Ernie Palo

Photography  Jan Bijl

In the light of the collaboration with Ernie Palo for our ICONS #7 collection, we we had a conversation with Ryo Yamaguchi, the creative mind behind Ernie Palo. Rooted in Tokyo but beloved around the world, Ernie Palo’s pieces are designed to transcend trends.

Ernie Palo is rooted in Tokyo, but your pieces live in wardrobes across the world and are well loved in Rotterdam. What do you think makes them resonate regardless of where someone lives?

Within a basic designs, I try to create a subtle sense of pleasant distortion with material, the balance of proportions, and the colors.

I also aim to design collections that leave room for interpretation — allowing the person who wears them to think freely about how to style each piece in their own way.

What drew you to collaborate with Objet Trouvé for this ICONS collection?

Objet Trouvé has been carrying Ernie Palo since our very first showroom in Paris.

It’s always such a pleasure to see everyone visit the showroom wearing our clothes.

When I heard they were planning to renewal their store, we suggested to do collaboration.

Your design philosophy centers on creating garments that can become archives, passed down through generations. In an industry obsessed with newness, what keeps you grounded in this vision?

I do believe that newness is very important in fashion.

However, rather than chasing trends, I try to think about what newness means to me — clothes that can bring exciting and joyful moments in that moment and adds a sense of freshness even as you wear it over time.

We heard you also run a wine bar in Tokyo. So cool! How does that work: splitting your time between fashion and wine? And if you had to pick: wine or fashion ;)

It’s hard to choose, because a wine bar is also a part of Ernie Palo’s world for me.

At SLOW, everything — including the interior — reflects my personal taste and aesthetic.

I like to think of it as a kind of flagship store for Ernie Palo, just without the clothes.

But at the core, my passion is still fashion.

If you could swap wardrobes with anyone, who would it be?

I don’t necessarily want to change the closet with someone, but I would choose Sofia Coppola.

I am more interested in her source of inspirations, such as her book shelfs than her closet.

What's the ONE 'iconic' piece in your own wardrobe you can't live without?
Oversized shirt and mesh belt from Charvet.

The origin of brand’s name.

My previous brand “Allege” was just one word, so I wanted to make it two words this time.

Also I wanted to make it like a person’s name, so that it has the warmth of a person’s name—something you grow attached to.

For the name “Ernie,” I was drawn to the letter E as typography, and I took inspiration from the name “Ethan,” which is commonly nicknamed “Ernie.”

For the name “Palo”, I got it from a movie called “PALO ALTO” by Gia Coppola.