Criterion for style

Early Summer/2017

If there was one man I aspired to be in my teenage years, it was without a doubt Paul Weller.

Shortly after I became a middle-schooler and began listening to western music, I heared that Paul Weller’s first band ‘The Jam’ had split up. The Paul I experienced as a teenager was the Paul of the ’Style Council’ era.

What fascinated me about him at first was his stylish fashion. It was the delicate French Ivy style that was popular at the time. It was so cool. There were quite a few boys my age who copied Paul’s skinny white jeans and Tassel loafers combination. I was one of them, of course, but looking back I’ll have to admit that the style worked a lot better for Paul than it did for me.

Paul’s music during the Style Council years was a smart mixture of styles, borrowing elements from black music, like jazz and soul, and Paul singing with furrowed brows and earnest passion about problems in society. ‘Walls Come Tumbling Down’, one of their most famous songs, is a good example of their unique style.
One of many things that I learned from Paul Weller is that the right combination of outer elegancy and an inner strength and authenticity can become a great inspiration to people.

Paul Weller is still going strong as a solo artist today. Despite having grown older, he seems to have the same passion for music as ever — if anything, it burns brighter than ever. He will forever be an idol of mine.
I will soon enter my 50s, and it’s my great wish to keep doing what I love without losing my fire, just like Paul.

(text / Kazuto Yamaki CEO of SIGMA)

Share on social media