Van Graffiti: Ivy Was Youth (For The Young & The Young-At-Heart)

A book covering Kensuke Ishizu's Ivy league-inspired clothing brand VAN (officially VAN JACKET), one of the most important figures in post-war Japanese fashion before the rise of the international avant-garde designers Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto. 

An advisor to Japan's first serious mens fashion magazine, Men’s Club, he eventually founded his own brand VAN JACKET in 1951,  first selling British suits and other traditional gentleman’s apparel. In the late 1950s, the brand pivoted to produce a full line of American East Coast collegiate styles.

VAN had a slow start with its relatively expensive Ivy gear, but in 1963, Men’s Club decided to retool the magazine to reach a younger audience. Ishizu came on board to make a big push for the Ivy style — which he conveniently he was selling through VAN. 

The combination worked wonderfully, taking the specialist tailoring-focused title into mass market territory and by 1964, Ivy League clothing became the cutting-edge fashion for Japanese middle-class kids. VAN went on to become Japan’s leading brand in the 1960s.

Good condition but with some sun-fading to spine.
Softcover
Year: 1979
Size: 260 cm x 210
Pages: 111
ISBN: 0072-R8917-8909