Since 2011, we have continued the one-of-a-kind series "NEW VINTAGE", and have sent out about 800 sweaters so far. "Sweater in memory" is based on vintage hand knit. It is a one-of-a-kind item that shines a new light by selecting each piece of Aran knit made in the faraway islands of Ireland, dyeing and applying foil.

After the presentation of "1000 Memories of" at the Hara Museum a few years ago, I felt that the first chapter of "NEW VINTAGE" was completed. While creating new works, I have a strong desire to cherish the one-of-a-kind “sweaters in memory” that are synonymous. I started repairing sweaters seven years ago because I wanted to keep an eye on how things were going after I sold them. I want to keep this feeling.

As I worked out the concept, there was one piece that gave me a push on my back, saying, “I have to do it!” This is a sweater I made in 2015 after going to the Aran Islands, and I dyed it with the image of the colors of the sea and sky that I actually saw on the island.

A person who has been wearing this sweater for a long time told me exactly one year ago, "I don't feel comfortable reselling something I've worn for a long time online, and I don't have anyone around me who I can give it to, so I decided to repair it at YUKI FUJISAWA. Can you pass it on to the next person?

I think everyone reading this page is the same, but even if you cherish it, your clothes will change as your age and atmosphere change, and even if you have been wearing it for a long time, there is no time to wear it. I think you will visit. Resale is something that many brands are working on now, and I think it's in line with the times, but what I'm doing at <YUKI FUJISAWA> doesn't feel right to me.

Up until now, "NEW VINTAGE" has focused on materials that were once abandoned by someone and drifted to the surface, so I don't feel uncomfortable with them flowing again. However, as for this “sweater in memory”, I put my heart into it and spent a lot of time making it, so I wanted to give it back in a new way. I spent a long time with this sweater, and various memories are contained in this one piece. I want to explore the value of what I was wearing and the form that brings back memories to the owner. This "sweater of the 'previous' memory" was born from that thought.

A characteristic of hand-knitted sweaters is that they can be remade into different shapes by unwinding the yarn. This time, I decided to untie the threads of the sweaters I received and knit them into mittens and mini sweaters.

Mittens are standard items, so they should be something that you can actually use in your daily life. I think of mini sweaters as something like a talisman that keeps memories small.

I want the things I make to be objects that carry the memories of their owners with them. As I imagined that I would be happy if I could keep the sparkle of precious everyday that I have accumulated in various forms like an album, I arrived at the mini sweater. For example, after graduating from elementary school and finishing using a randoseru, it is reborn as a small randoseru key chain. I think that kind of scenery is good. This time too, I find it interesting that instead of giving it to someone else, I changed its shape and returned it to the person who had it.

Speaking of the process, sweater threads cannot be unwound and knitted as they are. In particular, vintage items have been woven for a long time, so they harden and shrink, so the first step is to bring them back into a woven state. The threads are untied one by one and steamed and stretched. It is an image of returning the thread that is shrunk to its original state. It is then wrapped around a ball of yarn and from there you can finally start knitting. Everything is done by hand.

I think that the "sweater of the 'previous' memory" is one of the opportunities to convey how we at YUKI FUJISAWA feel when we make things. It's still unreasonable and troublesome, but we want to be ourselves.

It's been 10 years since we started the brand. In the process of processing and finishing the vintage, I personally saw and touched each one, so I wondered if it would be possible to make a new one based on the patterns, patterns, and designs of the sweaters that I had accumulated. With that in mind, I'm starting to work on making a hand-knitted sweater with a craftsman for the first time this season.

On the other hand, if we can cherish the people who continue to wear our clothes with care through our own manufacturing, we will be able to comfortably start a new challenge. I think it would be interesting if we could start buying and making new vintage items, which is the only one in the world.

I would be happy if you take an interest in the "sweater of the 'previous' memory" as if you were participating in a new project of <YUKI FUJISAWA>. I myself am looking forward to seeing how this challenge will be received and what kind of sweaters will be returned to me. I make it with the hope that the memories in the sweater that you have been wearing for a long time will continue.

Click here to apply for "Sweater of the 'previous' memory"

Interview/Text: Yoshimi Sugawara (akaoni)