After 2021’s North America Roadshow GORE-TEX Studio has visited 13 like-minded individuals in different cities across Japan to talk about their personal backgrounds, local climates, favorite spots, and GORE-TEX. As a visual component, each host picked her/his favorite GORE-TEX outfit to be portrayed in. The result is a showcase of diverse styles and subcultures, captured for the GORE-TEX STUDIO JAPAN ROADSHOW.
GORE-TEX Studio: How would you describe yourself in one sentence? I’m 26 years old, I was born in Kyoto, but I grew up in the tropical region of Kagoshima Island, and now I’m working in the fashion industry.
GORE-TEX Studio: Tell us a bit about your city’s climate. What are your three favorite outdoor spots in the summer and the winter? What is your favorite method of transportation and why? How do you prepare for bad weather if you spend time outside? Kyoto is a basin surrounded by low mountains, which makes it hot and humid in the summer and quite cold in the winter, especially in the city. When I have a day off, I spend it in the mountains, or near the water. Daimonjiyama, the Hira mountain range, and Kurobe Dam are three places that are great to visit any time of the year. My bicycle is my partner in crime when it comes to work or play. Kyoto is a bicycle-friendly city with great roads. Whatever I’m doing, I like to be stylish, and the same applies when the weather is bad. Usually, I carry more gear than I need, and that includes some packable GORE-TEX pieces.
GORE-TEX Studio: What are you wearing today? Why are you wearing it, and did you have a particular weather scenario in mind when choosing this piece? What do you love most about your GORE-TEX product? Different scenarios tend to emerge when the temperature drops below 20 degrees, not only because of the rain but because of the windy weather and my active lifestyle. I feel GORE-TEX always strives to stay at the forefront of the industry when it comes to performance products. That’s interesting to me as a user.
GORE-TEX Studio: Where and when did you get this? Do you have any special memories connected to this item? If you could go anywhere, where would you like to take this piece? I used to work at an Arc’teryx stockist in Kyoto called LOFTMAN B.D. This Alpha SV jacket is from 2019, it was an anniversary piece limited to 300 pieces in Japan. I managed to get one! It’s made in Canada. I’m also wearing the Arc’teryx Acrux FL GTX approach shoe. I don't know, but I would like to visit the city where it was produced, North Vancouver, Canada.
GORE-TEX Studio: Why do you think functional clothing has become more popular in recent years? Recently, I think people have been drawn to spending quality time outdoors with family and friends. As we started to become aware of outdoor products, more and more people are probably wearing them in a fashion sense, simply because they are comfortable. I think we will see more of this in the future. Overseas, I think some musicians have been wearing functional clothing which puts it in the spotlight.
GORE-TEX Studio: How do you define comfort when it comes to technical apparel? Perhaps the answer is that tough clothes are the best since they offer protection no matter what the elements throw at you.
GORE-TEX Studio: What are you looking forward to in the next six months, and are there any upcoming challenges that you're excited about? Next year will be a year of big changes for me, and I want to help bring exciting change to the industry. Keep an eye out for Molinda.
“This Alpha SV jacket is from 2019, it was an anniversary piece limited to 300 pieces in Japan. Made in Canada. I managed to get one!“