"A FAMILY TALE" - AN UNFAIR SABUKARU EDITORIAL

Sabukaru linked up with Unfair Athletics, a young brand combining streetwear and sportswear based in Germany, to produce a Tokyo editorial for their “A Family Tale” collection.

Injecting the brand with some Japanese energy, the editorial was inspired by a Yakuza’s day off in Shinjuku, visiting a typical ラブホ [love hotel] and a well-known supermarket chain.

We asked Florian Königbauer, founder from Unfair Athletics, some questions about the brand’s identity and how they plan to move forward and grow. 

WHAT IS UNFAIR ATHLETICS ALL ABOUT? 

I think Unfair Athletics is best described as a subtle mix between street and sports. What sets us apart from other brands are the deep roots in various subcultures. Unfair is not focused on one definite one - it has its origins but covers so many different branches thanks to its diversity. Loud at times, quiet at times but always with the same message.

WHAT IS THE SPIRIT BEHIND UNFAIR ATHLETICS? 

The spirit might sometimes be opposing but at the end of the day the main characters of the different subcultures often have the same mindset. We are inspired by those kinds of characters and their mindset also echoes the spirit of the brand and the team behind Unfair.

AS A YOUNG BRAND, WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS AND WHAT ARE THE OBSTACLES TO GET THERE?

Actually, you get a lot of obstacles thrown in your way. It doesn’t matter if that translates into problems in production - you can’t possibly be in the Far East or in the production sites in Europe 24/7 and in-person - or other daily problems, be it in retail, in marketing or whatever! The real achievements are those, where you had to overcome those small daily drawbacks and were able to make all those involved happy. Apart from that, it was surely one of the biggest challenges for all of us to navigate the whole situation regarding the first lockdown and the closure of retail stores in Germany and all of Europe that came with it. That was a tough one, but it bound our team even more together.

IF UNFAIR ATHLETICS WAS A PERSON/ A FAMOUS ATHLETE, WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?

I remember that somebody once asked me that question and I simply couldn’t come up with an answer. Maybe something between Tony Soprano and Daniel Craig: Mostly quick-tempered, sometimes explosive, but when confronted with problems and important decisions, able to stay levelheaded and focused.

WHAT IS NEXT FOR UNFAIR ATHLETICS?

All in all, we worked hard on the upcoming collections. Next summer is going to be another milestone for sure and in Winter 2021, I personally see us on a level where regarding the product, we always wanted to get to and where it's supposed to level out at. This year there is still the second part of ’Support your Locals’ coming up and some other collabs we are looking forward to. To witness the progress is for sure not going to be boring ;)

ANY LAST WORDS?

Thanks for the collaboration, for listening and the close contact. Greetings to Tokyo and hopefully we’ll see each other soon in Japan or somewhere else in the world.

Credits:
Text: Samuel Le Roy Interview: Adrian Bianco
Photography: Steve Gaudin
Video: Aki Kurasaki
Production: Bianco Bianco
Interview by Adrian Bianco, Text by Samuel Le Roy

About The Authors:
Samuel Le Roy is a 21-year-old chemistry graduate based east of London. At any moment he’s tapped into multiple subcultures with a particular interest in streetwear and fashion, Sam aims to travel to Tokyo to immerse himself in Japanese culture once completing his studies, and continue writing pieces like this.