ME: In Mr. Horikawa’s work there seems to be a constant display of the invisible, a perpetual free association of concepts, fragmented, displaced, a creative and constructive moment of a garment that passes through a deconstructive power every time. What is behind his creative process? How much of autobiographical? How much of psychological? What means to him to be de-constructive from a design, social and political perspective? 

TATSURO HORIKAWA: All materials and concepts related to existence must be dismantled. The world is completely reborn in every frame for this moment. Completely! There is no such thing as a past time, past concept, or past self, and only the remnants and relationships of the network remain there. The same goes for the future. The network born in the next frame contains an infinite number of layers, various possibilities, and reversibility. However, all of them can only be established on the premise that “now” will be destroyed. Creative vandalism always updates the meaning of existence itself. Existing concepts need to be constantly updated or restructured as completely new. 

ME: The body dressed by Julius is a body that no longer has the anatomical connotations predetermined by nature, but has gone further – it has become post-human. Through stratifications, materials, concepts, cuts, Mr. Horikawa’s work envelops an anatomy that is very close to the whole post-human current started by the work of W. Gibson – Neuromancer and then translated on several levels by different cultural expressions. What is Mr. Horikawa’s philosophy of the role of the body today? What does it mean to be post-human or even beyond, more than that? 

TH: From the surface, the physical transformation that surpasses cyberpunk has already begun. The deformed body and image are prevalent on the net and the art. The human lifespan is extended and a significant retouch is added to the human structure itself. This rapid change seems to require a change in the default state of our spirit. And the net led the person’s consciousness in a somewhat ugly direction.  The world seems to be in the time of suffering (Dukkha)! 

ME: The contemporary has brought – among other things – a total redefinition of the psychological ego, of its own intimacy in a new relationship with itself but also with the Other that today more than ever is seen as an enemy. Fashion has always dealt with the theme of the relationship between me and Other, more or less explicitly. Mr Horikawa, what is your vision of contemporary man, of his role within society, at a psychological level above all? What barriers must you face? How much psychological is there in your creations? 

TH: Is fashion just a placard to appeal to others about their attitude and affiliation to society?
Is fashion just a tool to increase the ego? Is the ego the default setting for humans?
For me, the concept of fashion first means “environment”. It is the smallest that wraps itself and adjusts body temperature and spirit. Clothing is an expansion of the flesh. It traces and emphasizes physical function. And it has a function to protect the body itself. It is an extension of myself that is “now” in this frame at this moment, and that is also part of the environment. Now, I design clothes with the image of “membrane.” A soft, fetal membrane.Now, the present self and the existence, it is just in constant change, the fluid “individual”. 

ME: I strongly believe that the beauty of humanity lies in its complex simplicity, in having archetypes that are then translated according to time and space. This makes fashion a performance and ritual space of excellence. How much is archaeological and primitive in his works? Are there still such contemporary rituals as to make us seem almost primordial? Can fashion be considered an expression of a true social performance? 

TH: Occasionally, people forget that each species is an entity connected by a network. We often forget this! Each fruit is weak and primitive. It’s like a fragile mirror, a doppelgänger.
The human beauty that I think is the trunk of the tree, the chaos of the network of branches and leaves, and the life activity of the tree itself. The ritual we need is to continue to recognize the beauty of the tree as a whole, is it not? 

ME: Fashion creation is culture, communication, legacy, trace, imprint. How much of this is still left? Are we still able to be identified as a cultural group through what we wear? How important is the battle between nature and culture today, between our desire to anchor ourselves to basic needs but at the same time want to be in constant evolution? Where does your thinking and your way of doing fashion fit into this battle between nature and culture? 

TH: The world is a collection of unstable particles, a fluid that is just infinite. Fashion as a market, a stock market, a religious war, or a conflict can be only one factor. This reality is part of the network that is created in association with this world. The world is formed by the chaotic relationship of many particles and factors. Fluidity is synonymous with destruction. I support it if it is creative for me. 

ME: In each one of your pieces a continuous reference to a disruptive materialism is perceived, almost as if you want to destroy every pre- established cultural form. There is energy, almost a beat coming from the center of the earth ready to explode in every creation. Could we say that each of your choices aims at re-establishing and rewriting not only fashion but a whole cultural order that must necessarily change and evolve? What are your main references? Your main forms and sources of inspiration? 

TH: I also feel that the world is trying to regain balance through this accelerated change. Concepts to be destroyed, concepts to be integrated, and concepts that are born. From a local point of view, the world’s liquidity is fast, and the beat seems to be fast. However, I think that all we need to do is to “see” and recognize deeply, in an instant. As mentioned above, all materials and concepts must continue to be dismantled. The world is completely reborn every frame for this moment. “See” that there is liquidity. Just “see” the speed. And concepts that can be destroyed destroy. Be as creative as possible! That is my role. Where will we go after generating a new balance?