We often find ourselves flustered or disheartened when we notice stains on our clothes.

If it's a white garment, it's even worse. Perhaps that's why many people have kept white at arm's length, wanting to wear it but feeling unable to. Challenging this notion is Mr. Sasaki, the designer of Gurank.

 "I really like white clothes. So, I'm making white jeans again this season. They look great after one or two years, when faint, unremovable stains remain here and there after washing. I design them with that in mind, so you can even get our clothes dirty. But that's not a particularly unusual value, is it? I mean, I think everyone has experienced the feeling that ripped jeans are cool, or that faded or damaged clothes look well-worn. Many people must have found the aging process attractive as a 'flavor.' I think everyone actually knows that kind of thing is cool."

By wearing Gurank's clothes, the distance you once felt from white might shorten.

However, I analyze that Mr. Sasaki might want to express something beyond just freshness or cleanliness through white.

"Through clothes, I feel like I'm pursuing an inner coolness. Not worrying about small details, thinking it's fine if it gets a little dirty. Someone who wipes their hands directly on their pants after washing them,

I think that kind of person is cool. In 'Stand by Me,' if River Phoenix wiped his hands with a handkerchief, wouldn't that feel off? (laughs) That's just my personal value, but I'm drawn to that kind of thing, and I feel like white can portray it more vividly.

That's the kind of white clothing I intend to make — white clothes that look cool even when dirty.

Clothes can be for dressing up, but they can also be for expressing your true self. "It's necessary to have the mindset that clothes are important, but it's also good to have the spirit to view them as just clothes. Aren't there many things more important than clothes? (laughs)" says Mr. Sasaki. I sincerely hope you infuse your daily life into Gurank's white canvas. Because the identity depicted there is the source of the magnetism that attracts people.

Ryo Kikuchi