Truly good products that are in line with Hankyu Men's unique sense of values.

First of all, what kind of sales floor does "Third Style," which carries Blank, have?

brushwood fieldThe traditional, or rather, common department store format is basically a floor directly managed by the manufacturer, where brands open stores and sell their products in separate sales areas. Therefore, the sales staff standing in the store are also from the brand side. On the other hand, "Third Style" in Hankyu Men's Tokyo is similar to a select store. It is characterized by an editorial approach at its core, with our department store buyers purchasing items and handling a wide variety of brands in a single space. The main brands are Italian classics as well as contemporary tastes.

Is this different from what you call a "flat" floor, where multiple brands share space?

brushwood fieldThe "flat floor" is a sales floor that is further subdivided into the directly managed style floors mentioned above, and is developed into individual corners. The brand's staff stands alone there, and in few cases, the department store purchases the merchandise, which is mostly consignment. Therefore, there is basically no risk of us holding inventory. In contrast, at "Third Style," our buyers check brand exhibitions, pick up items that match our concept and product lineup, and buy and sell them.

Why take the risk of carrying inventory to develop a select floor?

brushwood fieldThe first priority is to differentiate ourselves from other department stores and create a unique identity. After all, all department stores will become homogeneous if they only have floors directly managed by manufacturers. In order to break out of this homogeneity, it is necessary to create and offer a unique product lineup and customer service that is unique to Hankyu Men's, even if it means taking the risk of owning our own inventory. This is one of the reasons.

Customers these days are also more knowledgeable and discerning, having obtained a great deal of information from the Internet and magazines. In order to respond to this, it is important for knowledgeable buyers to select each product with love based on a solid sense of value, and for sales staff to deliver these feelings without letting them cool down. It is natural to show our presence through PR in the media and on social networking services, but we believe that passion for the items and the sales floor as the site are fundamental and the most important when dealing with fashion.

The attitude of crossing styles, generations, and scenes resonates with us.

Third Style" is lined with popular brands from Japan and abroad. There are a variety of brands that would fit well in this department store, including target customers and price ranges.

brushwood fieldOne of the features of "Blank" is that it offers apparel at the same time, with bags as its main product. However, the director, Mr. Otani, has a career as an apparel designer. Third Style" is not a bag shop, so we felt freshness and attractiveness in designs that have a backbone in making clothes. Therefore, we consider it more of a fashion brand than a bag brand. Another key point was the reasonable price range of the bags, as they are picked up by customers who come to the store for clothes. We were convinced that the high quality and background of the bags would convince customers to purchase them.

The brand's concept of "going back and forth between street, mode, and business style" was also a deciding factor. As the name suggests, "Third Style" also has a concept of "a third style that is neither on nor off," or in other words, it is both on and off, and goes back and forth between various scenes. Yes, the two concepts are in perfect harmony with each other.

The actual lineup also embodies the concept well, such as denim that is elegantly made by using dye that does not fade easily, or casual wear that looks mature and chic. I thought it would be interesting to propose this on the sales floor, and I was intrigued not only as a buyer but also as an individual.

Last August, you held a pop-up tour at Hankyu Men's Osaka and Tokyo. Why did you choose to feature a brand that has just made its debut?

brushwood fieldThird Style" currently focuses on classic Italian items, but from now on we would like to push next-generation contemporary items as well. We wanted to launch a brand that symbolizes this, which is why we planned the Blank pop-up.

How did customers react to the pop-up?

brushwood fieldMany of the customers were able to sense the dignified impression despite the denim, as I mentioned earlier, or the perfect balance of not too rough and not too stiff, without us having to explain ourselves. Such reactions made us realize that the brand's ideas and our buying intentions were steadily being conveyed through the products.

To be honest, the brand has not gained much recognition since it has been around for only two seasons. Even so, many people showed interest in the brand, and some even came back to the store and made purchases even though they had moved to another floor after checking it out. Witnessing such a scene, I felt a strong response. It looks like we are going to be a growing presence in the future.

Are there any items that were particularly well received?

brushwood fieldThe denim bags, a signature item, were also well received. Also, many people tried on the new corduroy set-up for this season. When they tried on the sleeves, they were impressed by the comfort of the stretchy fabric and the range of motion in the arms. Another feature was the wide range of buyers, mainly in their 30s, but also in their 20s to 60s. I realized the depth of nostalgia that does not limit not only wearing occasions but also generations.

Please tell us about the most popular items of "Third Style".

brushwood fieldThe denim collection is a key material for Blank, and the corduroy collection is just as good as the denim collection, so these two series are the big winners. Another personal favorite is the corduroy work jacket that I am wearing today. You can really feel the quality of the tailoring and comfort, so I highly recommend trying it on in the store.