UNIQLO｜LifeWear Story 100 directed by Yataro Matsuura

“Find me the 1945-issued photo book by Alexey Brodovitch, titled, Ballet, with the cover case.”

For the first time in my life, I received an order to find a book from a collector named Ken. A photo book which I had never seen in my life. Would it be possible for me to find such a rare title that can fetch up to $7000?

“First, you need to see the photo-book from cover to cover. That’s where you will find the clue to find the book.”

That was Jack’s advice. He told me that I’ll be able to see old photo books at the ICP Library.

ICP Library is located in front of Bryant Park on 42nd Street, just across from the New York Public Library.

ICP Library has a massive collection of literature related to photography, old and new, and is available for anyone to see. This was a godsend as I was always able to stop by to study about photography and photo-books.

So what kind of a photo-book is Ballet…?

When I gave the title to the librarian, it took a good time before she came back from the stack room. “This is an extremely precious book so please take great care in handling it,” she said as she passed on the book. She then guided me to a special desk where you are allowed to look at such rare books.

Ballet was a small, thin collection of photos. There was much white space used in the layout, and the 104 photos featured were not about capturing the elegant beauty of this art but page after page of amazing scenes from a ballet practice. It was like looking at a documentary video of this dynamic and vibrant form of art called ballet.

Brodovitch had shot the Boston and Philadelphia performances of Ballet Russes, a company set up by Sergei Diaghilev, a star stage artist at the time.

I placed my notebook on the side and started covering every inch of the book: its quality, design style, style of expression… Whatever that could possibly be a clue, what I felt, noticed, I jotted down on the notebook. By the time I realized, two hours had easily passed.

One of the things I noticed was the name of the co-author, Edwin Denby. It looked like Denby wrote the captions and text in the book.

I asked a librarian nearby about Edwin Denby. He said, “Hmm, I don’t know, let me go check, hold on.” With his help, I discovered that Denby was a poet and a famous dance critic. “He’s 80 years old and still alive,” he added.

“This is it!” I instinctively thought to myself.

The concept: “A t-shirt that is classic yet new.” This is a t-shirt that you can always be with: the long-lasting fabric fits perfectly to any style and transcends time and trend.

Because the style is absolutely simple, we devoted our attention to the fabric. Mixing 10g increments of various threads, we’ve gone through trials and errors of the knit density and fabric weight. After identifying how to keep a consistent feel and thickness, depending on the darkness of the dye color, we have achieved this ideal and original fabric.

I immediately phoned Jack and said, “Let’s go see the co-author of Ballet, Edwin Denby, and ask him about working with Brodovitch and anything related to the book.”

“Ok, I’ll check where he lives now. If he’s 80 then he must still be well. Wow, what an idea. Well done,” Jack said with a laugh.

Maybe he has extra copies of Ballet. If he is the co-author, he would probably have kept it in pristine condition. I could just feel my ulterior motives brewing inside.

It’s a book that collectors and book hunters across New York are struggling to find. Then, it’s about looking for it with a different angle, different method. Just as Jack had said, the clue was in the book. I was convinced that if I met this Edwin Denby, I would definitely find a way.

In just a few days, Jack came back with a variety of information and said, “Apparently, he lives in the countryside, in a town called Searsmont in Maine. I’ve asked my friend who works at the New York Times to check his home phone, so we’ll probably get that shortly. It will be a bit of a trip, so why don’t we wait until the season turns and it’s a bit warmer?”

From that point on, when I did my antique book store rounds with Jack, I would notice the name Edwin Denby and come across a collection of his critiques in dance or books of poetry. To prepare myself for the day I would meet him in person, I started buying them.

And it was one of those trips to a store where I had bought The Complete Poems. The storeowner said, “You know, the daughter of this poet lives nearby and is a regular here.” Jack and I were taken aback. Immediately, Jack jotted down his phone number on a piece of paper and said, “The next time she’s in the store, can you ask her to call me on this number?”

“And you thought you’ve seen it all…” With a seriously surprised look, Jack glanced at me.

The winter had left New York and we were blessed with the warm bright sun that means sometimes you can walk around in a t-shirt.

“T-shirts are one of the great inventions from the U.S. It was a white undergarment created for sailors, but soon they began to use this for their regular clothes to express their bravery and burliness, and it became popular and admired as a symbol of masculinity,” said Jack.

I said, “Guys around the world aspired to look good in t-shirts.” “My father would always say be brave before excellence. Maybe he was saying try to look good in a t-shirt,” responded Jack with a laugh.

The fabric is a heavyweight jersey, and the texture is dry-touch. The densely-knitted jersey fabric is anti-shrink and withstands countless washes without being tired. The roomy and relaxed silhouette goes perfectly with all body shapes.

We’ve used traditional, sturdy double-needle pad stitching for the shoulders and the armholes. Taking cues from vintage military underwear, the neck area offers a stretch-resistant binder design. It’s a washed t-shirt that has the presence to stand on its own. Enjoy the wide variety of colors and sizes. This is the LifeWear you can wear always, a keeper at all times.

Be brave before excellence.
That probably means to
be a guy that looks
good in t-shirts.

MENU CREWNECKSHORT-SLEEVE
T-SHIRT$14.90

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.”