Looking back, it must have been around 10 years ago—or to be precise, about 11 years ago—when Takayuki Minami first visited me. At the time, he reached out through Takahashi, who had just gone freelance after leaving Garcia Marquez. I still remember the day vividly. He walked into the Sendagaya store, swaying his large frame and sweating profusely, with an air of nervousness. He had come to ask if he could carry our exclusive LW01 in the select shop he was about to open. He already knew that LOOPWHEELER did not do wholesale, yet he pleaded with me nonetheless.
I had always been known in the industry as someone notoriously difficult to deal with—no wholesale, no sales, no commercial facility involvement, and no dealings with department stores. And yet, he still came knocking at my door. Even now, I wonder why I didn’t turn him away outright. Perhaps I was simply intrigued by him as a person. There was something uniquely compelling about him, a potential that made me feel he was going to do something special. I could go on at length about what exactly it was, but I’ll save that for another time.
Time flies, and now Graphpaper AOYAMA, his first store, is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Over the past decade, Graphpaper has built an incredible body of work, carving out its own unique category in the industry. If I were to talk about our collaboration and creative projects, there would be too much to cover. But one thing is clear: we have successfully established LOOPWHEELER for Graphpaper as a staple. To commemorate this milestone, we have created a 10th-anniversary model based on our classic AG017 sweatshirt.
The sweatshirt features a “Free from Any Regulation” graphic print—a message about breaking free from restrictions. Minami and his team at Graphpaper, as well as us at LOOPWHEELER, are constantly engaged in a sort of Zen-like debate about how to navigate the countless restrictions that surround us.
The color is Heather Gray only, and the size is Free Size only. The price is 36,300 JPY (tax included). It will be available for purchase in-store and online starting Saturday, March 1st. It turned out to be quite stylish.
The application period has already closed, but on Friday, February 28th, Minami and I will be hosting a talk event at Graphpaper AOYAMA. Unlike the Instagram Live trend, this will be an exclusive, in-person event—strictly for those who attend. We might even share some special behind-the-scenes stories. However, I have a strong feeling that we’ll inevitably end up veering off-topic into our shared passion for music and audio… For those lucky enough to attend, I hope you enjoy it. Thank you as always!
by Satoshi Suzuki