Fashion Week
Meagratia, A Blooming Flower
Japanese creations have a certain aerial aesthetic and a very unique energy. Meagratia is no exception. Like a decaying flower changing with the passing of time, the Japanese clothing brand was born from the concept “fusion of history and present sense.” The unisex clothes are very symbolic of the idea Europeans have of the Japanese culture and the people’s respect of traditions. Meagratia is looking at the future, while being very much rooted in the past. It expresses a certain vision of the world in which the life of a flower is superimposed on the culture, environment, and people’s figures that change with time. It’s composed of different well known looks and dwell in the momentary trends where history and the present merge to create something beautiful, something new; sometimes tough and cold, other times warm and gentle. Meagratia expands its reach with shows in the world’s most famous Fashion Week stages from Paris to Tokyo. The brand wraps people with harmonious shapes, rich in design. Here & There visited the brand’s showroom during the Fall/Winter 2022 presentation of Paris Fashion Week to meet with designer Takafumi Sekine.
How did you start designing clothes?
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I have wanted to be a designer since I was 16. I always liked being fashionable and I wanted to be someone who created the uplifting feeling that comes from wearing clothes, so I set my mind on becoming a designer. I started out by making only five pieces and rented a friend's house for exhibitions because I didn't have any money.
How would you describe Meagratia in three words?
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Flower, Unique, Borderless.
What attracted you to create only unisex pieces?
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In the first place, I’m not very preoccupied with gender. I am happy if many people enjoy, and are happy, wearing Meagratia clothes regardless of their gender.
What is the link between the brand and the concept of flowers?
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Flowers fascinate me with their various expressions over time. They can be worn in a variety of ways and change depending on who wears them and how they’re used. I want my designs to be like that, multifaceted and ever changing.
What was the main inspiration behind this new collection?
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The idea of seeing old photographs and reading letters, but in the present. They connect the past, present and future. I wanted to translate that feeling, something you rediscover, it’s familiar but also foreign.
Can you tell us a little bit more about your creative process?
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I am thinking about the next season's design somewhere in my head all the time. I sketch out the designs that occur to me at the time and then I put them together in a final design. Inspiration comes to me in my daily life, and I often visit museums when I want to put together a collection. I also think of materials such as fabrics. There are many craftsmen in Japan with excellent skills, so I keep trying new things in cooperation with them.
How do you choose materials?
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I like fabrics with expression. Based on this, I choose what fits the theme, but sometimes I also go with my instincts.
What’s next for the brand?
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As well as continuing to present in Paris and spread our reach in Europe overall, we are also considering opening a flagship store in Japan.
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Follow @meagratia
By Alexa Bouhelier-Ruelle
Photos provided by designer
