Something That Never Ended
Like I do every year, I enjoyed watching the US Open Tennis this summer. Because I watched the games on TV, there were many advertisements broadcast during the commercial breaks. Unsurprisingly, I watched some of the commercials repeatedly for two weeks straight. Among those there was one that struck me and glued my eyes to the screen. A calm breeze quietly creates ripples in water, to music that, as if by amplification, appears to create larger waves still. The beautiful back of a woman sensually emerges from the water. She seems about to turn to face us for a moment, but we can only see her from the side. The screen then fades to the image of a perfume bottle, shining above golden water, and finally the “J’Adore” logo appears. This is an advertisement for Dior’s perfume, J’Adore. The beautiful woman on screen is Charlize Theron. Since its launch in 1999, she has been an ambassador of the perfume brand, with visuals based on the concept of a golden Cleopatra-inspired modern nomad. You can watch the full one-minute version on Youtube, but I think the 30-second version is elegantly polished and is even more beautiful. Maybe it’s because the shorter version leaves something unsaid and this arouses the viewers’ desire to watch a little more.
In September, there is another big event—New York Fashion Week! Fashion industry people from around the globe converge on venues across New York City. From 2000 to 2014, I created scarves for New York fashion houses. The glamorous fashion collections we see showcased on runways have all been under development for years prior to their unveiling. Just the feeling of how they are being created makes my heart warm even now. Alessandro Michele, appointed as creative director of Gucci in 2015, is a genius and magician who blends the classic and the modern, tames excessively decorative tastes into a perfect balance, and adds entertaining elements as well. He leads the Gucci brand to great success. He is one of my current inspirations.
Turning back to tennis for a moment, Jannik Sinner, an Italian tennis player, is my recent fave. He is a sophisticated, cool, and handsome guy of 21 years. He also models as an ambassador for Gucci. The other day, he had a tough match against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain. They battled for over 5 hours in the quarter final but Jannik was unfortunately defeated. The clash was of incomparably high quality, and it is now considered a historic match. I am excited about that the tennis players of this new generation—they will entertain us for the decades to come.
However, veterans who have been top players for over 20 years, such as Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, still remain strong. Similarly, Charlize Theron has been the muse for Dior’s J’Adore for 24 years. Her beauty shines even more brightly now. These 20 years have not passed magically for them, but have been supported by their humble efforts, day by day. I truly admire those who maintain strong beliefs.
Something That Never Ended—everyone has the power within them to make humble efforts daily. Through constant effort, some things are lost while some things are born. And the things that have not ended continue to evolve alongside the new.
This month, I created a scarf inspired by Gucci’s “Something That Never Ended” collection. I hope you like it.
Yuh Okano
September 2022
