Over the past decade, athleisure trends inspired by street culture have invariably appeared on the runways of Paris Fashion Week. Even in the luxury boutiques on the city's main streets, you'll find t-shirts, hoodies, and "hype" sneakers embellished with logos and monograms. The boom in luxury sportswear in the world of luxury fashion is likely to be the forerunner of today's luxury sports watch market, which continues to heat up due to its extreme cost and hard to obtain.
But we are not here to discuss changes in the luxury market, nor to predict future trends in the fashion and watch sectors. But here we think it is important to talk about the first person who looked for elegance in sports products and translated these values into his own creations. This man rose to prominence in Tokyo in the 90s of the 20th century and continues to spread his philosophy to this day, and his influence has grown with the times.
He is Hiroshi Fujiwara, and his creations go to the world under the banner of "fragment design".
Japan "Tide Father" Hiroshi Fujiwara
Hiroshi Fujiwara is sometimes referred to as the "godfather of trends" in Japanese fashion (although he seems embarrassed by the nickname), but his creativity doesn't just show itself in fashion. In fact, his music also played a key role in his fame.
Hiroshi Fujiwara started his career on the Tokyo club stage in the early 80s of the 20th century as a DJ with world-class skills. He entered the '90s with his own unique sense of style, interpreting punk, hip-hop and skateboarding cultures and elevating them with haute couture and art.
He was a frequent contributor to magazines and other media outlets, earning a large following. At that time, the clothes and shoes that Hiroshi Fujiwara showed in the media were sold out instantly. As soon as these hard-won items were launched, they were immediately sold at high prices on the secondary market.
In the 21st century, his influence spread to other countries. For a generation that has been exposed to hip-hop and the Internet since birth, and away from the bourgeois dress code, Fujiwara's style, which represents the image and concept of casually wearing Hermès and Nike, driving a Mercedes and riding a skateboard, is widely accepted, which is both authentic and refreshing. It wasn't long before creators and journalists from the world of fashion and high fashion began to recognize that Hiroshi Fujiwara was breaking new ground and setting the trend for a new generation of luxury style. It is with the highest degree of respect that he is known as the "godfather of trends" in Japan.
Hiroshi Fujiwara and his relationship with watches
As Hiroshi Fujiwara's creations are based on his own lifestyle and values, his creativity as a designer goes beyond fashion items such as clothes and sneakers. Hiroshi Fujiwara's works include cars and even yachts, so it's no surprise that watches are also included in his work.
Hiroshi Fujiwara has demonstrated his skill in staying at the forefront of trends when it comes to watch aesthetics. His collections have been featured in magazines and other media, inspiring many, including the streetwear designers who dominated the Harajuku fashion scene in Tokyo in the 90s of the 20th century.
Fujiwara's watches are Rolex's submariner "Red Sub" in the 60s of the 20th century and Daytona "Paul Newman" in the 70s, both of which were already highly regarded in the 90s. Fujiwara wears these watches as gadgets, which is a completely different dimension from collecting them.
泰格豪雅卡莱拉系列 Fragment Hiroshi Fujiwara
If you want to get a sense of Fujiwara's style through Hiroshi Fujiwara's watches, then this Carrera collection launched in collaboration with TAG Heuer in 2018 is a perfect example. Based on the original 1962 model, Hiroshi Fujiwara embellishes the watch with the retro mood and functional aesthetic of a vintage chronograph. The shard design at 12 o'clock on the dial is another eye-catching detail.
Hiroshi Fujiwara's second collaboration with TAG Heuer is the launch of the TAG Heuer x Fragment Design Chronograph in 2020. This watch works in the same philosophy as his predecessors, transforming them into high-spec models with a sporty mechanical aesthetic inspired by the tradition of TAG Heuer racing watches.
A wide range of Casio G-Shock watches designed by Hiroshi Fujiwara
Hiroshi Fujiwara doesn't just produce high-end mechanical sports watches. As the embodiment of postmodernity, unlike the dress codes and ideologies that existed in past generations, it was only natural that he would also make a big fuss about his Casio G-Shock.
This G-Shock collaboration is made by Fujiwara and is available exclusively at "The POOL Aoyama", which operated from 2014 to 2016 in the indoor pool of an old-fashioned apartment building in Aoyama, Tokyo. Even today, ten years later, the design form has become a classic. Three years ago, Hiroshi Fujiwara made an anniversary edition at the store of integrated martial artist Kaoru "Caol" Uno at the University of Southern California. With its monochromatic color palette, G-Shock embodies Fujiwara's clean pop style.
Collaboration with fashion brand NEIGHBORHOOD
Back in 2003, Hiroshi Fujiwara collaborated with the fashion and clothing brand Neighborhood to create a watch, which is a fashion and sports pioneer brand that became popular on the streets of Harajuku in Tokyo since the 90s of the 20th century.
Although it's a sleek watch with a quartz movement, its all-black design blends tough street style with a nostalgic functional aesthetic inspired by sports watches from the '60s and '70s, and the style is a testament to Hiroshi Fujiwara's eye for watches.
The leather strap of this collaboration is a nod to the Daytona alligator leather strap worn by Hollywood movie star and racing driver Paul Newman during the race. This element was later transferred to the TAG Heuer collaboration by the aforementioned fragment of Hiroshi Fujiwara.
Hiroshi Fujiwara co-branded Bulgari watches
When it was first released in 2020, 250 pieces were sold out immediately. The second edition, launched in 2021, is based on the brand's iconic "BVLGARI BVLGARI" watch. It has a minimalist black dial with no hour markers, and the bezel is engraved with "BVLGARI" and "FRGMT" at the top and bottom. The combination of a mirror-polished case and a NATO strap expresses the contrast between nostalgia for the bright and bustling Tokyo of the 80s and the elegance of a new generation led by Fujiwara.
As we have seen, Hiroshi Fujiwara draws inspiration from top-of-the-line watches (not just those that are rare or have a high market value) and translates them into new creations with his own aesthetics and philosophy. They have no quirky decorative qualities, nor do they show an excessive artistic self.
What they have is a love and respect for the idea that watches are still fascinating tools, despite the fact that watches, no matter how intricate their mechanisms, how elaborate their decorations, and their functions can only be used to display time and date.
原文来源:Chrono24
Compilation: Wrist House
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author
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