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Nakako Hayashi: To Be here and there - Fashion Beyond the System

林央子: To Be here and there - Fashion Beyond the System

Could you briefly introduce yourself and tell us about the magazine here and there?

Although my surname changed to “Murano” (村野) after marriage, I have long been working under my former name, “Nakako Hayashi” (林央子), as an editor and writer. I’ve built friendships with people who engage in making things and exploring ways of living, across disciplines such as fashion, art, and architecture. I created here and there as a space to share the deep insights I’ve gained through these encounters. I chose the magazine format because I had over a decade of experience editing a monthly magazine, and that world felt the most natural and expressive to me. Another key reason was my desire to overcome the frustrations I felt within Japanese society by publishing bilingually, enabling communication with people overseas.

here and there, v.6, p.06-07

here and there, v.6, p.08-09

What inspired you to launch here and there, and what did you particularly value in the process?

The immediate trigger was becoming a freelancer after leaving my job. While working as an in-house editor at Shiseido on the monthly PR magazine Hanatsubaki (花椿), I travelled to Paris Fashion Week twice a year. As a personal output from those experiences, I began publishing a bilingual annual book titled Paris Collection Individuals (Volumes 1 and 2, published by Little More), which allowed me to compile not just fashion-week content but also additional themes I found interesting. After going freelance, I wanted to communicate more freely, beyond fashion reports, to show how topics often perceived as unrelated to fashion—such as travel or housing—are actually deeply connected to it. I prioritised “freedom” above all. I also wanted to assert that Tokyo and Japan were not just spaces of consumption but also of cultural creation and transmission. There’s one guiding principle in producing here and there: I only work within the network of people I can speak to directly. Having experienced the various difficulties that can arise during magazine production, I wanted to minimise those risks and aim for a sustainable format.

How do you choose the themes for each issue, and what messages do you hope to convey through them?

here and there, v.4, cover page

I began setting themes from volume 4 onwards. Prior to that, I deliberately avoided themes in order to follow my instincts more freely. However, after giving birth and experiencing major life changes, it became necessary to set themes in order to better manage the editing process. The themes are always based on topics I personally feel a strong urge to share with others at that time—topics that emerge from work or observation and feel particularly meaningful.
Until around 2015, while working as a writer for commercial fashion and cultural magazines, here and there served as a space for deeper personal reflection.

What do you look for when selecting artists or designers to feature in the magazine?

here and there, v.14, p.20-21

One common trap in fashion media is one-way communication. For instance, fashion photographs that present the final look—created by editors, models, hair and makeup artists, stylists, and photographers—as “the answer.” Having worked in such settings for a long time, I began to feel deeply uneasy about that approach. In here and there, fashion photography was introduced for the first time in vol.14, but the usual structure was reversed: subjects from around the world chose their own photographers and worked together to create images in their own ways. When it comes to artists or designers, I’ve long been interested in those who propose new ways of thinking about fashion. Rather than presenting their work as a “solution,” I aim to document the thought processes behind their creations. That’s why I use the magazine—a medium closely tied to the times—as a space to communicate those ideas in my own way.

Why did you choose a non-commercial, creator-focused direction that differs from conventional fashion magazines? What meaning does this approach hold in the current fashion industry and magazine culture?

In truth, what looks like a deliberate stance within the contemporary fashion industry is simply the result of always following my own instincts and curiosities. If here and there can become a trigger for readers to deeply think about what they love, then I feel truly honoured. I don’t believe a magazine should serve as a tool for “proselytising.” Instead of pushing my way of life, thought, or consumption onto others, I want it to be a shared space where individuals living under various circumstances can “live together, think together, and create together.”

What has been the biggest challenge in maintaining a non-commercial attitude while publishing the magazine, and how have you addressed it?

here and there, v.13.5, exhibition view

The greatest challenge has always been how to secure production costs.
My initial strategy was to avoid relying solely on major corporate advertising, and instead create space for small-scale advertisements from independent businesses who resonated with the magazine’s ethos. Later, I organised publication events that readers could join, co-created with contributors. here and there 13.5 is a record of such an event. Rather than directly solving financial problems, this strategy focused on building trust in the publication and fostering personal connections. Following the editorial policy of “joining hands with those who want to be here now,” I’ve continued to build networks—with sponsors, readers, and collaborators—based on shared intention at that moment.

In the age of digital media, why do you continue to work with print? What significance does print hold for you?

Printed matter—like books and magazines—allows readers to physically feel as though they’re in dialogue with the author or article. Much like a craft object, it takes time and care to produce. For me, dialogue is an essential act of living. By sharing those conversations in print, I believe we can create encounters that go beyond our initial intentions. That’s why I continue working with print media.

We heard you are pursuing “expanding fashion” beyond traditional systems like Paris Fashion Week. What new possibilities or roles have you discovered through this research?

In everyday life, I’ve become aware of the many possibilities and roles fashion can have.
For example, just yesterday I was thinking about the act of “trying on” clothes. Why are we willing to undress in an unfamiliar place and place ourselves in such a vulnerable state? Wearing new clothes is one of the joys of fashion. We try things on to experience whether something suits us. That moment isn’t about effort or money—it’s a special experience of sensing whether clothes and self align to bring out a better version of ourselves. When someone says “you look great,” what they’re really recognising isn’t the brand but whether something suits that person. It’s a moment where wearer and observer together create new meaning. I’m very interested in this horizontal kind of communication that co-creates meaning. “Expanding fashion” provides a space where these relationships can be naturally experienced in everyday life.

Many of the artists featured in here and there seem to stand in contrast to capitalist trends or industry norms. How do you think their work dialogues with the magazine’s philosophy?

here and there, v.11, p.08-09

This contrast often came up in my conversations with people like Susan Cianciolo, BLESS, and Pascal Gatzen.
When we first met, we were all present within the same “scene” as fashion designers or journalists, and our shared sense of discomfort with that space became the foundation of our relationship. We then began to explore how we could each adjust and find balance within those conditions. As we did, other creators—frustrated with the growing commercialisation of the art world—also began to gather to discuss shared concerns. The magazine gradually became a space to share those issues across disciplines and lives. This direction wasn’t something I planned as an editor—it simply came together naturally, as if drawn by an invisible thread.

What do you consider most important when connecting fashion to social issues? And through your research, have you noticed any similarities or differences between the fashion industries in Europe and Japan?

here and there, v.7

Fashion is something that lives and breathes within society, and as such, it has the potential to confront social issues. However, in the commercial fashion world, addressing such matters directly can be challenging. It may be more effective to approach them through alternative frameworks, such as research or art projects. That said, efforts to engage with social concerns through fashion are emerging here and there, and I believe there is plenty of room for change in the future. One strength of the fashion industry is its capacity to intuitively grasp what is aesthetically compelling, even before putting it into words. I see this as a shared characteristic between Europe and Japan.

Could you tell us about any upcoming projects or your vision for here and there moving forward?

I’m currently pursuing a PhD in fashion journalism at the London College of Fashion. As part of a participatory research project analysing here and there, I’ve organised an exhibition and workshop based on collaborative zine-making. I’m increasingly aware of how people are becoming distanced from the experience of making things, which in turn can lead to a loss of connection to the realities of life. My hope is to create opportunities where everyone can become a maker. In February–March 2025, I curated here and there vol.16 as a ‘reading room’–style space, where visitors were invited to reflect on questions that I had originally posed in my PhD application. I prepared a questionnaire to encourage shared thinking and discussion. We exhibited and sold zines produced with close collaborators using risograph printing, and created a space where people could genuinely engage with fashion in a thoughtful way. We also ran workshops for those making a zine for the first time. This was a completely different experience from my previous work as an editor, and I’m genuinely excited to see where this research journey will lead next.