DMYTRO: Who are you today? You balance between research, collaborations, and consulting — how are these directions connected?

IAIN: Currently, I am really enjoying what I do as a career but that hasn’t always been the case. I would describe my career as long winded, took a long time to get to where I am now and a lot of positive / negative experiences. Being a senior analyst for a good period of time really helps with the away approach researching and my work.

I would say that through researching this enables me to find people and brands I enjoy, which in turn links into my consulting and collaborations. I also love connecting people that would enjoy what each other does so that also connects all the things I do in my work.

DMYTRO: You mentioned that your career has been long and winding, with many positive and negative experiences. Could you share more about the lessons you've learned during those times, and how they have shaped your approach to business today?

IAIN: I would say staying positive is one that I have learned, at times I would never have imagined I’d never have a job that I would enjoy but by persevering and keeping on pushing forward you can achieve a lot. If you set a goal, put everything you can into it and to be honest, just make things happen. I know that sounds easier said than done but coming from a DIY punk / harcore background means that my mindset is if I have to do it myself, I will do it. 

In terms of how they have shaped my approach, I guess I don’t see it as business. I work with brands I love and help them get out to more people who would enjoy them. That’s not work and I get to meet so many amazing people. I want to make friends with people, not network so I take that approach in everything. Just be a nice person and helpful.

DMYTRO: You work with Japanese brands and promote them on the international stage. What unique characteristics make Japanese brands so attractive to the global fashion community?

IAIN: I would say that consulting, for want of a better word, is my main focus at the moment. But to put it into a nicer explanation, I am focused on presenting the brands that I work with to people who would never have experienced them otherwise and who would really enjoy what they do. Saying that, without researching I wouldn’t be able to do this. I would say that in Japan, people do not do things by half. It’s hard not to love things and get passionate about them when they are full of love.

DMYTRO: As a consultant, what challenges do you face when promoting these brands?

IAIN: For me, the challenges would be having the opportunity to really show the stores that would buy them the collections. I don’t think “selling” the brands is actually a challenge once people actually get to see them in the flesh. That being said, SS25 was particularly challenging with the economic climate with stores looking to consolidate what they already have but I am 100% confident that AW25 will be much more fruitful. 

In terms of success, the key would be just being able to expose more people to the brands I work with, as they all show something different and new to most area’s outside of Japan. The world we all revolve in is moving in a different direction with consumers looking for something that isn’t the same old and looking for a more unique option. This means that the more interesting is appealing more so than in the past and I only see that continuing. This also means that the stores who bring in these brands will thrive more and more.

DMYTRO: How does your research help you not only discover brands but also anticipate trends that will interest your audience? Do you have a specific method for identifying new and promising brands?

IAIN: I spend a lot of time just going down rabbit holes on Instagram, looking at what my favourite stores have new in (pretty much all of them are in Japan or other countries outside the UK / Europe). It’s something I would be doing every day anyway as I love discovering new or new to me brands that do amazing things. I keep my eyes open, always. 

DMYTRO: You mentioned that SS25 was a difficult season due to the economic climate. How do you help brands navigate these challenges?

IAIN: It’s mostly about being open and transparent with them along with planning for the next season. I have also spoken to a lot of stores about how they feel and discussing what they plan to do for the upcoming seasons. That allows me to have the whole picture when I talk to the brands I work with.

DMYTRO: What global fashion trends, in your opinion, are shaping the future of the industry right now?
IAIN: This links into the end of my answer above but to expand, people are currently fatigued with the same options everywhere and are looking for something that isn’t stocked everywhere. I guess this isn’t specifically a trend in terms of a style but it is in terms of the world's view on following trends and is more about setting them. In a sense.

DMYTRO: What trends personally inspire you? How do they influence your consulting projects?

IAIN: This is a hard one as I wouldn’t say I follow trends, not to sound big headed, but I gravitate towards what people don’t already have. That’s not to say that I don’t appreciate or wear brands that are popular, I just prefer to wear brands that I can also help expose to new people. This is sort of encapsulated in the name of my online store “the spaces in between” which refers to brands who sit in the spaces between one category and another.

With the brands I consult for on a regular basis, all I would say is that I wouldn’t work with a brand that I don’t love and wear myself already.

DMYTRO: Can you give examples of specific Japanese brands that, in your opinion, are underrated in the global market?

IAIN: I could write forever on this topic, just to give you an example, there are hundreds of stores in Tokyo alone and all carry brands that others don’t have. I discover new brands weekly, I also pay attention to what my friends in Japan are sharing or discussing. 

At present I would say the brands I work with (listed below) along with some I really enjoy are for sure primed and ready for people to really see what they do. I would be happy to list as many as I believe are underrated if you would like me to create lists for you.

{ F/CE. – BAL – Jugem – ROTOL }

DMYTRO: You are an expert in gorpcore style. How do you see its current state? There is an opinion that this style is fading. Do you agree with this?

IAIN: I appreciate the kind words but would deflect this a little bit by saying that I like to think of fashion as constantly evolving and as soon as the term “gorpcore” was adopted, it was already moving into something else. So with that, it isn’t fading, or dying out, just evolving into something else. But at it’s core, GORP (good old raisins and peanuts) was something before being adopted by fashion and that isn’t going away. 

DMYTRO: How can outdoor brands maintain their relevance despite these changes?
What new brands in gorpcore would you highlight? Who, in your opinion, is currently leading in this style and why?

IAIN: I would answer this by saying that I am more into brands that are influenced by the outdoors than full outdoor brands. I do wear clothing from outdoor brands or outdoor influenced brands along with more contemporary brands. This is what has been happening for a little while now where people are moving into that space in between where pairing brands or styles together keeps things interesting. 

I think that brands who come from an outdoor background shouldn’t be reaching too much to follow fashion and stick to what is at their core. If they are adopted or gain popularity outside of their core then always keep in mind that at some point they need to rely on what their base is. 

Brand wise, I would be more inclined to highlight just good, interesting brands rather than specifically outdoor brands as the originators are still the strongest in this area.

DMYTRO: In your opinion, what elements from the Gorpcore style have been adopted by global fashion brands, and will this remain a lasting trend or just a seasonal burst?

IAIN: For me it’s the technical aspects and using fabrics that they wouldn’t normally use in garment that in the past wouldn’t have been as functional as they are now. I think the mentally of making things more functional in general is something that I see continuing as it proves their garments with more substance.

DMYTRO: Footwear has always been a key part of outdoor style. Which brands today are the most innovative?

IAIN: The footwear brands who are crossing the bridge between outdoor style and lifestyle are the ones doing it the best. TNF Japan are doing amazing things with the footwear they are currently releasing and the team there come from a totally different style of brand and you can see that in what they are doing. Athletics footwear are also doing great things with their more outdoor influenced styles and their 2.0 style is directly influenced by classic Nike ACG styles.

This links in from what Athletics do, at the core of every footwear style should be some form of technology to make it more wearable, comfort and foot health should be a priority. Even wearing in every day life you want your feet to be comfortable, the footwear to last and not damage your feet.

DMYTRO: You mentioned that comfort and foot health are important in footwear. Which shoe brands do you think successfully combine comfort and style in one model? Often, buyers have to choose between one or the other.

IAIN: As mentioned above, Athletics footwear are doing great things with this, in terms of the bigger brands I feel Asics also do this very well as most of their styles (that we see every day) come from a running or athletic background as a base. Then they have Kiko involved which means that they are always pushing with the colourways and materials they choose in their inline collection designs. 

Hoka would be another in the same mindset but really, most brands do great things just maybe in smaller amounts than others and all do think of comfort in their newer styles. But at the end of the day, we buy things that look good so will always sacrifice foot health sometimes.

This links in from what Athletics do, at the core of every footwear style should be some form of technology to make it more wearable, comfort and foot health should be a priority. Even wearing in every day life you want your feet to be comfortable, the footwear to last and not damage your feet