも高価な素材でなくとも、丁寧 に考えられた服です。高価であれば質が高いの が普通ですが、質というのは値段をつけられる
ものではありません。アートと同じように、受 け手をどれだけ感動させられるかが問題です。 質が高ければ伝統として残っていきます。すぐ
に消えることなく歴史となります。こうしたデ ザインを見れば、質の高いものは何十年経って も色あせないということが分かります。安い素
材もデザインで補えます。逆に素材が良ければ 凝ったデザインは必要ないということです。tj

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Written By:

Junko Koshino

Junko Koshino is one of Japan’s most highly acclaimed fashion designers, best known for her wide array of designs. These include her Junko Koshino line, corporate and sports team uniform designs, and musi- cal performance costumes. She has also been involved in cultural exchanges through her fashion design activi- ties in the U.S., China, Vietnam, Cuba, Italy and France. Born in Osaka, Koshino won the prestigious So-en Award while studying in Bunka Fashion College’s design program. She was appointed by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport as the 2008 Yokoso! Japan Ambassador (now ‘Visit Japan Ambassador’).



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