Designer to the stars Tadashi Shoji shows in Manila

When Tadashi Shoji left Japan to study in California more than 20 years ago, he was fulfilling a childhood dream as a young boy living in Sendai to someday live abroad. The confessed contemporary art enthusiast who loved to draw and paint moved to Tokyo and found inspiration and apprenticed with famed Japanese contemporary artist Jiro Takamatsu, father of the modern art movement in Japan. But as fate would have it, he was not meant to stay in his native country. On a visit to a friend in the United States that also included a stop in New York City, he found his home.

Tadashi tagged along with his friend to look at the campus of Los Angeles Technical College and immediately fell in love with the school and the fashion design program. What was meant as a short stay to study English turned into a full-fledged undergraduate stint at the Los Angeles Technical College; he applied his passion for art in his fashion design course and went on to work with famed costume designer Bill Whiten, who designed for the likes of Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Neil Diamond and the Jackson Five.

After earning his degree in Fashion Design, Tadashi began working with a prominent clothing manufacturer. Sensing an opportunity to create a name for himself in special-occasion dresses for the contemporary market, he broke away, went solo and established the Los Angeles-based fashion house Tadashi in 1982. Twenty-five years later, in 2007, he launched the Tadashi Shoji Signature Collection during the fall New York Fashion Week. He is also currently the official designer for the Miss USA and Miss Universe beauty pageants.

In 2011, the sale from the Tadashi brands increased by 25 percent over the previous year, a stellar performance for a designer brand that has been around for more than 30 years. Today, he maintains two signature boutiques in the prestigious South Coast Plaza and another at Forum Shops in Caesars-Las Vegas and the Tadashi label is carried in more than 4,000 major department and specialty stores worldwide, including Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Harvey Nichols-Dubai and, of course, Rustan’s.

Tadashi recently unveiled his latest collection at an exclusive invitational show at The Rigodon Ballroom of The Peninsula Manila. I had the opportunity to sit down for a one-on-one interview at Rustan’s with Tadashi, who spoke candidly. Excerpts:

PHILIPPINE STAR:  There are many Japanese designers based in Tokyo who have found fame and success internationally. Why did you leave Japan?

TADASHI SHOJI:  To be honest, I was frustrated and felt stifled by the conformist attitude that pervaded the Japanese society at that time, so I left hoping to further my artistic development somewhere else. Besides, I flunked Japanese design school!

Why the United States and not, say, France or Italy?

I had a friend who lived in Los Angeles and I went to visit him; he was planning to go to art school and I went to look at the campus with him. I fell in love with the school and the fashion design program, so instead of taking art I shifted to fashion design.

Sendai was struck by that major earthquake and devastating tsunami last year, how did you feel when you heard the news?

I was very concerned for my family but I was happy because my elder brother was safe and while he lost his business to the disaster, he has since recovered.

Have you ever done shows in Japan? Are you as popular in Japan as you are in the United States?

I have not done any shows in Japan but my clothes are sold in the big department stores like Isetan, Hankyu and Mitsukoshi. In fact, there is a small Tadashi boutique in Mitsukoshi-Ginza. Am I famous in Japan? I don’t know and I don’t really think of myself in that way.

You have acknowledged the influence of Jiro Takamatsu in your work. What about his art influences your design aesthetic?

 I liked his attitude. He was very avant-garde, a conceptual artist ahead of his time. He did not conform and that is how I am as a designer, I like being able to freely express myself.  I also like to infuse flashes of modern art in my design and as you know he is the father of contemporary art in Japan.

I noticed that you don’t have pants, suits or separates in your latest collection. Why is that?

In our previous collections, we created evening separates but for this season the trend is short and long dresses.

Do you also design wedding gowns?

Yes, we do, but they are made-to-order.

I have seen photos of your shows at New York Fashion Week and you have very simple, straightforward collections. Are you not a big fan of accessories?

I actually design accessories and we sell them at our boutiques; we even came out with a signature clutch last season but I always like the clothes to stand out.

There was big buzz when Oscar winner Octavia Spencer picked all her pastel-hued gowns for all her red-carpet appearances from Tadashi. How does that make you feel?

Of course I am very happy that she chose to wear my designs, but I enjoy designing for all types of women, not just celebrities. Our catchphrase is “17 to 70,” meaning we carry clothes for girls as young as 17 up to women in their 70s.

You have an impressive roster of celebrity clients that include Kate Beckinsale, Vanessa Williams, Giuliana Rancic, Kim Kardashian, Sophia Bush and, of course, Octavia Spencer. Do you personally attend to all your celebrity clients?

Rarely except for Octavia Spencer, because we have become such good friends. Usually stylists like Rachel Zoe come to select and pick up the clothes for their celebrity clients; other times, we send out a team to their homes to measure and custom-fit the dresses.

How would you describe your latest collections?

I use intricate embroidery, beadwork and layering of fabrics in my collections and it is no different with the latest one. The collection of opulent column gowns, drop-waist dresses and longer-hemmed pieces in rich fabrics like velvet and lace entitled “The Modern Silk Road” are a mix of modern and exotic, a meeting of the East and West.

You seem to have a wide range of clientele. What sizes does Tadashi carry?

We carry sizes from zero to 16, petite to regular to queen-size. We have a T by Tadashi line as well that carries a lower-price range as compared to our main brand.

Unlike other fashion design houses with whole families involved in the business, you don’t have anyone from your family helping you out. Are you grooming somebody to take over the Tadashi brand in the future? Is there a Japanese in your design team?

I am not grooming anyone in particular, but I have a team of young designers that I have been nurturing and guiding. No, unfortunately, I have no Japanese in my design team.

What are you most proud of about the Tadashi brand?

That after more than 30 years our clients remain very happy with our clothes — the design, the comfort, and the fit. My brother told me he was very proud of me, of the business I have built, and that gives me joy.

Whose clothes do you wear?

I am not really brand-conscious; I pick out clothes that appeal to me regardless of the label, but I consider my style very American.

What is next for the Tadashi brand? Are you planning to partner with any retail establishment for an exclusive Tadashi line of clothing and accessories?

Yes, we have many exciting projects lined up, but the one that is in the final stage of development is a perfume I am creating for an American perfume company. The fragrance will be made from rosewood and water cucumber essences and it will be formulated in France. The scent will be pure, not synthetic, so it will be very special.

After several hectic days in Manila, what are you planning to do?

Visit the islands before heading back to Los Angeles.

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Tadashi Shoji is exclusively available at Rustan’s Makati and Rustan’s Tower Shangri-La Plaza.