Having established the mood of this fantastic new Tokyo vintage shop yesterday, as promised now it is time to get up close and personal with some of our favorite items from the boutique that we feel go some way to show why Qosmos has managed to justify its existence, even in the crowded world of Japanese vintage shopping. Ultimately, in a practical respect any shop is judged on what they actually sell, but, as we have seen so often in Japanese Fashion, it is the culture and tribes of fans that the creative direction of a given shop creates that transcends the sum of individual items they happen to sell. You only have to look at the Cult Party and Grimoire fans, or the beyond cool street punks who make BerBerJin their wardrobe to see the importance of that latter point, but with the additional caveat that once the movement takes off it then comes full circle and returns to centering around an identifiable item (whether it is Grimoire’s tights and tassel necklaces or BerBerJin’s Blackmeans leather accessories).
I think the owner of Qosmos would find something to say about those kind of visual identifiers, especially as his own shop orbits around those from various sub-cultures the world over. Indeed, as we were talking he clocked my Gaboratory jewelry and acknowledged the instant connection that gave us, of two people who have gone to enormous lengths to be part of a culture that we were born outside of. It is these proverbial “secret handshakes” that Qosmos centres around whether Masonic, underground music, religious or military, they all have tied people together, and thanks to Qosmos they will be tying the illuminati of Tokyo fashion together soon.
So without further ado, here are my picks from the shop (and the buyer has just returned to Tokyo with a whole lot more since the time we shot the store):
American order of Knights Templar hat dating from the late 1800s.
The cosmic light fittings.
A hunters belt buckle cut from the base of a Deer’s antler with a wonderful amount of age to it.
Alice in Wonderland psychedelic t-shirt from West-Coast America – very satisfyingly aged colours.
Heavy 70s brass belt buckles with crude abstract detailing and a nice dark patina – perfection.
Love how the aged rubber now compliments the soft green of the trainers – these are actually virtually unworn to my eye.
When you are in Qosmos all the colours just run together and form a singular organic palette that might just be how followers of the Qosmos vision will be identified on the streets – although it could be easily mistaken for Takahiro Miyashita The SoloIst.
The trousers on the right are actually hand-made by the owner.
If you want to see more then there is a site here and an online shop here where you can even buy some of the items in this post! Needless to say, you can expect more vintage shopping here on Tokyo Telephone very soon and if you have a recommendation for us then feel free to let us know.
