UNIQLO｜LifeWear Story 100 directed by Yataro Matsuura

Jack and I took a taxi up Broadway to 74th street.

“Warhol’s A GOLD BOOK is one of the rarest pieces of work. I’ve only had the privilege to handle it twice in my life. A book like that was just sitting there in the children’s picture book section, probably put there by a staff who had no idea and put a price on it based on the year, thinking it’s just any thin picture book. These things happen a lot in the world of antique books, but you simply have to be lucky to come across it. Because the next minute, someone else may have snatched it up. Yeah, it’s important to know about them but even if you do the bookstore rounds every day. Some people run into them, others don’t. It’s all a matter of luck.”

On the ride uptown, Jack continued to say, “You seem to have that luck.”

We got off the taxi in front of this small antique bookstore off Broadway.

“So, this is the place! I used to come here every day!” said Jack.

This antique book store was my favorite, just a few minutes from the flat and was the first one I dropped by since I came to New York. There were many rare books such as first prints with artworks, on the second floor.
Just the other day when I was in here, A GOLD BOOK was stacked up on one of the shelves on this floor with other books that seemed to not have much value.

Jack walked into the store and greeted the owner and the staff. “Long time no see, Jack.” “Yeah, I was just in the neighborhood, so…”

Then Jack whispered quietly to me, “Is it upstairs or downstairs?” “Up, the shelf at the back.”

We went up. “Where was it again?” asked Jack. I pointed to the direction of where I found it only to see the piles of books were all cleaned out.

“We missed it…” Jack whispered.
“It was around here…” and I continued to look around. The books that were on this shelf were now in piles of books on the floor, unsorted.

“This is it!” I exclaimed and dug into this pile and spotted that thin book with gold covers. It was just as I remembered.

And there it was, at the very bottom of this pile.“Jack, I found it,” and handed A GOLD BOOK to Jack.

Jack was speechless, took the book and studied the covers, the inside pages carefully and blurted, “Can’t believe these things actually happen…”

“It is really THE A GOLD BOOK. Incredible and in such pristine condition. It even has the name of the person he addressed this book to, in his own handwriting.”

“Wow…”
I could see Jack’s hands shaking as he held the book.

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Jeans specialists from across the world are working together to create the ideal pair, starting from developing and dyeing the fabric to working out the fit, the design, and the processing.

Jack turned the page and pointed,
“Look here.”

There it was, Warhol’s signature and above it,
“For my beloved Alexey Brodovitch.”

A GOLD BOOK was self-published in 1957 when Warhol was still an illustrator, working regularly on assignments from Harper’s Bazaar.

In the 50s, Harper’s Bazaar was making its name as the fashion magazine with outstanding creativity with its artistic fashion portrayal and graphic-rich editorial design. One of the key players at the time was the talented art director Alexey Brodovitch.

To a young Warhol, Brodovitch was probably a god. We can easily assume that this bestowing of his work was based on his earnest desire to be noticed by Brodovitch.

And this book was this precious record of this piece of history and that alone would catapult the value of this copy. No wonder Jack was shaking.

“You have found an amazing book… now how should we get a hold of this one?” Jack said, biting his lips.

“This store is not well-versed in artbooks, so this can easily be an oversight. But the fact that it doesn’t have a price tag means that he hasn’t sorted this pile out yet. I’ll bet the owner hasn’t realized what a treasure this is.”

“Are the unsorted piles upstairs books that you bought recently?” Jack asked the owner, carrying the book in his hand.

“Yeah, this old couple that live at the Dakota House nearby asked us to pick them up recently. Found anything you like?” he asked.

“This was in the mix,” and handed over A GOLD BOOK to the owner.

Then he goes, “I can do $20 for that.”
Jack and I looked at each other.

“By the way, like your pair of jeans. Is it vintage? Love how the color faded,” the owner asked me.

“No, it’s not a vintage but I’ve had it for so long, it’s like a friend to me,” I said.

“Like you say, jeans are like a friend. I love them, so I tend to look at others are wearing a pair. Take good care of it as you do with your friends, alright?” he continued.

Then Jack put his arms around the owner’s shoulder and said, “This book has so much value you won’t believe. I can’t take it off your hands with that kind of price.”

“There are books I know about and don’t know about. You’re the same. And that book I don’t know, so that’s all it is. No matter how much it’s worth, I’m saying I’ll sell it for $20. And I’m not losing out,” the owner clearly stated.

“Yataro, you found this so you should buy it,” said Jack.

“I know you’ve been in here a number of times. Hey, this must be some kind of luck, you know, that’s how a customer and a bookshop get well acquainted. Today is probably something like that,” the owner said with a wink.

So I reached into my denim pocket and barely found a $20 bill and some change.

UNIQLO starts with development of the thread with the world’s leading denim manufacturer, Kaihara. We have an original material that has a sturdy denim look with a soft feel and a light stretch. The used look comes from vintage denim, our proud result of countless research and washings.

The shape of the buttons, the engraved rivets, the stitch work, the position of the hip pockets —they’re all for modern fit and design. This is a must-have for your wardrobe— the ultimate pair.

Out of the many pieces of clothing,
that very one,
the one that I can be friends with,
are my jeans.

MENSLIM FITJEANS$49.90

Choose this clothes

What is “LifeWear story 100?”

At UNIQLO,
there exist these lines of clothes
which has remained for many years,
trend-neutral
yet never dated.
Out of the line-ups,
they are the unsung presence,
sitting quietly behind in TV ads.

Yet, they are the culmination
of the years of passion and devotion,
where UNIQLO sought to pursue
more comfort,
more durability, and
more quality.

They give shape and gravitas
to what and who UNIQLO is,
and what UNIQLO continues
to nurture with great care.

To go beyond yesterday,
to reach higher tomorrow.

When you take it in your hands,
when you try it on,
it softly speaks to you,
almost like a friend.

What is a rich quality
lifestyle?
How is such a quality day spent?
What does happiness mean to you…

And you will find yourself
surprised to discover that such
piece of clothing has existed.

What is the UNIQLO principle?
Why do we call clothing LifeWear?
What kind of clothes constitute
LifeWear?

Here, we go deep into
the root of LifeWear,
to know
and to tell.
And I hope to write
stories that revolve
around LifeWear and myself.

LifeWear story 100 will be
a story about a journey with me and LifeWear.

Yataro Matsuura

Essayist, editor. Born 1965 in Tokyo.
For nine years from 2005, under the leadership of the founder, Shizuko Ohashi, he was the chief editor for the magazine, “Kurashi no Techo.” Since, he launched an online media site, “Kurashi no Kihon.” Currently, sits as a director for Oishii Kenko Ltd. Recognized for his eye for style and experience in presenting ideas for quality lifestyle. Regularly writes in his columns in newspapers and magazines. Has penned numerous best-sellers including “Kyo mo Teinei ni” and “Shigoto no Kihon Kurashi no Kihon 100.” Hosts a radio program on NHK Radio 1, “Karen Style.”