Daisuke Tanaka
tanakadaisuke Designer
After graduating from Osaka Bunka Fashion College, she joined a designer brand. In 2021, he debuted his collection brand "tanakadaisuke" and did his first runway show at Rakuten Fashion Week TOKYO 2022 A/W.
[ Website ] https://tanakadaisuke.jp/
[ Instagram ] https://www.instagram.com/tanakadaisuke_official/
[ Facebook ] https://www.facebook.com/Tanakadaisuke_official-111699181157379/
Since the brand was launched in 2021, “tanakadaisuke”, in addition to steadily increasing its fan base, has established a unique position in the domestic market. Last year it received the TOKYO FASHION AWARD 2024, and has held two runway shows so far at Rakuten Fashion Week TOKYO. We spoke to designer Daisuke Tanaka, and discussed the current state of the brand after these two shows, as well as his creations that have moved the hearts of so many people’s.
The last time we talked was in 2022, immediately before you held your first runway show. What changes have you seen in the brand in those two years?
Many people have told me that they think it is a brand very suited to runway shows, and I feel the same way myself. Compared to presentations in lookbook format, the seasons when we present in shows get a much bigger response, and the level of enthusiasm of the people who visit the exhibitions is completely different. The show has created new opportunities, like the POP-UP at Isetan, there has been interest from various other stores, and we have started some wholesale business too. A result of the second show was that our clothes were used for the cover of Men’s Non-No, and we are grateful for the fact that many people who visited the show have connected with us with the idea of working on something together in the future.
tanakadaisuke 2022 A/W collection
Has your own mindset changed as well?
At that time, I just enjoyed making clothes. Now, I spend time on things like how to present the clothes that I have made, and how to approach people in a way that my products reach them, as well as paying attentions to visuals, model casting, and product names. There are times when I feel that the product characteristics are not being communicated, so I need to make sure these are recognized and understood.
Is there something on which you are focusing particularly on the creation side?
I am able to express myself freely with embroidery and beads, so currently I am trying to develop fabrics that also enable the decorative creations characteristic of tanakadaisuke. I hope to one day use these fabrics to create interiors as well.
How do you feel that tanakadaisuke is seen by the market?
We have clothes that incorporate costume and decorative elements rarely seen in Tokyo brands and I feel that this makes us stand out in the market. Previously, when viewing our clothes, people tended to appreciate them, but not buy them, as if they were perusing works in an art museum. Now that there are more accessible items, the number of people purchasing them has increased.
What was the aim of the 24AW show presented in March 2024?
The image we created was of magic powder falling down and covering people with magic, and the performance involved sequins, a material commonly used by the brand. The concept for this season is nostalgic memories and things we liked in our childhoods but have buried. In this collection, we are pushing the color pink, and hope to increase the opportunities to choose pink in Tokyo. It would be cool if Tokyo could become a place where people can talk about the things they liked as children even when they are adults.
tanakadaisuke 2024 A/W collection
What is the future outlook for the brand?
I think that it is rare for a brand to be so widely and shallowly known in only its third year. Until now, we haven’t done much on the wholesale side, and have connected directly to customers, so we want to continue to hone this direct approach moving forward.
I think there is also value in tanakadaisuke making proposals in the men’s market. Our aim is to offer clothes with decorative or feminine elements that can be proposed according to the character of the wearer themselves, without being restricted by categorization into men’s or women’s clothes.
What challenges do you want to embrace as a designer?
This year I have been constantly asked, “What do you want to do from now? Who do you want to collaborate with?” For that reason, I have been putting out various requests (laughs). For example, it is often the case with actors that they have to prioritize TPO or their roles, so they are not free to wear the things they want to wear, so tanakadaisuke would like to collaborate with such actors to create visuals. This does not need to stop at celebrities, and I want to help various people be the people they want to be. I hope that tanakadaisuke can help create a world where everyone plays the leading role.
Interview by Tomoko Kawasaki
Photography by Daichi Saito
