MINOTAUR INST. × Koichi Futamata "I want to know the background of everything, even clothes"
| Koichi Futamatata is a spatial and product designer based in Fukuoka and Tokyo. He is the director of both CASE-REAL, which focuses on spatial design, and KOICHI FUTATSUMATA STUDIO, which specializes in product design. He began his own practice in 1998 and has worked on a wide range of designs both in Japan and overseas, from interior design and architecture to furniture and products. |
Koichi Futamata was in charge of the design and supervision of the new MINOTAUR INST. TOKYO store following its relocation to Shibuya RAYARD MIYASHITA PARK. Futamata, who regularly wears MINOTAUR INST. items, was wearing his own TECH KNIT BIG POLO for this interview. We asked Futamata what he kept in mind when supervising the store's design and why he regularly wears MINOTAUR INST. items.
"I thought it would be nice to have a very neutral location for this shop as well."
──I heard that you have known Eiichi Izumi of MINOTAUR INST. for a long time. Was there anything you kept in mind when designing the shop?
That's right. I've known Izumi-san for about 25 years. 15 years ago, I helped design the initial MINOTAUR INST. store in Fukuoka. Izumi-san has a neutral perspective, and I feel like he has a wide capacity to take in a variety of things and a sense of grasping the times, constantly updating himself, so I thought a very neutral location for this shop would be good. In order to accept a variety of things, it's necessary to create as simple a state as possible, rather than pouring in a lot of colors and materials, and I wanted to design a place like that.
──What was your first impression when you saw this section of Miyashita Park?
It's thin and slim (laughs). I thought it was a place that felt like an extension of the corridor, so I thought it would be best to cherish that feeling of a corridor. Specifically, I didn't want to interrupt the flow of the corridor too much, so I came up with a wall line that would draw a natural curve in relation to people's movement. That was the first thing I consciously did.
──It's interesting how it feels connected to the art gallery "SAI" across the street. The polo shirt I'm wearing today is from MINOTAUR INST. Do you have any criteria for choosing clothes and other items for everyday use?
Is it something I need? Also, I choose things that I can clearly understand the feelings of the person who made it. That's why I don't often buy things I don't understand just because they look cool. I want to know the background of everything, whether it's clothes or anything else. What kind of person designed it and what was their thinking when they made it, etc.
I think MINOTAUR INST. items convey the passion that Izumi-san has when he makes them. Also, the functional knit polo shirt I'm wearing today is breathable and very cool. It has no seams, so it's very comfortable to wear and stress-free. I think I'll buy the white one today and take it home (laughs).
<To be continued>