MATSUDA
Fashion Meets Art
We present an interview with James Kisgen, the CEO who reintroduced Matsuda to the eyewear world twelve years ago, about the brand’s history, current activities and future goals.
When the fashion brand founded by Japanese designer Mitsuhiro Matsuda ceased operations in the 1990s, fashion circles, especially the brand’s followers, were deeply disappointed. Despite changing trends and changing customer demands over the years, the longing for Matsuda had not diminished. In particular, many of the brand’s optical and sunglasses, meticulously handcrafted in Japan, continued to be in high demand by collectors. It was only in 2011 that Matsuda’s unquenchable light met fashion lovers again and the brand turned a new page for itself. Successful businessman James Kisgen breathed new life into Mitsuhiro Matsuda’s legendary brand and reintroduced Matsuda to the fashion world in 2011. We present the interview with James Kisgen, CEO of Matsuda, about the brand’s past, current activities and future goals.
James, thanks for the opportunity to do this interview. Where are you right now and what are you working on?
My pleasure – thank you for doing this interview. I relocated my family to Atlanta, Georgia, which is where I grew up. We’ve recently opened a design studio here and I’ve been working on building the team at the new studio. In the last year we have moved to larger offices in Los Angeles and in Europe and we are currently moving our Japanese office to a larger building to give us more room to grow. We have so many projects coming up and have been very busy making sure we stay on top of everything. Life is good.
It’s been more than ten years since you relaunched Matsuda. You really managed to stay true to the Dna of the brand. What do you attribute your success to?
It hasn’t always been easy, and we haven’t always gotten it right. But we’ve owned our successes and our failures and have always been focused on our vision to bring the brand back in all its glory. We have some of the smartest, most creative people I’ve ever met working to make this happen. None of what we have achieved would be possible without them.
Is it hard to reconcile both past and future of such a historic brand?
I’m always thinking that we have big shoes to fill. But one of the things that I love about the brand is that throughout the entire fifty+ year history, Matsuda has felt “current” and “of the moment”, all while staying true to the vision. So to answer your question, it is always a bit challenging, but the challenge is what drives us.
One of the similarities that you share with Mitsuhiro is a love for France. He traveled to Paris in the 80s to find inspiration for his clothing line. And you also fell in love with France at a young age. What does France mean to you?
Ah, France… One of the most beautiful, fascinating countries in the world. I think that there is such an appreciation for life and for history that exists in French culture. When I moved to France as a teenager, there was so much to explore and discover and it was so different from where I grew up. I also love seeing “old world” and “new world” existing at the same time. I try to draw on this for Matsuda.
How do you keep track of original material, sketches from Mitsuhiro or old products from Matsuda in the company?
We have an incredible archive of original sketches, clothing, eyewear, accessories and lookbooks that we have built over the past 10 years. We are constantly using these for inspiration. As you know, our Heritage Collection features products that we’ve resurrected from the archives that have been re-released in limited quantities.
What are the aspects of the Matsuda brand that inspire you the most?
Matsuda has always celebrated artists and artistry. From the product design, to the craftsmen producing each frame, to the way the campaigns are created – each artist plays an important role in what we do. We will always love and celebrate the work of artists.
You’ve worked as sales manager for Cartier and have some good knowledge about the luxury segment. What are the biggest changes in luxury that you’ve witnessed in the last decade?
Luxury brands have to be great storytellers today – it is what consumers are drawn to. Of course the quality and design of the product are still the most important, but now more than ever consumers want to connect with brands and feel like they are a part of them. There are a lot of great luxury brands out there today, which is very inspiring – but we just put on blinders and focus on staying true to our vision.
Design keeps evolving as well. One of the big movements in the past was a tendency towards less and less details. Yet Matsuda feels so fresh precisely because it has lots of filigree, metal work and “old world details” …
I think that consumers are tired of the monotony of the new ubiquitous brands that keep popping up. I think that you can still appreciate and respect minimalism and pair it with interesting details that give brands like Matsuda a unique personality. Once again though, we haven’t really shifted our vision to fit the current state of trends – this is just who we are and what we enjoy doing.
What was the most important lesson you learned with Matsuda in the past ten years?
We are always looking for new manufacturing processes that will allow us to push the boundaries of design and eyewear even further. I love seeing how all of these new technologies are evolving and becoming more accessible. That being said, craftsmen are an integral part of our company and we will not be abandoning them for machines any time soon…
One great aspect in your endeavor to revitalize the brand was getting parts of the original Matsuda team together. Is that still the case today?
We still have many of the original team members on board and are fortunate to have so much experience and history in the company.
Fashion and art were inseparable for Mitsuhiro Matsuda. Do you think that statement still holds true today?
I can easily say that this perspective and tendency continues one hundred percent. In my opinion fashion is art and is the perfect vehicle for self-expression.
Campaigns were an extremely strong side of the Matsuda heritage. You’ve continued this tradition very well. How do you manage to stay cutting-edge as a brand?
We just like to push boundaries and create beautiful images for our campaigns. Our campaigns are not commercial at all. We never approach them from a commercial point of view, but rather as an art project. At that point, it’s more about creating something that interests us. I think by staying true to what we love we are able to create images that people connect with and help tell a story.
With a decade since you took over Matsuda, what’s a meaningful trend in eyewear that you’ve been able to watch over that timeframe?
Wow, where to begin… I feel like the industry is constantly changing. The change that stands out to me the most is the rise of the independent brands and the amazing level of creativity that exists today. In the last decade both the retail partners and the consumers have fallen in love with independent brands again.
We’ve talked at length about the vision of Mitsuhiro and the brand. But where do you personally find inspiration in your life today?
I would like to say that from everywhere, as cliched as that sounds. Travel, art, fashion, and music are my biggest sources of inspiration. I just like to have fun and create interesting things.
Source: Favrspecs
April 2023