Portrait of a hat Profile.06 POGGY
People who really look good in hats may be stylish adults who have aged well. The transition of style and the influence of age are reflected in portraits wearing hats. In the series "Portraits of Hats," we will create portraits of hat masters from two portrait photographs and short responses to five common questions. The sixth installment features Motofumi "Poggy" Ogi, who is expanding his field of work both in Japan and overseas as a fashion curator.
5 QUESTIONS TO
Motofumi "Poggy" Kogi
"It's hard to find a hat that suits you, and even harder to make one that's different from everyone else's."
Tell me about when you started wearing hats.
I think the first time I became aware of hats was because of Captain Tsubasa. I remember begging my parents to buy me an Adidas or Puma hat like Wakabayashi-kun or Wakashimazu-kun. The first time I wore a hat as a fashion conscious was when I was a freshman in high school, when I wore a Chicago Bulls cap (NBA). I started wearing hats like I do now from around 2004 or 2005. At a time when Ivy League and other classic suits were being reevaluated, I dug deeper into those old styles, and as I admired the style of a suit with a hat, I started wearing them.
Who would you like to wear a hat?
Of course, the hat styles seen in classic movies like "Casablanca" and "The Godfather" are good, but I prefer the hat styles of hip-hop artists. JAY-Z, Outkast's Andre 3000, and Pharrell Williams are cool when it's time to dress up, and casual when it's time to dress down. I try to emulate that balance.
Please tell me what you pay attention to when you wear a hat.
If you're thin, a narrow brim is fine, but if you're a bit chubby like me, I think a wider brim is better. I choose one with a wide brim (about 9cm) and a Height crown. Having worn hats from various countries, including America, Italy, France, and United Kingdom, I've realized that our heads are shaped differently from Asians, so in the end we end up settling on Japanese brands. I think hats are an item that you really can't tell until you try one on.
Please tell me about the hat you are wearing today.
This is a hat from a Japanese brand called [HWDOG&CO.], and the back of the brim was drawn by the artist FUTURA. I first had Mark Gonzales draw it on the spur of the moment, and since then, whenever I meet an artist, I ask them to draw something on the back of my hat, and I have about 10 of them now. Even if I get one drawn, I don't use it as an ornament, I wear it myself. It's difficult to find a hat that suits you, and it's even more difficult to make it different from others. That's why I like this idea.
What does a hat mean to your life?
Suits are now considered the "highest level of dressing up," but in fact, in the days of evening coats and top hats, today's suits were what people wore to relax in lounges. Shirts and T-shirts, which were once underwear, are now outerwear, and everything has become more casual. Among all of these, hats are one item that I think remains classic.
Photography: Kengo Shimizu
Editing: Yukihisa Takei (HIGHVISION)
Born in Hokkaido in 1976. He worked as a famous buyer at United Arrows, and was responsible for the creation of unique concept stores such as select shops "Liquor, woman & tears" and "UNITED ARROWS & SONS" within the company. While gaining attention as a fashion icon not only in Japan but also around the world, he left the company in 2018 to go independent. He has expanded his field of activity to various scenes, including "2G" at Shibuya PARCO, fashion projects such as "POGGY'S BOX", and producing "Snack Yaro POGGY".
