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Keisuke Nagami
HATRAAfter transferring from ESMOD Tokyo to ESMOD Paris, Keisuke Nagami won the Grand Prix at the Festival de Dinard for Young Fashion Designers while still a student. In 2009, he graduated from the Master’s Course at ESMOD Paris, with his graduation collection gaining attention and leading to the launch of HATRA in 2010. In 2018, he received the JFLF AWARD, and in 2019, HATRA was selected for the Tokyo New Fashion Designer Award.
Why I Chose ESMOD
When I was in high school and decided to pursue a career in fashion, I had this inexplicable determination to go to France, even before choosing a school. At the time, I didn’t yet know what I wanted to study or who I wanted to become, but I was drawn to ESMOD for its small class sizes and the opportunity to learn the fundamentals thoroughly. During the summer of my final year in high school, I participated in an ESMOD trial workshop. There, I met a friend who later studied abroad with me, and we remain close even after returning to Japan. For someone like me, pursuing fashion in a small town and feeling isolated, meeting someone with even greater passion was a truly uplifting experience.
Post-Graduation Journey
ESMOD instilled in me a deep respect for clothing and an attitude of care toward the creative process. Beyond sewing, I learned to handle fabric, tools, and communication with attention to detail, always with the mindset that, no matter how inexperienced, we were creating something meaningful. My year at ESMOD Tokyo made me deeply aware of the responsibility involved in creating, a mindset that continues to drive my work today.
During my second year at ESMOD Paris, I gained valuable experience by writing letters to secure an internship on my own. Paris has a cultural atmosphere that supports fashion as a citywide endeavor, and I felt that the gap between students and the industry was not as wide as it is in Japan. This environment allowed me to approach creation with confidence, not as a student intimidated by the industry but as a student proud of my position within it.
Perspective on Today’s Fashion World
Shortly after returning to Japan, I was fortunate to have my graduation collection displayed at a select shop. That unexpected opportunity required me to quickly create a label, and that’s how HATRA started. Over time, the concept of “the room” emerged—designing clothes as portable spaces that offer a sense of security, like being in one’s own room no matter where you are. My approach to working with sweatshirt fabric, often perceived as casual, involves exploring new shapes and structures, a perspective undoubtedly influenced by my experiences in France.
A Message to Aspiring Fashion Designers
Don’t be afraid of what you don’t know. Take the time to reflect on and try to understand the things that seem incomprehensible. That’s the advice I’d give to my 18-year-old self.