2024.09.06
Relay Column: The future of DIY as seen from the Punk Rock Perspective (SHO ASAKAWA)
PROFILE
Sho Asakawa
A multi-creator with various titles such as graphic designer, illustrator, musician, and fashion designer.
Active in Tokyo's underground culture scene.
Instagram
The Concept of DIY (Do It Yourself)
"Instead of relying on others, do it yourself."
The word "DIY," which everyone knows, was born in 1945 in post-World War II Britain.
The word "DIY," which everyone knows, was born in 1945 in post-World War II Britain.
I have been captivated by this term for many years.
Based on my own experiences, I wrote about the possibilities of DIY and technology, and how DIY has evolved in the present day.
Based on my own experiences, I wrote about the possibilities of DIY and technology, and how DIY has evolved in the present day.
I first encountered the term DIY when I was 13.
This was shortly after I was exposed to the Punk Rock culture movement that emerged in Britain in the late 1970s.
This was shortly after I was exposed to the Punk Rock culture movement that emerged in Britain in the late 1970s.
The day I saw a photograph of the Sex Pistols' singer, Johnny Rotten, taken by photographer Dennis Morris in the black-and-white pages of a fashion magazine was a shocking moment that remains vivid in my memory, second only to the birth of my child.
That immense shock still resonates with me clearly.
That immense shock still resonates with me clearly.
With my mind blown, I immediately ran to TSUTAYA to rent music and headed to a large bookstore in town to buy photo books. I researched what the Punks of that time were wearing and scoured books written about Punk culture… I was completely tuned into Punk Rock.
I decided to create what I couldn’t find; I recklessly cut and restructured all the clothes I had been wearing, hand-painted shirts with permanent markers. I transformed every piece of clothing I owned into Punk fashion.
Living in a totally rural area, I didn’t even know the term DIY, yet I was passionately engaged in it.
Living in a totally rural area, I didn’t even know the term DIY, yet I was passionately engaged in it.
Through this destructive behavior and reconstruction, I discovered the joy of making clothes and things, learned about structure, recognized my own individuality, and every time I shaped an idea, the fact that I made it became a source of confidence and courage.
In hindsight, it may have been akin to a toddler learning the basics by playing with toys.
In this way, the encounter between my body and DIY Punk fashion established fashion as a form of self-expression, akin to language and action.
In this way, the encounter between my body and DIY Punk fashion established fashion as a form of self-expression, akin to language and action.
After graduating from junior high, I moved to the city, where individuals with similar tastes began to gather, drawn to my style, which had not been understood in the countryside. I learned and played with the friends I met, and a community emerged encompassing fashion, music, art, food, housing, and parties. Each carefully crafted project was interconnected, and I realized that the chain of each person’s DIY experiences was creating culture and community.
Looking back now, this realization was a turning point in my sense of self.
Once I understood this strong belief, I moved to the city at 18 and enrolled in a fashion school, all while carrying forward the DIY attitude I had cultivated, and I have continued to work in this field for 22 years, up until now.
Once I understood this strong belief, I moved to the city at 18 and enrolled in a fashion school, all while carrying forward the DIY attitude I had cultivated, and I have continued to work in this field for 22 years, up until now.
Since the pandemic, technology has advanced further, making it easier than ever to acquire and delve deeply into what we desire. By searching for keywords on Google and Instagram, we can immediately catch the information we want and grasp the bigger picture.
There are endless possibilities; you can see the tools needed for making things through videos, learn about processes, techniques, cultural backgrounds, and even ask account owners for advice via messages.
By sharing images of items in the online world, we can connect with others, expand communities, and even meet in person.
By sharing images of items in the online world, we can connect with others, expand communities, and even meet in person.
I understand that the time and processes leading up to such connections fuel the love and passion for our creations. Currently, thanks to the link between DIY and technology, the quality and speed of DIY have multiplied, creating an environment sufficient for creators.
This environment feels like heaven in my life, and Instagram has become indispensable for my creativity.
This environment feels like heaven in my life, and Instagram has become indispensable for my creativity.
Our relationship and methods with DIY may have changed from the past. However, no matter how much technology progresses, the core DIY spirit—impulse—will remain a part of human roles moving forward.
This is a fact derived from the experiences of a Punk kid born in a rural area who took a step forward, accumulating years of insights through personal experience and realizations.
This is a fact derived from the experiences of a Punk kid born in a rural area who took a step forward, accumulating years of insights through personal experience and realizations.
In an age where it is possible to leap into what we want to do immediately, it all comes down to "Who creates what?" By not drowning in information and skillfully engaging with technology, I believe it will result in an exciting life.
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