Leather clothing is, when you really think about it, a particularly unusual thing. Not only does the material itself have a distinctive background, but it also carries an image and associations unlike those of other fabrics. At Graphpaper too, the number of leather pieces has been increasing in recent years. Yet Takayuki Minami, the person actually making them, hardly ever wears leather himself. Why, then, does he continue to make these pieces? And what kind of leatherwear would even Minami want to wear? We ask him why this season's Graphpaper Autumn/Winter collection has an especially wide range of leather items.

Interview & Text by Rui Konno

―I felt it while listening to you talk about this season's collection too, but Graphpaper has really been increasing the number of leather pieces lately, hasn't it?

Yeah. I hardly ever wear leather myself, but there are a lot of Graphpaper customers who really like it. Most of what I make is based on my own personal preferences, but with leather, I suppose it's actually easier to make precisely because I don't wear it myself.

―Because you can look at it more objectively.

Exactly. I think, "If it were this kind of leather, I might actually wear it." So when you think about it, that's still personal after all (laughs). I definitely don't have any sense that I'm making things democratically.

―I felt like leather became an even stronger part of the Graphpaper image around the time you released the leather track pants and suede baggy shorts a few years ago.

As I always say, our thinking tends to involve subversion. Personally, leather has always had a rather oppressive image for me. Not just in terms of how it feels to wear, but because you inevitably feel like you have to be careful with it. So I started from the idea that it would be nice to have an easier kind of leather.

―Since we have the opportunity, can I ask you more about what you don't like about leather?

Hmm... I think the kind of people I don't really like seem to wear leather quite often. That's probably a terrible way to put it.

―I have a feeling we're about to get another controversial opinion.

No, no! (Laughs.) I'm not attacking anyone personally, but I feel like leather is often worn by people with that stereotypical "I'm rock 'n' roll!" kind of fashion, or people who look like they're clearly into motorcycles. People who wear leather as a way of looking tough, I guess. Honestly, I'm not particularly comfortable with that.

―You mean wearing it with the attitude of "I'm really making a statement by wearing this." I can see what you mean, while also finding something a little endearing about it.

But on the other hand, leather has a material quality that nothing else really has, and as a product I think it's incredibly appealing. Personally, I like leather with very little surface shine, so I especially enjoy making things like the nubuck shirts.

―This shirt has pretty much become a staple now, hasn't it?

Yeah. It's simple and can be worn almost like outerwear, so just throwing this on is enough to make an outfit work.
- Sheep Nubuck L/S Regular Collar Shirt

―The material is beautiful. It's almost so refined that it feels a bit like moleskin.

You might not even think it's leather until you touch it. But I think that kind of refinement is really important. And because it still develops character with age, as leather naturally does, that makes it interesting too. Appearance is obviously important, but in the end I choose materials based on how they feel when you touch them. When I found this leather, I thought, "You don't really see many shirt-jacket-like pieces made from a material like this..." And I thought that maybe I could actually wear something like this.

―It's also very versatile and practical.

Yeah. I'm always thinking that it would be nice to have something like this that you could just wear hard, casually, as part of everyday life.

―Because leather is expensive, you tend to be more careful about how you treat it.

Exactly. I care about quality, but I also think it's better if the price isn't unnecessarily high. I love fabrics too, and there are plenty of times when I find a fabric I like, ask the price, and discover it costs an absurd amount.

―Speaking of different types of leather, this blouson seems to have a weight and presence that we haven't really seen from Graphpaper before.
- Cow Leather Raglan Blouson

This is based on a military garment. We took some of its details and developed it from there. I think it was originally European military gear. We made the ribbing a little more sporty and kept the overall feel relatively easygoing.

―Both the shape and the texture feel fresh.

Actually, with some of the leathers this season, I initially wondered whether the material itself might be a little too hard-looking. But military is one of the keywords for this Autumn/Winter collection, so I thought that was probably okay this time.

―This jacket is a continuing style, right?
- Hairy Suede Corbusier Jacket

This is very much a Corbusier jacket. We've been carrying it forward for a while, and fortunately there are still a lot of people asking for it. Until now we'd always made it in smooth leather, but this season is the first time we've done it in suede. It's a deliberately brushed leather with a fibrous surface.

―I see. And this one is also based on military clothing?
- Sheep Mouton Deck Jacket

Yeah, it's a deck jacket. The original has cotton grosgrain on the outside and alpaca lining on the inside, but I wondered whether we could make the whole thing out of a single material. If we made it in shearling, we wouldn't need a separate lining. That was the starting point. We wanted it to feel refined, so we trimmed the wool on the inside to keep it clean. Because there's no lining, it's surprisingly light despite how it looks, and it's incredibly warm. I think it would also look good worn with the collar standing up.

―So leather really is especially diverse this season.

There was definitely a conscious decision to make more of it this time. A lot of brands are using synthetic materials these days, but personally, I don't really see the point in using what you might call imitation leather, or substitute leather. I'm not rigidly opposed to it, though. If there's a texture that can only be achieved with that material, or something you simply can't make with genuine leather, and there's a clear reason for using it, then I'm completely fine with that. The factory that makes our leather has been accommodating my unreasonable requests for years, so I also feel that this is something we should continue doing together with those people.

―Leather is certainly a material that makes you think, including in terms of the times we live in and its social implications. That makes it all the more important that these pieces should be made to last.

Exactly. I made these thinking, "Maybe even I could wear something like this..." But who knows. I guess I won't really know until it gets cold. (Laughs.)

2026 AUTUMN & WINTER
LEATHER ITEMS