"Ordinary clothes" made from vintage clothing, the origin
PHIGVEL is a brand that reinterprets authentic items by incorporating military, work, and outdoor elements. Designer Hideki Higashino first became interested in fashion during his high school days.
"I got totally into vintage clothing in my hometown of Akita. I loved American 50s vintage clothing with a rockabilly vibe. Denim overalls, duffle coats, sweatshirts, Levi's® 501s. It's the classics. After that, I was influenced by my seniors and shifted to skate culture."
After moving to Tokyo, he met members of HECTIC, a popular shop in Ura-Harajuku, and discovered that he wanted to pursue a career in fashion through connections he made through music and skateboarding.
"I was 19 years old. Magara (Naotake) was originally a buyer of secondhand clothes, and Egawa (Yoshifumi) was a professional skateboarder. When I joined, there were only about six people, and it was a convergence of various cultures. That was interesting. Gradually, we started to handle the production of clothes, and I learned how to make clothes on the job. But as the brand grew, it gradually began to deviate from what I had envisioned. So I started making clothes based on secondhand clothes, which is where I started."
In 2002, at the age of 25, he launched PHIGVEL.
"At first, it was all solo (laughs). The brand name is a combination of FIGMENT, which means product of imagination, and NOVEL, which means novel. It was inspired by the idea of fusing 'imaginative clothes from olden times' with 'stories that I have seen,' and hoping that it would become a classic for a new era. I was absorbed in making clothes, while digging deeper and studying, over and over again. It feels more like editing than design. How can I present something that already exists in a different form? How can I incorporate elements of functional clothing into everyday wear. Because I want the clothes I make to be 'ordinary clothes.'"
The idea of learning more in order to create what we love and updating heritage into everyday life was born from this trial and error.
The two items on the left are his personal vintage hunting jackets. The duck fabric (left) is from the 1930s American brand THE DRYBAK CORP., and the 1950s is from French gabardine brand BURBERRYS PARIS. The new coach jacket on the right features a game pocket on the back, inspired by these two items. 
I have always loved collecting oil and watercolor paintings, and recently I have been collecting more and more with fishing and fish motifs.
After years of running enthusiastically, a new term begins
The main theme at the time of its founding was to "continue for as long as possible."
"To put it dramatically, I want the brand to remain even after I'm gone. Without a solid base, it will crumble. So until the foundation is in place, I've been conscious of focusing solely on the brand and not doing anything extraneous.
It was around the 20th year that I finally felt that the PHIGVEL hard disk had taken shape. I think we were able to continue because we did things within our reach. I prefer brands and stores that have a local feel. There are five staff members, including myself, and that hasn't changed in over a decade. We complement each other when we're short on manpower and work in sync, so I think we've become a great team."
Vests are essential for autumn and winter wear. These are new for the 2025-26 AW collection, and are made with a focus on the amount of down that can be worn as both an inner layer or outer layer. 
On the left are my personal 1940s US Navy boots. On the right are originals I made in 2012 based on the originals, and they're still my go-tos.
It's truly a small but elite group. It's interesting to note that the number of members is similar to that of the early HECTIC band, which I loved. Now in their 24th year, what are they aiming for?
"Now that I can see the brand from a bird's-eye view, I feel a little more at ease. I think being able to continue has given me confidence. From now on, I'd like to be a little more flexible and try different things, such as collaborating with other brands and artists, changing the exhibition cycle and how we create visuals. There are pros and cons to being able to continue for so long, and I don't want to become too familiar or just go with the flow. I want to always be looking for spice and change."
So what does Higashino think makes a cool adult?
"I think it's great when people have hobbies or things they're passionate about. Nothing beats passion. That's why it's wonderful and it connects to a person's style. In fact, I've taken up the hobby of fly fishing, albeit a little late. Since I've been spending time in nature, the things I see and am interested in have changed, not only in fish but also in birds, insects, flowers, and wild vegetables.
One of the reasons I was attracted to the interesting aspects of fly fishing equipment and clothing as products. I think that the fact that I was able to experience their functionality in the outdoors will be reflected in the brand. They say that as people get older, they grow to love nature, and that's exactly right! I feel like I'm just getting older in a completely natural way (laughs)."
