A Farewell Gift to the Mother /w Ayana Horai

Greetings everyone! Today, we have a special interview with Ayana Horai, who contemplated a final graduation collection dedicated to her best friend, her mother. Ayana Horai graduated from POLIMODA, a reputable private fashion school in Italy, designated for unique and talented students. Ayana inspired by the theme of bouquets of flowers to pour out happiness with the subtlety of colour arrangement. By extension, she entitled the collection with the name of RADIATION to spread joy and bliss. As we all know that the life itself has got singular equilibrium in its essence, and it’s unforeseeable scenarios for all of us, we should embrace the unexpected events to live in harmony. From time to time, we may encounter with bitterness, and then sweetness. Eventually, it’s all matter about how we touch and taste the life. Now, Ayana’s dearest mother is everywhere like a radiation burst to cure the despair. The farewell gift has been opened to radiate! So long… Till we meet again…

How did you decide to study at POLIMODA?

Ayana Horai: I visited POLIMODA once when I was a fashion design student in Japan and experienced the classes only for a week.

After graduating from fashion school, I studied daily as a designer in a Japanese company, but I felt somewhat bored.

So I wanted to study fashion design in a place other than Japan and find out how the world enjoys fashion. Also I wanted to study design in a city with an artistic history.

(Courtesy of Ayana Horai)

What about your collection, the RADIATION?

Ayana Horai: My mother passed away last year, and I have incorporated the warmth and love of family that I felt in that moment into my design. The theme is based on a very personal event.

Could you share a nostalgia which triggers you to enhance your creativity?

Ayana Horai: I have always loved drawing and making things, partly because of my father, who was very good with his hands. I feel that there were two triggers for me to enhance my creativity.

One was my fascination with literature. As I became more and more passionate about theatre and film, I also became fascinated by the world of music, such as rock and punk.

The reason I am making things now comes from an emotive desire to have some strong influence on people.

Secondly, I attended fashion school in Japan. It was a school that kept Japanese traditions alive, but was constantly updating them with an eye on the world. I met many enthusiastic friends and teachers. I am currently working there as a fashion design teacher.

May I ask your opinion about why mostly the Japanese Fashion Designers are in the first place for avant-garde fashion?

Ayana Horai: Japanese fashion style, known as avant-garde, seems to have been created with a sense of art, unlike traditional fashion.

The Japanese have a difference in physique from Europe. In general, smaller and less full-bodied. I think the reluctance to emphasize body shape and being sexy has created a different direction of appeal.

How does the Japanese concept, the MA, colorize your life and your work?

Ayana Horai: The important thing for me in design and lifestyle is ‘negative space’. In my design, I think about how to reduce a lot of ideas and make them look beautiful.

I try to be ‘Less is More’ rather than cramming in what I want to do. In my daily life, I try to make time for ‘nothing’.

Do you know what a “SENTO (public bathhouse) ” is? It is very similar to an “ONSEN [hot spring]”, but it is much more folkloric.

I love “SENTO” and sometimes go twice a week in Japan. I spend time in the big bathtub and not thinking about anything. When I have time, I sometimes spend 2 hours there. Spending time with strangers at the same time allows me to feel that I am alive in the world.

It is very relaxing and I sleep very comfortably. For me, ‘MA’ is ‘negative space’ and ‘nothing’. ‘MA’ enriches my life.

Name an artist you most influenced?

Ayana Horai: The artist who has most influenced me is a Japanese playwright called Matsuo Suzuki. He is also a film director and actor, but I was strongly influenced by his theatre work.

I like to know how people think and act in stories. I think my design work starts from thinking about the story rather than designing the clothes themselves.

Broadly asking, are you happy?

Ayana Horai: Of course I’m happy. I am optimistic and I am positive about the current situation.

But at the same time I feel that I am not enough and I want to achieve a lot more. I’m very happy that I have so many things I want to do.

Credits

Designer: @h_o_r_a_i

Photographer: @shono.inoue

Model: @belucaharivel

Styling Assistant: @mmm__julias

School: @polimodafirenze

#polimoda #Fashion #ayanahorai #JapaneseFashion #DarkFashion