There were almost Arc'teryx x Tesla jawns??
Veilance's Taka Kasuga talks pitching Elon on a collab, making custom BLM GORP & collecting Arc'bootlegs
BREAKING: You can now cop a paid CLA$$IFIED RECON-tier subscription to BLACKBIRD SPYPLANE — support the newsletter & enjoy EXCLU$IVE $PYPLANE INTEL behind the paywall…
Here at Blackbird Spyplane we f**k with 3 things mega-heavy: 1) the outdoors 2) Japanese design and 3) dope under-the-radar joints. Put them together & u get THE BBSP PYRAMID — with an illuminati eye up top doing “unbeatable all-seeing recon”…
Today’s guest — Arc’teryx Veilance Creative Director Taka Kasuga — has the whole damn pyramid covered. Launched in 2009, Veilance is haute GORP moderne on the most creme-de-la-creme level… so the other day BBSP copilot Erin hit up Taka & to talk about making state-of-the-art outdoor apparel, to reminisce on his time designing for Comme des Garcons, and to serenade some rare & cherished possessions from his personal collection…
Sparking things off?? A couple pieces of Black Lives Matter-themed Arc’teryx gear that Taka customized himself...
Blackbird Spyplane: You sent over a Black Lives Matter Arc’teryx Alpha FL as your cherished personal jawn, where 3 hearts spell out “BLM”… What’s the story behind this?
Taka: “This was one of my weekend projects, which I started back in June. I was quite emotional with what’s been happening, and I wanted to make something that expresses what I stand for. I thought, ‘What happens when I put this logo on an Arc’teryx jacket or t-shirt?’ I’ve marched with it and worn it to work to let everyone know it’s what I believe — it’s important for me, as a minority working in North America.”
Blackbird Spyplane: Is Arc’teryx gonna release this, or—?
Taka: “No, it’s just a personal project. I saw the heart design — which was created by Ryan Feerer — on Stefan Sagmeister’s Instagram. I turned it into an Illustrator file and laser-cut it out of reflective heat-transfer.”
Blackbird Spyplane: There’s a growing movement of people criticizing what they see as the de facto segregation of the outdoors in North America. This jacket feels of a piece with that …
Taka: “Yes, I think it’s awesome. Getting into the outdoor industry was a little scary to me, even, but people at Arc’teryx taught me how to enjoy nature in a different way. I feel we should do more of that work on a larger scale: The industry feels segregated, and not really open to BIPOC, and this is a great time to change that perception.”