Articles
Relay Column: Rereading the Desire to Transform: Kamen Rider & Fashion (Yusuke Washimi)
PROFILE
Yusuke Washimi
Born in Shizuoka Prefecture in 1996. Graduated from the Fashion Course, Department of Scenography, Display and Fashion Design, College of Art and Design at Musashino Art University. Completed the Sculpture Course, Graduate School of Art and Design, Musashino Art University. Currently serving as a teaching assistant in the Classroom of Aesthetics and Art History at the same university. Driven by a strong desire for transformation since childhood, he explores the possibilities of transformation. Currently, he approaches transformation from the perspective of "transportation," advancing his work and research with a focus on "wearing and packing."
We must transform. I have lived driven by a strong desire to transform, almost like a sense of mission. This consciousness has been greatly influenced by the tokusatsu shows, anime, and manga I watched during my childhood. In the Heisei era, when I was born, transformation was a very popular value.
Of course, transformation in the real world is not easy. Therefore, as an artist, I am exploring the concept of transformation.
The starting point where the consciousness of transformation spread can be attributed to the tokusatsu show "Kamen Rider." This show began broadcasting on TV in 1971 and sparked a transformation boom among children across Japan.[1] Even today, new heroes are born every year as Heisei and Reiwa Riders. This year (2023), director Hideaki Anno's movie "Shin Kamen Rider" was released in theaters, drawing even more attention to the original Kamen Rider.
Why did "Kamen Rider" become the starting point of the transformation boom and continue to be a special work from the Showa era to the present Reiwa era? The key lies in the relationship between "Kamen Rider" and fashion.
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