Take Ivy

Take Ivy is a 1965 fashion photography book which documents the attire of Ivy League students from the 1960s. The New York Times described it as “a treasure of fashion insiders”. Take Ivy has been the Ivy League bible for Japanese baby boomers, among whom the Ivy League look is very popular, though original copies are rare in the West, garnering auction prices as high as $2000.

Take Ivy was authored by four Japanese sartorial style enthusiasts and is a collection of candid photographs shot on the campuses of America’s elite Ivy League universities. The series focuses on college-aged men and their clothes, capturing the unique fashion of the student population of that time. Whether getting a meal on campus, lounging in the quad, riding bikes, studying in the library, in class, or at the boathouse, the subjects of this photographic compendium are impeccably and distinctively dressed in fine American-made garments.

Take Ivy was a group work. The title was inspired by the jazz song "Take Five" by Dave Brubeck.Teruyoshi Hayashida was born and raised in the fashionable Aoyama District of Tokyo. He began shooting cover images for Men’s Club magazine right after the title’s launch. His style was considered to be highly sophisticated and he was thought of as a connoisseur of gourmet food, known for his homemade soy sauce-marinated Japanese pepper (sansho), and his love of gunnel tempura and Riesling wine.

Shosuke Ishizu, the director of Ishizu Office, born in Okayama Prefecture, worked in the editorial division at Men’s Club until 1960 after graduating from Kuwasawa Design School. He established Ishizu Office in 1983, and now produces several clothing brands including Niblick. Toshiyuki Kurosu joined VAN Jacket Inc. in 1961, where he was responsible for the development of merchandise and sales promotion. Leaving the company in 1970 he started his own business, Cross and Simon. After the brand stopped doing business, Toshiyuki began appearing on the legendary variety show Asayan as a regular gaining him high popularity among the public. Toshiyuki is also an active writer and intellectual.

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