We’ve just got our hands on some mighty fine gardening clobber from Sassafras, and what better way to announce its arrival than a quick back-and-forth with main-man Takashi? Stop tending to those buddleias for five minutes and give this a read…
What have you been up to today?
Everything!
How long have you been making clothes under the Sassafras name?
I started with a collection of 10 pieces in 2004.
Sassafras is a species of tree. Why did you choose this name?
Inspiration, and it's whatever you want it to be.
Who is involved in Sassafras?
We're a small company that started with three people including myself. Now there's the six of us.
What are important things to consider when designing clothes for gardening?
Sassafras is a new concept that goes beyond just gardening wear. Work, military and outdoor wear all have their own unique elements, so by taking these elements I make functionally rich clothing for use in gardening and/or various other categories.
It needs to be functional, comfortable and heavy duty — with big pockets.
I think Sassafras is the only ‘gardening brand’ we stock. How did you get into gardening?
I enjoyed growing plants and using the tools involved in gardening. As I got older I started collecting gardening tools — I really like old tools from around the world. I often wore work, military and outdoor wear as I played in the garden because I thought it was cool and functional. This sprung into another hobby — I customized theses clothes for gardening. As you can see, this became the concept for Sassafras.
Have you had much success this year in your garden?
Not too bad — I'm just enjoying the gardening.
I’m pretty bad at looking after houseplants, have you got any tips?
I'll just tell you what works for me — besides making sure I have the right soil mixture, proper drainage and the proper location, I simply check my garden each day. Make sure you check the plants, the soil, the water and look out for bugs, sickness and so on. Check your plants and garden every day.
Let’s talk lawnmowers — do you prefer the ride-on tractor-style lawnmowers or the classic push along versions?
I don't use one. And I'm not sure what I would get if I needed one — perhaps something classic?
Apart from your stuff, what other clothes would you recommend for gardening in?
There's no other gardening wear that I would recommend, that being said, I do like Mountain Research. They're the only other clothing brand we have in my shop.
What else do you lot get up to when you’re not making clothes or tending to your garden?
Drinking with my friends and playing football. That's pretty much it — gardening, the store and SF.