nori & chiii: The pathology of collecting task

This is a photography book, "HAPPY VICTIMS" written by Kyoichi Tsuzuki.

Seigensha, Kyoto, 2008. 178 pp., 85 color illustrations, 10½x8".

There is Japanese realism in this book. This book is about a series of collections by people who are obsessed with top designer brands, and their living spaces, which are filled with such products. These people dare to cut down the cost of their basic needs like food expenses to possess their favourite designers' items. High class glamour and low life mass production conjuncture and co-exist in one tiny space. Tsuzuki also penned an interesting piece to describe the minds of these shopaholic people who are called HAPPY VICTIMS.

'This fanaticism is always identical, whether in the case of the rich man specializing in Persian miniatures, or of the pauper who hoards matchboxes.' (Baudrillard, 1994, p.8)

( the room of Jean-Paul Gaultier collector )

I think one of the most interesting points of this book is that the collectors who are featured in this book are not 'unusual' people like supermodels or celebrities in magazines. They are absolutely ordinary people. In fact the collectors live in tiny rooms and they are not so much rich as poor. However, they are those who passionately love specific brands and dedicate all their efforts and a significant amount of money to collecting the brands.

Personally, I can relate to the collectors' such feeling and behavior, since I have a similar collectomania. I have collected COMME des GARÇONS clothe for approximately 10 years.

COMME des GARÇONS is one of the most famous Japanese fashion brands, and the design of the brand is always innovative and creative. I wear some of the COMME des GARÇONS clothe I have collected, but I do not wear the others any more. I keep these clothe in my closet as my treasures, and sometimes I feast my eyes on them.

'Thus any given object can have two functions: it can be utilized, or it can be prossessed.'(Baudrillard,1994, p.8)

( H. Naoto collector )

I believe that these enthusiastic collectors called "HAPPY VICTIMS" are not victims in the real sense of the term, because collecting clothe they love makes their lives feel full, even if they spend a large amount of money on doing it.