A Magazine curated by

Blake Abbie: I was very adamant to come to your studio because with A Magazine Curated By we always want to see the background of the designer. Where are we in Tokyo?

Norio Terada: This is Setagaya City, more precisely, it’s Shimouma; close to Shibuya, so you can still feel the Tokyo atmosphere. Yet, in Shimouma there are more townhouses, so it’s calmer. Since I moved to Tokyo to go to college to study graphic design, I have always lived around here,

BA: What initially drew you to your creative energies? Why graphic design at the beginning?

NT: I always liked to draw when I was a child, and from then on, I wanted to create. So I entered an art school to study creation where I was for two years. I dropped out though because I wanted to focus on fashion. For one year, I saved money for my studies, and then I went to Bunka Fashion College.

BA: What is the relationship between fashion and graphic design?

NT: A beautiful balance is the same for graphic design as it is for fashion design. There is an importance to creating that same sense of balance, whether you put it in your clothes or put it on a piece of paper or a display. A layout and typography are the same as buttons on clothing or the choice of textile.

BA: This season was the first time you introduced a womenswear collection, do you find the approach is different?

NT: Before, our women customers would wear the unisex or menswear pieces, but the fit wasn’t always adapted to their body shape. By creating a womenswear line, I’m more satisfied with how garments look and sit on the body. It’s more interesting for my customers to mix and style the two lines together. I showed the menswear collection in Paris, and everyone expected me to show a unisex collection in Japan. But choosing to show only the women’s in Tokyo was a surprise.

BA: We’re sitting in your atelier, where you have a great selection of chairs. Why did you start to collect chairs?

NT: There’s a relationship between chairs and clothing. Clothes and chairs are objects that function for the body. Each chair is different: even ones made of the same material, the interpretation might be completely different. Like here at this table, all the chairs are made of wood, but each has been designed and treated in a unique way by the designer who made them. For me there’s a link between this and say a pattern for a shirt, where each designer interprets the same thing differently.

BA: What was the first chair you bought?

NT: A brown Wegner Wishbone Chair. I understand why this chair has been cherished for a long time. Its rounded shape and how comfortable it is make it a bestseller.

BA: I wonder if it was because it was influenced by a Chinese chair, and with that sense of Asian aesthetic familiarity that it felt closer to your world. What is your favourite chair?

NT: It really depends on my mood. I’m in a post-modern phase now, even in terms of the brand. I am looking less at the construction or additions and more about the actual elements. .Two years ago I was more concerned about aesthetics, which meant I focussed on adding details to the clothing. Now it’s less that I want to put more details on the clothing, but rather I prefer to integrate my detailed approach directly into the material. This chair that I’m sitting on (Nagasaki Chair), too, you can sense its strength, kindness and you feel that it’s post-modern.

BA: What do you look for when adding a chair to your collection?

NT: When selecting a chair, I prioritise the design, materiality and the presence of its form over sitting comfort, as if it was an art piece. Transcending the simple act of sitting and moving your emotions just by looking at it. I am drawn to pieces that are somewhat sculptural, objects that exude a quiet sense of ‘strangeness’ or a distinct individuality when placed in a room.

BA: Is there a specific materiality you’re favouring right now? Why?

NT: Lately, I’ve been particularly drawn to glass. The other day, I acquired a glass chair and wardrobe designed by Tokujin Yoshioka for my shop, and I’m captivated by their striking presence, which doesn’t overwhelm the space. The way glass reflects light creates a unique beauty that simply cannot be achieved with other materials.

BA: How has the chair’s function of inviting people over influenced why you gravitate toward them?

NT: For me, beyond the function of sitting, a chair feels like an element of art integrated into daily life. I deeply resonate with its ability to define a space simply by being there, acting as a presence that initiates dialogue between people.

BA: What do you think makes a chair timeless?

NT: I believe it is the coexistence of universal formal beauty and a deep respect for materials. Something that isn’t swayed by trends, fitting naturally into a landscape 10 or 20 years from now, while maintaining a strength that feels perpetually fresh. That, to me, is what creates timeless value.

BA: How does the way things age affect the way you create or collect them?

NT: I find beauty in incomplete aesthetics and the process of transformation. A piece shouldn’t peak the moment it is new; instead, it moves closer to completion as it is worn, acquiring scratches and a richer patina over time. In my creative process, I prioritise selecting materials and tailoring methods that embrace this accumulation of time.

BA: Like your chairs, in what ways are your garments collectibles? Would you want them to be treated as such?

NT: Yes, that is my hope. I want my pieces to be more than just consumables; I want them to be objects that don’t fade with time and bring a sense of joy simply by owning them. Nothing would please me more as a creator than for my work to be treated as a ‘piece’. Something that I created, becomes a part of the owner’s life and is cherished and passed down through generations.

BA: Is there a chair you wish to add but haven’t found yet?

NT: Shiro Kuramata / 01 Chair. Composed of slender steel pipes, it appears as if lines are drawn in space, possessing the sculptural quality of an art piece. Its appeal lies in the hard texture of the steel and the meticulously calculated curves that create a sense of tension

BA: Do you collect other things?

NT:  Now I’m into pottery, which I’ve been making for a while as well now. It was at the show too, as little gifts on everyone’s seat, which I made. I made around 300 pieces inspired by Jean Arp by hand — from my own fabrication to everyone.

BA: Are you hoping that your clients understand your shift towards material development?

NT: I want our customers to feel the difference by wearing my garments. They don’t have to understand the logic but should understand by feeling how a garment sits on the body. For example [pointing at a coat], this viscose is a textile made of wool and cashmere, which everyone fell in love with because of the way you understand it when you wear it. It’s comfortable and easy to wear, it just gives you a certain feeling. That is what I want.

BA: Why did it change for you in the last two years?

NT: Two years ago, I started participating in the Tokyo Fashion Prize, where, if you win, you get the opportunity to do a runway in Paris. At that moment, I thought then that it was important to focus on aesthetic details. But now after presenting several seasons in Paris, I felt that buyers weren’t really attracted to that approach, but rather to the textiles. I felt what French buyers expected from a Japanese brand was a focus on beautiful textiles, touching the fabrics to understand a kind of Japanese craftsmanship. That was the moment I changed my method. I really switched my way of thinking and the way of incorporating this into the clothing.