As part of our ongoing Snapshots video series in partnership with GQ Japan, we reveal the creative process of the country’s most significant fashion designers. Here, we meet Hiromichi Ochiai of FACETASM.
The first thing I noticed when I met Hiromichi Ochiai was the flannel shirt he was wearing. It looked very good on him. The flannel shirt was for summer and it looked not only light, refreshing and casual, but also very elegant. “This flannel shirt is actually made from wool-nylon,” explained the designer. “I wanted something light and sheer, and cotton flannel tends to be too heavy. I often remake used clothing by myself. I make flannel shirts with a big silhouette, a wide width and a short length. We sell that type of flannel shirts made from wool-nylon at FACETASM regularly.”
Ochiai launched his label, FACETASM, in the spring of 2007, and in 2013 received the Mainichi Fashion Grand Prix “Shiseido Sponsorship Award for Best New Designer”, taking home the first prize in 2016. Ochiai has been receiving increased global recognition. He presented his collection at Milan Fashion Week in 2015, the first time showing abroad, with the support of Giorgio Armani. In 2016, Ochiai became the first Japanese finalist for the LVMH Prize. He then began showing his collections as part of Paris Fashion Week, beginning with spring 2017. “I naturally came to love clothing and became a fashion designer. I think I might not have anything like ‘philosophy,’ but I have a strong craving to put something new or creativity into clothing,” he says.
