What's Your Obsession?

Every time I take the 6 Line to Itaewon and walk past the old antique street toward Bogwang-dong, I have my regular go-to spots.

Yesterday's Curry and Hell Cafe. Now, there's a new name I’m adding to that list. Until now, it was a place I’ve only ever glanced at while walking by, admiring the beautiful boots in the window and vowing to go in next time. That place is Marching Drums.

 

Q1. We’re interviewing eccentrics. Please introduce yourself.

My name is Yang Yi-gil, and I've been running the vintage store Marching Drums since 2020. I have this tendency to be totally uninterested in something, but then when I get hooked, I get obsessive (like a fiend). I think that’s the eccentric side of me.

 

 

Take music, for example. I got curious about how a guitar pedal worked, so I had to take it apart and even tried soldering it. I just have these moments where I have to physically experience the whole thing to feel satisfied. I think I've been this way since I was young, and it mostly comes out in music and fashion. I got really into Hedi Slimane, watched every Dior Homme show right from the first one, and that's how I fell into fashion.

 

Q2. How did you start the shop? We're also curious why it's named Marching Drums.

 

 

My health got really bad in 2018, and I had to quit the job I was working at while I was in the hospital. I started this while looking for another job related to vintage, which is my favorite thing. Marching Drums was a name that came to me while I was composing music, and I really wanted the shop's name to reflect a musical theme.

 

Q3. We saw you described as handling styles based on subcultures like Western, country, punk, and hippie. What are the subcultures that inspire Marching Drums?

 

   

I love all those styles, but I think the most important thing is to wear various different styles rather than picking just one. My biggest inspiration is the Japanese and British music scenes from the 70s to the 90s. They represent the sound I want to cherish forever, and I feel like the culture, the style, and the attitude of the musicians back then all reflect who I am.

 

Parálisis Permanente - Adictos a la lujuria

FLAMIN' GROOVIES ON Slow Death

 

I watch a lot of band music and live footage from that era. I get so much inspiration from seeing the musicians' outfits at their peak. I love videos like "Adictos a la lujuria" (1983) by the Spanish band Parálisis Permanente, or the FLAMIN' GROOVIES ON SKYDOG (1971) footage.

 

 

Q4. You curate items from a wide range of eras, from the 60s to the early 2000s. Do you have your own standard for selecting or buying products?

I don't really set a standard for curating. I just trust my eye and instinctively pick the items that I'm drawn to.

 

1960s coat with a striking, colorful polka dot pattern.

A 1970s short-sleeve top resembling a Mondrian artwork. One can guess it's from the 70s by the shape of the tag and the stitching.

A 1990s gypsy-style bolero jacket, decorated with ornate beads.

A 1990s fringe vest representative of Marching Drums’ style. It's a cropped vest (size large) with a really interesting fit.

A hand-printed top, estimated to be from the 2000s.

 

Q5. Is there a specific time of year you enjoy most for buying products?

I love the time of year when it's leather jacket season.

 

 

Q6. What three brands would you say form the backbone of Marching Drums?

The three pillars would be our own in-house Marching Drums products, and the two brands we buy: Rockmount Ranch Wear and East West Musical Instruments.

 

 

Marching Drums In-house Designs

I've always been interested in design. I've saved a lot of scraps, and referencing all the things I’ve collected over time, I taught myself Photoshop and Illustrator, made the logo, and started producing our own items. We have quite a few products made in collaboration with local factories.

 

 

This Western straw hat was made in collaboration with a local US factory that specializes in Western goods.

 

 

The logo ball cap, part of the Marching Drums Music Academy series, is a one-size cotton cap made with the New York hat maker New Hatten. This cap came from a time when I was trying hard to add musical elements to our products.

 

Rockmount Ranch Wear

Rockmount Ranch Wear is an American Western brand. The item below is one I think fits MarchingDrums perfectly because it has a musical theme, with the notes right there. It’s a classic Western-style jacket with embroidery details.

 

 

East West Musical Instruments

I love items that use leather patterns to create flower shapes, and this brand is a great example. We have an orange-brown leather jacket in the store, and it's just a really captivating piece.

 

 

Q7. What's your standard for selecting items for sale? I noticed you even have a cute teddy bear.

As long as it doesn't stray from the Marching Drums theme, I try to bring in items that will be the most fun to display in the store.

 

   

I knew about that teddy bear before I even started the shop. I contacted the seller directly on WhatsApp. That bear is from Peru. The seller runs an alpaca farm, and the dolls are handmade from the fur that baby alpacas shed. It was so cute, I had to buy it.

 

Q8. Which item in Marching Drums feels the most like you? We’re curious why.

 

It’s not for sale, but I have to mention the '99 Rickenbacker 360 guitar hanging here. It’s like a friend, always by my side when I’m composing or working. It’s the one item that best shows the shop's musical theme, which I wanted to feature from the start.

 

 

Q9. The shop is filled with musical elements. Is there any music you’re particularly obsessed with these days?

I’ve played music since my last year of middle school. I’m in a band, too. I visited Canada when I was young, and my cousin introduced me to Linkin Park. I fell for their music, and that’s how I got my start. That mood naturally blends into the shop.

 

These days, I'm stuck on a song called "Summer Place" by Percy Faith, which is a 1950s track made up of only string instruments. Percy Faith is an orchestra musician who reworks famous songs with strings. I'm sure everyone would recognize it if they heard it.

 

 

If I can add one more, I recommend "Enter the Mirror" by the Japanese band Les Rallizes Dénudés.

 

 

Q10. What kind of people do you hope will visit Marching Drums?

I hope many free-spirited people visit, those who respect all the different kinds of romance in life.

 

 

Q11. Can you give us some recommendations?

From my own experience, traveling as much as possible was a huge help. I visited vintage stores around the world and watched people's attitudes and how they dressed. That helped me a lot.

 

 

jarmusch in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo, is pretty similar to Marching Drums. It’s a shop built on an Hedi Slimane base. One more would be Furugiya Samantha in Osaka. Their 60s-70s suit curation is excellent.

 

Q12. To you, what is life's romance?

Maintaining a state of being crazy about something.

 

 

Q13. Finally, how would you describe Marching Drums in one phrase?

Rock and roll.