PLUG-IN GRAPHIC for JOURNAL STANDARD
In 2001, after receiving widespread acclaim for her work in the creative department of a leading cosmetics brand, Naomi Hirabayashi wanted to explore a broader range of creative challenges and decided to start her own studio. She believes breadth of knowledge is vital to graphic design, and has been able to translate this belief into a wide range of clients for Plug-In Graphic, her Tokyo-based studio. The name signifies the “connecting of something to something”, emphasizing the role of graphic design as a mediator between clients and consumers.
Journal Standard is a contemporary Japanese fashion brand with a range of diffusion lines. Referencing classical, well-heeled Western quality, Luxe is a premium womenswear range that disregards trends to focus on a complete lifestyle experience. Retail outlets stock the Journal Standard Luxe collection and a select range of other luxury brands; interiors are luxurious yet based on modest home comforts. Eclectic vintage furniture gives warmth and authenticity to sumptuous fabrics and fine craftsmanship. Hirabayashi has directly translated this aesthetic into the company’s lookbooks, extending the consumer experience in a very personal way.
Initially inspired by old photographs, Hirabayashi considers the key elements of the lookbooks to be “well-used, high-quality items and nostalgia”. The garments are subverted by the sheer beauty of the imagery. The Spring/Summer 2009 lookbook, The Popular Encyclopedia of ‘Herbal Trap’, is influenced by academic literature. The text on the opening pages is set on natural, uncoated paper, and, with its scientific definitions, is angled more towards botany than fashion. Glossy, central pages feature colour and black-and-white images of models wearing the garments; supplementary details and interior shots build atmosphere. The final pages return to natural stock and reference an appendix table with details of each garment. The overall effect is in stark contrast to a conventional sales vehicle: the lookbook is a direct extension of Journal Standard Luxe’s brand values and visual aesthetic. To promote the exclusivity of the lookbooks the cover of each one is numbered to indicate that it is part of a limited edition.
Almost more than the garments and accessories, narrative is central to the company’s brand communication and is crucial to attracting and retaining customers. While the lookbooks offer all the staple requirements of their conventional counterparts, they are buried under a thick layer of style that turns the hard sell into a personal invitation.
Attention to detail is standard for Hirabayashi and is essential to creating the subtle authenticity seen in the lookbooks. She labours over the choice of materials and production techniques to ensure the end result matches her vision. “The various problems that occur during the design process are only the concern of the designer, not other people. The final product is the only thing important for someone actually holding an item designed by me in their hands.” While the message conveyed in the books is conceptually layered, Hirabayashi ensures it is clear and accessible. The precision of her execution would be obvious were it not for the refined detail and sheer desirability of the Journal Standard Luxe lookbooks – an exceptional exercise in balance.
Hirabayashi believes the idea that fashion offers more creative freedom than other markets is somewhat of a misconception: “There are more troubles with clients who have a creative background. I face disagreements often. However, the issues can be solved in most cases by talking. There is no case of one side being stronger than the other.” While her relationship with Journal Standard Luxe stretches back to 2004, it is simplistic to believe that their mutual respect has only been built over time. Hirabayashi’s unique aesthetic actively draws clients to her practice and they commit to her process; it is clear that her value to them is more than simply her skills in composition and material selection.
There is an intimacy to the Autumn/Winter 2005/06 Journal Standard Luxe lookbook: loose sheets of apparently aged paper, in addition to variations in the trim-size, create the impression of a personal collection of curios from a time gone past. “In making this, the image we had in mind was the classic, black cartons made from there different kinds of paper. For this season’s photos, we took shots of numerous stuffed animals, which we moved into a warehouse no longer in use.” There is a nostalgia to the photography by Yasutomo Ebisu, who has developed a long-term collaboration with Naomi Hirabayashi. “I have been working with the same staff of cameramen, hairdressers and make-up artists for the last five years.”
“The photos in the main text have been printed offset, while the photo and the writing on the cover have all been printed by letterpress. The catalogue was made for the fifth anniversary celebration of Journal Standard Luxe and we received congratulatory messages from various artists. We printed these messages on cotton paper by letterpress and inserted them into the catalogue, purposely letting them peep out from the pages.”
“To resemble an old French book, the edges of the pages of the Journal Standard Luxe Spring/Summer 2008 ‘Prairie Story’ lookbook have been printed so that they appear sunburnt, and the pages have not been trimmed evenly. A printing machine was not suitable for the look we wanted, so the edges were finished by hand. After the printing and bookbinding of the catalogue had been done, the edges of the paper were burnt with a burner, and then the scorched parts were scraped off with sandpaper. The photos have been printed by offset printing, while all of the writing is printed by letterpress.”
The theme for the Journal Standard Luxe 2006 collection was ‘Spritual White’ and so we made a pure white catalogue. The threads, case, covers and stickers on the covers used for the bookbinding were all white, but the textures were different. Even though everything was white, we were able to achieve a lovely finish because of the many varied textures. The book has been made so that it looks as if it has been turned inside out at the middle. I think that adding a slightly destructive element to an object helps to make its beauty stand out even more.”
“The material used for the cover is waxed, brown craft paper, which gives the book a unique feel when touched. When I cannot find the paper with the right texture, I sometimes use printing techniques to create the ideal texture, and this is one such example.” The Autumn/Winter 2005/06 Journal Standard lookbook was also embellished with scribbles on the page to establish a used aesthetic. A shift in the team saw Ryotaro Horiuchi take over the photography of the publication.
A fluctuating mix of paper stocks and contextual content builds a strong narrative around the Spring/Summer 2009 Journal Standard Luxe collection. At 17.5 x 24cm (7 x 9½in) the quarter-bound hardcover lookbook feels more academic than fashion. “A catalogue made with a botanical encyclopedia in mind. The pages at the beginning and at the end of the book are made from different paper. We placed many plants in the room and created the atmosphere of a botanical garden.”