UNIQLO｜LifeWear Story 100 directed by Yataro Matsuura

Ballet, the rare book traded at a premium price is a work by Alexey Brodovitch, the famed art director, who was responsible for the golden age of Harper’s Bazaar in the 50s with his exceptional layout designs. What’s not so well known is that he had a partner on this work: the theater critic, Edwin Denby.

So how did this photography book come about? What were the episodes behind it? To find out, I started to look into what happened to this Edwin Denby and discovered that he still lived in Searmont, Maine. According to the owner of the bookshop on 18th that Jack and I frequent, his old assistant often stops by at the shop. So as we geared up to visit Searmont, we waited for a chance to run into her.

One day, the owner called to tell me that he would be able to set up a meeting with her.

“In New York, bookshop owners and book hunters look out for one another like this. We are also good for our words, too,” said Jack.

The day came. Jack and I headed over to the shop, picking up a bouquet of flowers on the way. “To meet someone for the first time, I put on my nice shirt and bring flowers. This is how to make things work. Even a guy like me will be happy to get flowers from a well-dressed person. It’s a bit of a jinx, I know,” said Jack.

From that point on, “nice shirt and flowers” became my thing as well.

We arrived at the bookshop on the dot. She was already there, waiting for us. Jack introduced himself saying, “This is from us. Thank you for taking the time to see us today,” and gave her the bouquet. She put her hands on her cheeks, thrilled with this unexpected gesture.

Her name was Margaret, but she preferred to be called Peggy. In her late 60s, she was a casual and lovely lady with freckles.

We started to talk about how we came across Edwin Denby when we were doing a research on Ballet and that we wanted to come up to Searmont to talk to him in person to find out what happened at the time.

“I understand and am grateful that you are interested in Edwin’s work. As much as I want to help you, I heard he’s not well at the moment and can’t receive any guests.”

By the way, is Ballet that small thin square-shaped book? I might have a copy at my place…” said Peggy.

Apparently, she recalls seeing a couple of copies in his belongings when she stored his belongings in his workplace in New York.

Jack kept slapping my back to show he couldn’t contain his excitement at the news.

“Would you like to come by my place and go through his stuff? If it’s a photo collection like what you have explained, I would like to see it, too,” she continued.

A versatile simple design with premium material. This is UNIQLO’s concept for the ultimate basic shirt. The extra fine cotton is an original, soft yet supple fabric. The long fiber of the ultra-long cotton, known for premium quality, has been densely woven together.

The arm hole has been dimensionally designed so it’s easy to move. The torso has been refined for a clean line along the body as well as the drape of the fabric.

Peggy lived on the third floor of this prestigious apartment in the East Village which she said is a century-old. She is an interior designer working mainly on restaurants and cafes in New York.

Her place had a very sophisticated atmosphere with large windows and high ceilings, spacious and expertly furnished with vintage Scandinavian chairs and sofas.

“Edwin’s stuff is here. Can you give me a hand?” said Peggy as she opened a small, storage-like room.

The door opened to reveal a mountain of cardboard boxes. “Why don’t we start with these boxes labeled “BOOKS”?” said Peggy.

There were more than ten of such boxes that we carefully carried into the living room. Then the search began for the copy of Ballet.

I opened the box to discover most of the contents were pamphlets of ballet, dance, and theater performances.

“These are all the legacy of the stage performances he oversaw…”

“Most of the stuff here is pamphlets of various performances form the 40s to the 60s, but they are all professional work by artists, equivalent to an art book. Look at this one. This is a lithographic print of an illustration by Jean Cocteau. This is by the great fashion illustrator Christian Berard. This one’s by the artist Marcel Vertés, and this is a Matisse. If you sell these, I can’t imagine the price they would fetch…” Jack spoke excitedly.

In close view, despite being pamphlets, given the paper texture, the printing, and the design, they weren’t simple print materials but a portfolio of artists’ works.

According to Jack, for a collector, these were a true treasure chest which they would flip out about.

“Hey, aren’t these it?” said Peggy as she opened one of the boxes.

Jack and I stopped for a moment and stumbled over to where Peggy was.

We opened the box and there was a case made of hard paper packed with probably about 30 copies of this small thin photo book.

Jack carefully took out a copy and found the words, Ballet written in large text on the case.

“Wow… these are all copies of Ballet. And they are in a pristine condition…” Dumbfounded, Jack could barely speak.

Then, Peggy found a letter placed inside the case which she opened.

“This was a letter addressed to Edwin from this man Brodovitch. He says, thank you for helping out with the book… oh, and there are couple of pictures, black and white, out of focus though.” They were definitely the original prints by Brodovitch which became part of the book.

The “nice shirt and flower” jinx delivered!

“No, this can’t be. I want to pretend I didn’t see this…” Jack stood up and walked away to the windows.

The collar, the detail that makes a shirt, has the button-down design that goes well with both business and casual styles. The slightly smaller collar presents a sophisticated look around the neck, even without a tie.The pocket that easily fits passports and ID add practicality and functionality.

We offer a wide variety of plain colors and patterns, including stripes, checks, and on-trend small patterns that are new for the season. This is your trusted confidante to help you put together a look for all kinds of scenes and occasions.

She comes closer to my shirt.
Love that nice morning smell,
she said with a smile.

MENEXTRA FINE
COTTON CHECKED
LONG SLEEVE
SHIRT$29.90

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.”