[04/07/2021]
cover #17 berluti s/s 2021
photography by TAKASHI HOMMA
featuring KANA, MANA, YUNA, and YUUKI of CHAI
style by MEGUMI YOSHIDA
interview by JOHNNY LE
location NAOSHIMA
naoshima, a small art island in japan’s seto inland sea, surrounded by around 3,000 mostly uninhabited islands, is home to the prestigious benesse art site designed by tadao ando, with installations by major artists including james turrell, walter de maria, and richard long, as well as yayoi kusama’s iconic giant pumpkins.
the perfect setting for berluti’s arty new collection, worn by the tokyo post-punk girl band, chai.
JOHNNY LE — What inspired the name?
MANA — Russian chai tea. The way they drink it is really cute.
KANA — I studied Russian literature at school and discovered they put jam in their chai tea, which I found really sweet. It stuck with me, and so now we’re CHAI.
YUUKI — And you can drink chai in a lot of countries.
YUNA — We found it cute!
JOHNNY LE — How has life in Japan been for the band in the current context?
MANA — Since we can’t perform live shows, I’ve been singing at home a lot more.
KANA — There hasn’t been a drastic change. More people are working from home, but the economy is still moving, so personally I haven’t been affected that much.
YUUKI — I’ve felt the need to create more at home. I’ve been painting, knitting rugs, doing embroidery and a lot of music.
YUNA — Our usual routine of doing live shows came to a halt, so I’ve been spending more time at home. This period has reminded me that life can change in an instant. I see it as a positive thing, though, because I was able to look at myself and grow from this.
JOHNNY LE — What’s the best thing about Japan being an island?
MANA — The ocean is nearby, and the fish is delicious.
KANA — The food.
YUUKI — The uniqueness of the culture — it’s a good mix of East and West.
YUNA — Japanese cuisine, the hot springs, and the fact that we’re surrounded by oceans and mountains, the variety of nature.
JOHNNY LE — What else is special about Japan?
MANA — We have a deep history. Then...
