Right after the yoshiokubo Fall/Winter 2025 Collection "KESSAKU" runway show, my family and I went on a trip to Rome, Italy for the first time in a long while.

Since my debut, I have held many shows there, and Italy is one of the countries I have the most feelings for, as it is the country I deal with the most when it comes to wholesale clothing to Europe. Furthermore, when I heard from my long-time friend Filippo that he had had a baby, I just had to go and celebrate. Incidentally, Filippo also shot the promotional video for our memorable debut 2006-07 fall/winter collection. The video, which expresses the worldview of yoshiokubo and is depicted in the tone of Italian films from start to finish, is definitely worth a watch.


So, what made the biggest impression on me during my time staying at Filippo's house and enjoying a private trip to Italy was the daily meals. The best part of traveling to Italy is the food!

Even in a small restaurant on a corner of town that only locals frequent, you can find a dish so delicious you'll want to eat it without even speaking. And it's cheap! At a restaurant recommended by Filippo, we went with five adults, our children, and one baby. The table was filled with seasonal zucchini flower fritters, pizza, stews, and other dishes, and we all enjoyed two bottles of wine, all for a very reasonable price of just 150 euros (about 25,000 yen). I forgot about work and relaxed to the fullest, but I also had the opportunity to reminisce about the past. For example, I visited a select shop that I had admired for 30 years and had always wanted to sell my clothes there. However, to my surprise, the shop had closed down.

Perhaps it's a sign of the times that even Italians, who love clothes, no longer buy their clothes from select shops. The only shocking thing about my trip to Italy was seeing the disappearance of long-established select shops, despite the fact that there are plenty of fast fashion stores.

This got me wondering: "With fast fashion becoming the norm, how do fashion-loving Italians get their hands on clothes that allow them to enjoy their individuality?" After hearing and seeing various things, it seems that the secondhand clothing market is booming. Young fashion-loving people are apparently buying and enjoying vintage items from luxury brands such as Prada and Hermes.

This is a way of buying clothes that we see not only in Italy, but also in our own company. While I found it interesting, it also gave me a lot to think about as a brand that aims to be unique and show off individuality in all the elements that make up its clothes, such as extreme design, techniques, and fabric choices.