The creative director muses on the Tokyo Olympics, an energetic new collection, and how sneakers and sportswear will look like in the new year

The Spring/Summer 2020 collection appears to be a true celebration of Tokyo...

The Olympics 2020 is a big movement for Tokyo. We have many bags inspired by travel and luggage - because there will be many people coming to Tokyo. And even if it wasn&#39;t for the Olympics, Tokyo is a capital of fashion - where I come from in Italy, the flights to Tokyo are always full now. Onitsuka Tiger is a historical company, so we also looked at logos from archival bags and socks and used them in this collection, in a contemporary and luxurious way.&nbsp;

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It all started with a collaboration with Onitsuka Tiger in 2013, and your role at the brand has continued to grow since...&nbsp;

There have been a lot of big changes. We started with one pair of shoes that were co-branded - I was an Italian designer working with an iconic Japanese brand. That led to a menswear capsule show at Pitti [Uomo], followed by a men&#39;s and women&#39;s show with 35 exits. From a pair of co-branded sneakers, now I look at the webiste, the stores, windows, and events. At the beginning when we started, there was really only the collaboration between Adidas and Yohji Yamamoto. And now I am the creative director at Onitsuka Tiger. It&#39;s much more complex and the approach has changed too - we are translating a more contemporary fashion image.&nbsp;

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Are there challenges, being an Italian designer at a Japanese brand?

We get inspiration from Japan, and also from all over the world. We&#39;re already so known in Japan, so we do need more of a European, or global touch. Onitsuka Tiger is very open to that touch, and a global vision. I don&#39;t really see separate markets - now we are all connected with Instagram. and the web, so we are all part of the world.&nbsp;

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Would you consider Onitsuka Tiger a part of the streetwear segment?

We are more pr&ecirc;t-&agrave;-porter, and less streetwear - especially in the styling and finishing. There is a lot more research, and we make a statement and a look that is more of-the-moment. For example, there is the sneaker with a platform, and a hypbrid sneaker, rather than just a sneaker from someone who might be considered a competitor.&nbsp;

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Your first memory of Onitsuka Tiger is...

Uma Thurman in Kill Bill, by Quentin Tarantino. In Europe, that&#39;s the image we have. In Asia, Onitsuka is the culture.&nbsp;

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What&#39;s going to be the next sneaker trend?&nbsp;

The very chunky sneaker will still be around for the next couple of months. The newer sneakers iis softer, slimmer and more fitted to the body.

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What&#39;s your prediction for ready-to-wear in the coming years then?

Sportswear in the comnig years will be more pr&ecirc;t-&agrave;-porter. People are starting to tire of streetwear and will go back to looking for a good pair of pants or a good coat. People of my generation spend money on a piece that will last for five years - not something that lasts for six months. Maybe there will be a move back to investment pieces.&nbsp;

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Do you have a fave piece from the Spring/Summer 2020 collection?

It&#39;s more of an attiitude than a specific thing. I like to see models happy backstage, because they have to do the walk. Actually, after the show, I&#39;m even more confused because the models said they wanted everything - the platforms sneakers, the latex coat.&nbsp;

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What are your personal thoughts on sustainability in fashion?

I&#39;ve spoken to many companies over the years. There are many fake certificates and claims - especially for bags and shoes. In reality, there&#39;s no glue that will 100 per cent stick forever. It will be a long discussoin, but I believe we can start in our own homes. I used to love packaging and collect it - now, I don&#39;t do that anymore. if we&#39;re talking about the Onitsuka Tiger collection, there are denim and padded items that can be worn for a long time.&nbsp;

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Andrea Pompilio on...

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Designing youthful clothes

&quot;Fashion is about dreaming. And I&#39;m dreaming to be young. Onitsuka Tiger is my baby - I can&#39;t try surfing or skateboarding now as a 45-year-old man. So as a designer, I&#39;m living a dream and doing what I missed out on before.&quot;

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What he would do outside of fashion

&quot;I decided when I was 8 that I would be a fashion designer. Maybe I would be an interior designer. There&#39;s no other option.&quot;

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Getting the nerves

&quot;I&#39;m always nervous before a show. More hysterical than nervous. I don&#39;t have so much stress for the collection and models&nbsp;- it&#39;s more about the lights and the sound, and ensuring the consistency of the message when things are in the hands of others.&quot;

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Social media

&quot;My heart tells me to go more sophisticated. But Instagram shows that fashion is still very instant. Instagram mostly affects things in a good way - yet when something starts to appear everywhere, you want to move in the other direction.&quot;

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First seen in the <a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/fashion/love-makes-the-world-go-round-l-officiel-singapore-s-february-issue-is-out-now">February 2020</a> issue of L&#39;Officiel Singapore

Talkin' 2020: Andrea Pompilio On Onitsuka Tiger Spring/Summer 2020

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