Maruya's theme for this season was "Fragrance of Incense." "It's not so much a 'fragrance, but a 'smell.' It's the scent of the sexiness of two people, each using the other as a weapon. A strong, clashing, never-gentle, almost stinky scent. I wanted to express the scent of their relationship through clothing, just like in a novel or a movie." Of course, the couples in the novels and movies he's referring to don't have happy endings. "They're always on the edge, fighting and criticizing each other. But they love and trust each other... Amidst their intertwining emotions, they wonder when they'll explode, or if they'll explode at all. It's a dangerous and thrilling relationship.It could end soon, or they could die." A man and woman with a somewhat cryptic and dangerous aura. A man and woman who enjoy bargaining and a fleeting game.
5351's creations were inspired by the "scent" of this couple. "I visually expressed the image captured by my olfactory sense. I wanted the wearer (the viewer) to sense the scent through their eyes." Just as the scent is conveyed through a painting of a rose... In the '98 S/S catalog, the image he captured, "the scent of their relationship," is expressed as a story. "I always create a story. This time, the theme is the love between the mafia's No. 2 and his boss's mistress." Meeting, hesitation, conflict, provocation, seduction, affair, quarrel... From this story, told through 5351 clothing, comes the vivid smell of men and women, alcohol and drugs. Set in Paris, this photo book can be said to bring together the world of 5351. "I want to continue making clothes that express men and women. Even in 10 years' time, the brand style of les hommes et les femmes (men and women) will not change."