"THE AMERICAN SPIRIT"-SEBAGO

Avenue de la Grande Armée, Paris

In the early 1980s, when haute couture culture, embodied by designers like Pierre Cardin and Yves Saint Laurent, was still strong,

a shop quietly existed that, going against the current, carefully selected and displayed only genuine, hand-picked items from the Northern Hemisphere.

HEMISPHERES

The three people in front of the display window in this sepia-toned photograph include a young Pierre Fournier, co-founder of ANATOMICA PARIS, sitting on the far left. Even then, before establishing ANATOMICA, he was already constantly searching for "what is authentic."

 

In Japan, the 1980s saw the spread of a style known as French Ivy. Tracing its origins, one arrives at the style of HEMISPHERES.

 

What is French Ivy?

French Ivy is not simply "wearing an Ivy League look with a French interpretation." Rather, it is "reconstructing authentic tools and clothing from around the world through one's own aesthetic eye." That was the style they proposed, and it is the essence of what we consider French Ivy.

Examples included SEBAGO penny loafers, authentic Western hats and boots.

Displayed in the window were Chimayo native vests, Rocky Mountain parkas and vests, and Zero Halliburton trunks.

 

In stark contrast, BERNARD ZINS trousers, well-tailored French shirts, traditional British Shetland and cashmere sweaters, Balmacaan coats, and beautifully colored sweaters by FANNI LEMARMEYER were displayed alongside them.

These seemingly conflicting styles, born from the unique "free spirit" of the French, transcended cultures and created a distinctive style.

From the late 1970s to the 1980s,

the wave of mass production and mass consumption surged, and traditional craftsmanship began to rapidly disappear.

Even then, Pierre deeply loved the "details as they should be" before they were simplified for production efficiency. He continuously explored their background and history, and remained committed to authentic items as tools.

 

That spirit is now carried on by ANATOMICA.

BY ANATOMICA Yamauchi

SEBAGO loafers, made in America, were proposed by HEMISPHERES and GLOBE.

After a long time, SEBAGO's original style is making a comeback.

I will introduce SEBAGO in more detail in tomorrow's JOURNAL.

Please look forward to it.