Text: Keiko Kamijo Photo: Masato Moriyama
Textiles that will brighten your mood just by spreading them out
JAL: The colors of the textiles you design are very striking. Is that influenced by Scandinavia?
Suzuki: I want to create textiles that, when spread out, make people think, "Wow, how beautiful!" and feel happy. Of course, I use dark and muted colors, but flashy, highly saturated colors unconditionally lift your spirits. I like those kinds of colors.
The watch was also designed by him in collaboration with Epson.
Suzuki: Even if you look around Europe, you can only find flashy printed textiles like Marimekko in Scandinavia. This may be due to the cold climate and long winters. Also, when you look at the design of Scandinavian furniture, architecture, and tableware, you can see that there is a functional beauty that is not flashy. Perhaps it was because it was such a simple space that the brightly colored textiles stood out.
Marimekko was founded in 1951, so it's only been around for about 60 years. It's strange that such a brand has had such a strong influence on the image of Finland as a country. When I started OTTAIPNU, I thought that unique and vivid designs would not be accepted because Japanese interior design is based on simplicity that does not overwhelm small living spaces. However, thanks to you, more and more people are now choosing our products. We live in an age where values are diversifying, so it may be that minority items are more easily accepted.
The secrets of "Scandinavian design" that even I don't understand
JAL: What do you think are the similarities and differences between Japan and Finland?
Portable textiles "OTTAIPNU KASA COLLECTION"
Suzuki: I think Finns and Japanese people are quite similar. We're both serious, shy and modest. The biggest difference is the cycle of consumption. For example, when a Finnish person breaks their favorite mug, they'll buy an exact copy of it again. That's why the same products are sold in stores for so long. Marimekko has a vertically striped shirt called "Yokapoika," and it's had the same pattern for 50 years.
I also want to continue one job for 10 years. OTTAIPNU has been releasing umbrella collections since 2011, and we create new umbrellas every year by changing the fabric pattern while keeping the frame the same. We have also been collaborating with a towel manufacturer in Imabari for over 10 years since 2006. The consumption cycle in Japan is very fast, but I feel that it's okay for some things to remain the same for a little while.
JAL: Your designs are said to be Nordic in Japan, but what do people from Northern Europe think?
Suzuki: Strangely enough, people often say that it is Japanese. Even with Marimekko's designs, I thought they were Scandinavian-style, but people still say they are Japanese (laughs). I wanted to know the true nature of the overwhelming appeal hidden in Scandinavian textile design, so I took promotional photos of textiles I made in Scandinavia, and in 2016 I even tried printing in Scandinavia for the first time, but in the end I still don't know the secret, and I'm still in the middle of my quest.
The country I want to visit next is the colorful country of Mexico.
JAL: Mr. Suzuki, what do you do when thinking about a design?
Suzuki: Please don't be disappointed (laughs). In my case, ideas don't fall from the sky, and I don't actively look for them either. I think that just living an ordinary life brings in a fair amount of information. Then, the things I accumulate day by day come out when I'm thinking about fabric designs. Even when I'm traveling, I feel like I accumulate a lot of information naturally just by looking around the city without thinking too much about it.
JAL: Do you take notes or sketch while you travel?
Polar bear drawn with correction tape
Suzuki: That's right. Rather than making proper sketches, I draw anything that's just like a memo, so I bring a lightweight notebook that's easy to carry around. The writing implements I use are a pen, a correction pen, and correction tape. I've brought paints before, but I stopped because they were difficult to carry around. Recently, I've been bringing a pen tablet and a laptop. I use the hotel as a mini office, so I can work while relaxing.
JAL: Is there any country you would like to visit next?
Suzuki: I'd like to go to Mexico. The colors in that country are amazing. I love Alexander Girardot, a designer who designed many textiles, and he was apparently heavily influenced by Mexican folk art. The same goes for American interior designers Charles and Ray Eames. I'd also like to see the architecture of Luis Barragán, who is famous for his vivid use of colors. That would mean I'd have to create jobs in Mexico (laughs).
Masaru Suzuki
After graduating from the Department of Textile Design at Tama Art University, he worked at Awatsuji Hiroshi Design Office. He became independent in 1995 and established Unpiatto Ltd. in 2002. He started up the fabric brand "OTTAIPNU" in 2005. In addition to his own brand, he has been involved in projects with various manufacturers and brands both in Japan and overseas, including designing for the long-established Finnish brand "Marimekko" since 2010. He is a professor at Tokyo Zokei University and a director of Unpiatto Ltd.
The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.
