Portrait of a Hat Profile.13 Atsushi Okubo

People who really look good in hats. It could be a cool looking older adult. Changes in style and the effects of annual growth appear in the portrait wearing a hat. In the series ``Portraits of Hats'', portraits of hat masters emerge from two portrait photos and short words in response to five common questions. The 13th time is Atsushi Okubo, one of Japan's leading stylists and the director of The Stylist Japan®.

 

5 QUESTIONS TO

Atsushi Okubo

“I always refer to musicians’ hat styles.”

 

 

Tell me about when you started wearing hats.

I don't remember it myself, but I found a picture of myself wearing hunting over my back when I was probably around 5 years old. My parents were fashionable, so I was made to dress like that, but looking at it now, I'm happy. I thought he was making me look fashionable. Although I've never met him, there were many photos of my grandfather wearing a hat stylishly, so maybe that's how it goes. But I've always admired long hair, so I did n't wear hats much when I was younger. I think it was around the time I turned 30 that I started wearing hats as a fashion item.

 

Who would you like to wear a hat?

There was Koji Oguchi, the drummer for Group Sounds ``The Tempters,'' and I used to play with him a lot, and the way he wore Panama hats back then was really cool, and I was influenced by him. I tried to imitate Bob Dylan's way of wearing his Panamanian brim, but it's quite difficult. When I asked Mr. Oguchi, he said, ``If you wear anything, even when taking a bath, you'll look good in it,'' and that's exactly what I did (lol). Since then, I've always looked to the hat styles of musicians such as Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, and John Lennon.

 

Please tell me what you pay attention to when you wear a hat.

For hats, Height of the crown and the length of the brim. I don't like having a low crown, or rather it's a rule within me. Also, it takes time to adjust the hat to the shape that suits you. But it's fun to gradually change it to be yourself. On the other hand, when it comes to styling, it's difficult to make people wear hats. After all, it won't suit you unless you're used to wearing it on a regular basis. In my case, I often create a style that is unique to the person, so I don't want the style to make the person feel uncomfortable. I think Noritake Kinashi is the only one who brings a hat to every photo shoot.

 

Please tell me about the hat you are wearing today.

This is COLLABORATION with Borsalino from my brand The Stylist Japan® in 2012, and I've been wearing it for the past few years in the fall and winter seasons. Of course I have a lot of hats, but I always decide which one to wear. I like Height of the crown and the length of the brim, and over time I have developed a shape that suits me. In addition to this beige, it comes in 5 colors: gray, black, navy, and brown, and it's interesting that each one has a slightly different shape.

 

What does a hat mean to your life?

Well, it's not so exaggerated to call it life, but I guess it's the "final touch" of outfit. Sometimes I decide what to wear first with a hat, but most of the time the hat is the final outfit finishing touch.

 

Photography: Kengo Shimizu
Editing: Yukihisa Takei (HIGHVISION)