Collaboration with Godzilla & Phantom Siita in the Spotlight: Ryosuke Matsui of "ha | za | ma" Talks About "Fashion as a Way of Life"

A pinch of drama in everyday life―.

The apparel brand ha | za | ma weaves fashion that carries a personal story for the wearer and stirs the emotions of those who see it. Their unique and inimitable worldview has continuously captivated fans, from their society-shaking Godzilla-themed shoes to recent announcements of a collaboration with idol group Phantom Siita produced by Ado.

What is Ryosuke Matsui, the designer at the heart of the brand, thinking as he faces the creative process? We explored his mindset.

The Unconventional Path that Began with "Not Wanting to Work"

Hazama, a constant topic on social media, started in 2014. After graduating from a four-year university and then from Bunka Fashion College, Matsui launched the brand—its rapid growth since then is remarkable.

So, when did Matsui first become interested in fashion?

"When it was time for job hunting, I really didn't want to work yet—I wanted to put off the end of college life, my moratorium period, as much as possible. I hated the idea of being bound by rules, like having to dye my blond hair back to black.

"I always liked fashion, so I told my parents that 'I want to go to a vocational school and chase my dream' as an excuse to avoid job hunting. Of course, they objected, but I told them 'I’ll do it with my own money,' and enrolled in Bunka Fashion College.

"That said, when I entered Bunka, I actually thought I’d eventually end up working at some company to first learn about business, then maybe launch my own brand. But in the end, I decided, 'Let’s just start now,' and chose to follow my own path without getting a regular job."

These days there are many D2C brands, but when Hazama began in 2014, such brands were still rare and it was a pioneering era.

"I think 2014 was probably the dawn of internet-born brands. Brands that gained real attention online took off around 2018, but at that time the community was small, and compared with now it was really the early days.

"Within that environment, I created an item called 'Otona Sailor (大人セーラー).' It was basically a sailor-like garment made with simple sweatshirt fabric—my own interpretation and suggestion.

"About a year after graduating from Bunka, that item gradually picked up buzz online. Riding that wave, I tried selling it made-to-order, and things gradually started to take shape."

Clothing Where Way of Life & Authentic Self Intersect

The brand name "ha | za | ma," with its mysterious sound, is unforgettable once you hear it. Matsui has packed layers of philosophy into that name.

"To me, 'fashion is a way of life.' The kanji for 'life' (生) can also be read as 'to grow' (haeru). I embedded multiple meanings into the term 'hazama' (生様).

"No matter what worldview I express, I feel I'm continuing the brand to find the 'authentic self' that naturally remains within it. There's also a desire to exist in the 'in-between' (hazama) of different realms."

He continues further,

"The theme of 'clothes that accompany people’s way of life' is also important. When you write the word 'human' (人間) in kanji, the character for 'person' (人) is right next to 'between' (間). All of those thoughts and words layered together—that’s what Hazama is."

A "Can Do Almost Anything" Team & Relentless Creation

Hazama's creative work always surprises us with its dramatic designs.

In the wardrobe work for the movie "Godzilla-1.0", the image of 'Godzilla's hand gripping the heel' materialized swiftly. The actual modeling was handled by an art director well-versed in Godzilla, bringing it to life with a high degree of perfection.

So, what kind of presence is the Hazama team, who work in sync with Matsui’s razor-sharp inspiration?

"I personally don’t have the technical skills to make things myself, but I have a gut feeling about 'what would be interesting to create,' and I have colleagues who can bring those ideas to shape. With the attitude of trying things even if we don’t know how, people with deep obsessions for different crafts have gathered, and now we've become a team that can 'make almost anything.'"

He sheds light on the behind-the-scenes creative process, using the collaboration with Phantom Siita as an example.

"We made shoes for the music video, but we went through a lot of trial and error figuring out how to express our signature motif, the 'Hand.' It was one of our team members who suggested 'lace gloves.' However, when we looked at them the day before the shoot, the lace covered the entire hand, and it looked like 'a hand caught in a bug-catching net' (laughs).

"In a rush, we cut the fingertips off some black lace gloves we bought at a certain suit store and kept refining the look at the site till late at night. If that shop hadn't been open, we would've been in trouble," they recalled.

This relentless attention to detail—that's the essence of Hazama.

"It's not that I can't compromise; it's more like, we just make everything ourselves. Buttons, cord stoppers, zipper pulls, linings—if we can't find the right ready-made parts, we design everything from scratch. The same goes for textiles.

"People often ask us, 'Do you really go that far?' and even I sometimes think we might be overdoing it (laughs). But we want to keep pouring our worldview into every detail that much. Going all in has come to define what Hazama is all about."

Fashion Is About "Blending In," Not "Suiting You"

For those who want to enjoy fashion in their own way, Matsui says, "You don't have to be so obsessed with whether it 'suits' you or not."

"Take, for example, Tamori's sunglasses. No one can say for sure if those suited him from the start. But nowadays, everyone immediately recognizes 'that's Tamori.' What matters isn't whether it suits you, but whether it blends in as part of your unique character."

Fashion's the same, he says. If you have a style you're curious about, just give it a shot. As you wear it repeatedly, it gradually settles in and starts expressing your character.

"If you admire a certain style, try wearing it ten times. It will start to feel right for you, and eventually, you'll move beyond 'it suits you' to a state where it just naturally blends in.

"You start with the looks, and your mindset gradually shifts as well. Just changing your clothing can flip how you see yourself and how others see you. Fashion is a simple yet powerful tool that gives you that kind of 'opportunity.'

"And if Hazama's clothing has ever become a turning point in someone's life, that would make me happier than anything else."

"Even if someone moves on from our brand, if they can look back and say, 'Wearing Hazama back then was a turning point,' that would be wonderful. If through fashion, we can communicate the message: 'You can trigger a change in yourself,' that's the most rewarding thing."

Add even a tiny bit of drama to your daily routine, and the familiar scenery starts to look a little different.

Hazama's clothes will continue to touch our hearts, supporting someone's way of life and gently offering up new stories as we go.