Whenever Masafumi saw his father in a black suit it was only for weddings or funerals: no different from most of society. But unlike most of society, Ryuichi did not wear his with any straight-backed pride; it was as though even a black suit for ceremonies was treated as an extension of daily wear: Ryuichi’s black suit was frayed and dog-eared. Watching his father wear that black suit, Masafumi felt sorrow; as though Ryuichi was burdened with a great loneliness.
What changed this negative impression of black suits for Masafumi was the movies. The dynamic characters and appearances of men clad in black suits; instead of an object of sadness, the black suit became an object of high cool.
The black-suited men appearing in “Blues Brothers” and “Reservoir Dogs” were anti-social, they were defiant. They were exceptionally cool. After watching these films, most men felt an urge to be like what they’d seen. Masafumi was no different and says, only naturally, he was also greatly influenced; and he began to wear black suits.
Recently, Masafumi has realized something. The black suit is a symbol of defiance, but at the same time there is a sense sadness is resident in it. And conversely, at the times we are made to feel such sorrow, the black suit becomes a symbol of living. And there: that is where the black suit’s personality and beauty is. Be yourself. That’s the message wrapped over the memory of his father in a black suit; that’s what the black suit speaks to: the story of its owner.