Japanese fashion and its movements have significantly influenced Melbourne's style, taste, and overall attitude towards clothing. A prime example of this impact is Melbourne's fascination with archival clothing, as showcased by stores like dot COMME, situated in the heart of the business district. As dot COMME prepares for a pop-up event in Paris, Jerome Fisher interviews the store's founder, Otto la Rosa. The two discussed the store's beginnings, la Rosa's definition of archival fashion, the insatiable demand for Comme des Garçons and Yohji Yamamoto in Melbourne, and his personal collection of over 1000 pieces.

Jerome Fisher Otto, what is archival fashion? 

Otto la Rosa Archival fashion is usually compared to vintage or retro clothing, but the core concepts and ethos behind it are distinguishable. Vintage and retro clothing often exhibit a particular style or trend from the past. Archival clothing, on the other hand, is associated with the message of a specific designer. It is related to fashion history. It encourages individuals to actively take an interest in the designers and gain a deeper understanding of what they intended each piece to represent.

JF Why do you think archival fashion has become so popular?

OLR In the West, the ever-growing desire and general interest in archive fashion can be largely attributed to the borderless influence of internet culture and its increasing accessibility. Forums and other social media such as Reddit and YouTube have allowed people to share and partake in the discovery of foreign designers and labels without ever encountering any form of language barrier.  The rise of archival fashion could also be seen as a form of rejection of current trends within the fashion industry. Where a variety of high-end labels are often seen  attaching a well-known logo or name on to a shirt and releasing it to the market, the archival fashion movement can be seen as a method of combating this direction. It chooses to highlight older pieces and collections in order to more accurately represent a particular brand’s philosophy or simply make them relevant again in the global conscious.  

JF How is archival fashion sourced in the West?

OLR  Anyone living in Japan is offered a multitude of outlets or methods to find and collect archival fashion. Whether this be through the ragtag stores that pop up across Japan’s major cities, or the more niche and tucked away independently owned storefronts often found halfway up an office building, there is no shortage of ways one can obtain decently conditioned high-end goods.

However, not a lot can be said when it comes to opportunities outside of Japan. Despite the West having an insatiable desire for high fashion and luxury goods, the average customer is more interested in keeping up with the latest trends and movements rather than buying the older and more historic garments that may more accurately represent the brand as a whole. As a result, if one desires to obtain these garments, their best bet is to look through select stores and outlets that specialise in gathering and showcasing such archival rarities.

JF One of which is your store dot COMME, located in Curtin House. Could you briefly introduce your store?

OLR  I started dot COMME in 2012. It started out in the Nicolas building, just down the street.

JF How did you first become immersed in archival fashion?  What drew you to it?

OLR It’s hard to put my finger on the exact point where I started gaining interest. I think I was doing research online at school; just reading articles and one thing led to another. I started out with the Australian designers at the time and that led to me delve deeper into international fashion designers. That’s when I came across the Belgians. I was really into Walter Van Beirendonck and Bernard Wilhelm and then I went on a trip with my mum to Tokyo and fell in love. I went to all of the vintage shops and from then  I started buying heaps of stuff online. I ended up with so many pieces that I had to sell stuff to buy more. It all just started like that.

JF Owning a Japan-focused archival clothing shop in Melbourne is a pretty niche endeavor.

OLR It certainly started out very niche. There were not many people, even globally selling archival pieces. Within the last five years, the market has exponentially boomed and that’s garnered so much more interest in archival fashion.

JF Why do you think archival fashion has become popular in Melbourne?

OLR Well, it’s not just Melbourne, it’s a global trend. I think it's internet culture. It’s like online forums and Instagram.

JF What is the perception of Japanese fashion in general in Australia?  Do people immediately think about minimalist designers or more maximalist people such as of Gothic Lolita or Visual Kei?

OLR I’d say probably Comme (des Garçons) and Yohji (Yamamoto). I guess they’re the ones that come to the forefront of my mind. I kind of love that about Japan as well. There are so many kinds of subcultures. Every one of them has such a specific look and they’re done so well.

JF What about Comme and Yohji separates them from other Japanese brands?

OLR I think it’s their legacy. Comme just pushes the boundaries of design. And Yohji has just incredibly beautiful garments. 

JF What about Australian fashion? Fashion and style in Japan, for instance, is incredibly diverse, with countless subcultures and micro-movements. How would you describe the Australian style?

OLR Its similar but on a smaller scale. I genuinely think that Melbourne has great style. Not so much the rest of Australia. I think Melbourne’s got a look, which is kind of like a grungy mix-and-match.  It looks good when it’s done well. And then I think of the other end of the spectrum, which is high-end tech-wear that is done well and isn’t trying to stand out. Just nice pieces of clothing.

JF Beyond dot COMME what is the second-hand archival market in Melbourne like?

OLR It is getting increasingly more difficult and a lot more expensive.  The reason I got into the business in the first place wasn’t to make money. t I was more from a standpoint of a collector. I collect many more pieces that I sell, and I’ll never sell anything that I want to keep. It’s kind of a problem.

JF What is the main demographic of customers that frequent your store?

OLR It’s such a mix. It’s very broad. It’s hard to pin down. It’s definitely got a younger, artier crowd. Then there’s like the cooler middle-aged people in design or who work in the industry. There’s a lot of international students. They’re definitely a big portion of the clientele.

JF You touched on this earlier but, how does archival fashion differ from the term second-hand or used clothing?

OLR Archival fashion is an interest in the past. A respect of the heritage of the garment. It’s a deeper understanding.

JF What brands are currently in high demand?

OLR Yohji (Yamamoto), especially in terms of production as the quantities are much lower than the others, hence the high price point. Comme de Garçons and  Yohji Yamamoto have such a broad appeal to brands. They know they are super avant-garde.  I think the majority of the people that are interested are not interested in the super niche weird garments. It’s more like the easier to wear pieces, which are beautiful in themselves. 

JF How does dot COMME primarily source its garments? Do you go to Japan a couple times a year to scope things out, or do you search for pieces already available in Australia?

OLR Everything is mostly from Japan. I get stuff offline as well, but I like to go twice a year to Japan and leave with some clothes. I also source locally and  buy off our customers.

JF Out of all the pieces you have collected, what has stood out or resonated with you the most and why?

OLR I couldn’t possibly answer, there’s way too many. There are thousands of pieces, the Comme runway pieces obviously have a very special place in my heart, and some of the lumpy pieces from Body Meets Dress.

JF Do you have any advice for anyone wanting to start a select archive shop?

OLR Just buy what you love and don’t buy to try to make money. I think that’s why dot COMME is so popular. I buy pieces that I’m genuinely enthralled by, and I think that creates a positive sensibility.

Join dot COMME at Galerie Talmart, 22 Rue Du Cloître Saint-Merri, 75003 Paris, from June 14 to 23. Over three-hundred Pieces of Comme Des Garçons, Yohji Yamamoto, Walter Van Beirendonck, and Issey Miyake will be available for purchase.

To learn more visit dot COMME