Before We Begin —
In case you’re reading Duchump for the first time, or you’ve been MIA, you can catch up on my latest work — the last three posts are just below:
There’s a lot happening behind-the-scenes right now, so there is a reason behind the slowdown of posts recently. Expect a few new interviews this month, along with some longer posts focusing one a single subject, brand, etc.
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Prologue
The closet is ever-changing, constantly evolving. Some weeks we’ll see new additions to the rotation, while others will have pieces making their exit — like a contestant on Love Island, exiting the villa and finding love elsewhere. Actually, the more I write about this, the less I want to sell my clothes. It sounds like I’m abandoning them for another lover.
Anyway, I'm someone who cycles through my wardrobe throughout the year — making sure we’re not keeping anything that remain untouched for extensive periods of time. I blame films like Toy Story for warping my perspective on inanimate objects like this; making me feel guilty about leaving something behind as I grow up (thanks Pixar). Yes, I do have a few items that will remain sitting for certain seasons or occasions, which is completely normal, but I’m still working on creating a closet that will stick with me for years to come.
Will I change and grow out of certain looks over time? Absolutely, but I’m trying to own fewer garments that clearly have a certain shelf-life (e.g. the Comme des Garçons skirt I sold a few months ago). Throughout this process, I’ve discovered several brands that meet the criteria of long-term pickups like MAN-TLE, Comoli, and Lemaire, and it’s proven to be fruitful. All of my MAN-TLE shirts have been worn to death, with some having various battle-scars since picking them up, while with Comoli, well, you’ve heard enough of that — for now.
You may be wondering where this is all going. Listen here, bitch, I’m here to talk about a brand I’ve recently added to the meets criteria list, and I’ve already started stockpiling. Enter, Graphpaper.
Normal, Not Boring
Founded in 2015, Graphpaper has quicky grown in Japan, with followers growing in numbers each season. Known for their airy silhouettes and thoughtful fabric choices, it’s easy to see why they’ve become a favourite in Tokyo’s fashion community. The brand is now expanding globally, with shops like Neighbour and Ven Space among the first outside Japan to carry their collections.
Now, who exactly is behind Graphpaper?
Takayuki Minami, founder and designer for Graphpaper and FreshService, is something of a human Swiss Army knife. In addition to running both brands, he is also heads alpha PR, a successful agency representing brands like Is-Ness, Blurhms, and other notable Japanese names. It’s no wonder he’s so highly regarded in the fashion community — almost every interview I found shows how deeply respected and knowledgable he is. He’s passionate and it’s clearly reflected in the quality of his work.
Graphpaper originally began as a concept shop built around the idea that “clothes are also works of art.” Their development process is extensive — each collection requires time to source the best-quality fabrics, test silhouettes and patterns, and refine the final product. In one interview, Takayuki mentions how he spends “six months to a year, sometimes as long as two years.” It’s the reason why their garments are so desirable. Their pieces are thoughtfully designed for daily life, yet retain the look and feel of luxury clothing.
In terms of philosophy, Minami designs with everyday life in mind, but also with the belief that fashion design was “exhausted in the 20th century.” Whether you realize it or not, military and workwear have become universal reference points, regardless of which brand, house, or designer. “We choose the texture, the unexpectedness of what our predecessors made, and so that they blend into modern urban life,” he explains to Mizuno.
Graphpaper sees their ideal Customer as someone who’s grown tired of excess, and now chooses quality over quantity. Minami’s guiding theme behind each collection is clear: “normal, not boring.” While the garments may appear simple, they are meticulously crafted and built to last. Takayuki has shared how he visits all their production factories in-person to ensure he can create garments with the finest materials and working with the best craftsmen. “It’s like a sushi restaurant approach to making the most of the ingredients,” Minami says of his process. He’s not a big believer in creating all new looks each season, as he prefers to have their collections evolve over time — fine-tuning past iterations of shirts, jackets, etc.
For example, I recently picked up their Fine Wool LS Shirt from Neighbour, and just a few seconds after throwing it on, I knew it was coming home with me. This led to me trying on their Boiled Wool Blazer — picked it up. Oh, and their Pale Green Oversized Shirt? Yeah, I picked that one up, too. Every item fit better than the last, which is huge for me considering that my broad shoulders and long arms tend to be the biggest blockers when shopping.
Their pieces are typically oversized, however, there are a few shirts from their recent collection that have a much more tailored fit than usual. Alumo, a leading Swiss textile manufacturer, has been operating for over 107 years, producing some of the finest quality cotton shirting fabrics. By collaborating with Alumo, Minami brings a great range of shirts for you to choose from. Either oversized joints that meet the City Boy criteria, or more classic-fitted shirts for more formal or professional settings.
Of everything I picked up, the Blazer is the standout for me — no contest. It fit and felt very Yohji-like with it’s oversized and unstructured design, beautifully draped over my shoulders — and the inner striped lining is also quite lovely. Without a doubt, these three items have been my favourite pickups this year, and I cannot recommend them enough to anyone else that wants to add a bit of flare (Pale Green Shirt) to their wardrobe, or classics (Boiled Wool Blazer & Fine Wool LS Shirt).
In my last post, I mentioned how intentionality is often missing in fashion — one of the reasons I’ve come to resonate so deeply with Japanese fashion culture. There’s a mutual respect between the Brand and the Customer, as brands like Graphpaper, Cottle, and Comoli take the necessary amount of time to create a collection that serve a clear purpose. Whether it’s weather-related, daily life, workwear, or activewear, the objective is to produce something that meets a need — thoughtfully and effectively.
It’s an ethos I’ve been trying to adopt into my own life. Before starting a new project or piece, I ask myself:
What’s the intention behind this?
Is this coming from a genuine place?
Has it been done? If not, what’s the end objective? If yes, is this necessary? What are we doing differently?
There’s already an overwhelming amount of content, most of it recycled and duplicated. Do we need another video on why Miuccia Prada is an incredible designer? Or another brand that sells ironic tees with culturally relevant subject matter? No, we do not.
Even with this newsletter, I’ve questioned whether it’s worth the time and energy — especially when there are already great writers covering similar brands, or others I love that still fly under the radar in North America. For myself, I still feel like there’s space for what I’m doing. But once I feel like I’ve served my purpose ..
Lights out.
**All quotes were pulled from interviews with Takayuki Minami were included, such as “Takayuki Minami of Graphpaper Mizuno for Graphpaper Vol. 2” and “Multifaceted Creator Takayuki Minami Part 1.”
Epilogue
While writing this, I realized how much my perspective has changed over the years — for better or worse. Before 2023, I would say intention was something that wouldn’t cross my mind when working on editorials, reels and Tik Tok posts, etc. I felt like I had to put something out there for the sake of feeling relevant, but now, I’m trying to be more mindful of the reason behind my craft.
We’re living in an era where anything and everything is accessible, however, we also have so much clutter to sift through. Designers like Takayuki Minami, Komori Keijiro, Ryota Iwai have recently inspired me to create more valuable work — something that may pique your interest. With fashion writing, it can either be too analytical and heavy for casual reading, or it can be too general and mind-numbing (e.g. “Here are five pairs of Jaded London pants you need to pick up” type of bullshit).
Oh, here are two recent fits featuring my Graphpaper pickups. You thought I was going to drop a post without an outfit breakdown? Think again.
Anyway, thank you to everyone that has supported me since starting this project, and I do hope these posts bring some kind of value to your life. One of the reasons why I’ve been collecting copies of Apartamento all these years is due to the little seeds scattered throughout every issue that can lead to a whole new idea, project, perspective, lifestyle, and so on.
Hopefully there’s something in this post that left you feeling inspired in some kind of way. Maybe you were inspired to report this newsletter and take it down.
Who knows.
Thanks for reading!
Your support is greatly appreciated as I continue working towards growing this newsletter and slowly turning it into something bigger. The end goal is to turn this into a publication, featuring interviews with individuals in fashion, covering collections and shows, etc. Maybe we can make it to fashion week again - who knows.
If you can, please like, subscribe, and share this publication.
Love ya.
- Chris
going to neighbour with the intention of trying on GraphPaper, goodlooks
Happy you picked the pale green shirt! I want one too 😭