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giant waterfall (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)That's right. I think it was good that we were able to mix the images of "Itty Bitty" and "Edifice" well and create something that didn't seem possible.

Oshima IslandWhen I visited the store, the staff members were wearing them. It was very encouraging. I had the impression that "EDIFICE" was clean and somewhat slim, while "ITTY BITTY" offers voluminous clothes. The key was how to successfully fuse the two, and I was relieved to see that we ended up with something good (laughs).

giant waterfall (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)We started carrying their products last season, and we asked them to produce a line at an exceptionally fast pace. Arledge is a brand that I have always wanted to carry in my store.

YamaguchiThe showroom that does PR for the brand is the same as Ittibitti's, so you visited us at the exhibition.

giant waterfall (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)Of course the clothes designed by Mr. Yamaguchi are wonderful, but the collections of "Arledge" have a cultural background. The clothes have Mr. Yamaguchi's humanity, and that is what I found appealing.

giant waterfall (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)I am also working with a brand called "WRAPINKNOT," which is developing a collection of knit items.

giant waterfall (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)We are a company that originally came from a manufacturing background. That is why we have the DNA to create things from scratch. It is not just an efficient custom order where we change the fabric or color of an in-line item, but creating clothes together with a brand is a difficult and risky process, but it also has great advantages.

giant waterfall (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)Nowadays, we are saturated with similar items. That is why we want to deliver items of high quality with a story behind them that cannot be found anywhere else.

YamaguchiI simply enjoy designing. It allows me to think about things in a way that is separate from inline design. It also makes me feel a lot closer to the stores.

Oshima IslandYes, distance is a very important keyword.

YamaguchiIf we have a line, a cohesive way of bringing in the product, the store staff will naturally become more aware of the product. They will be deeply aware of the brand. I think that if you only have an in-line line, people will lose awareness of the brand unless they are very fond of it.

Oshima IslandSince we call it a "special-order line," we have to make clothes with the store in mind. We focus on the very pinpoint points, and think about the design and timing of the launch. In order to do this, we communicate with Mr. Otaki, who tells us what is going on at the stores and understands the brand's strong points, so we can connect with them on a deeper level.

giant waterfall (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)Because the items are the result of such a process, the store staff has a lot to "talk about.

giant waterfall (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)Brand inline and store original. I envision items that fall somewhere in between. The ideal is to have inline, special order, and original items on a single rack without any sense of discomfort. Surprisingly, you can't find just the right kind of clothes in any select store.

Oshima IslandMr. Otaki's orders are very rough (laughs). (Laughs) He dares to leave some blank space for us to create together.

YamaguchiIn many cases, a blueprint is prepared for a custom order of a single item, such as "Please make that coat inline with this fabric. But in the case of "EDIFICE," it is a little different. Moreover, they throw out orders based on their understanding of the brand's features. For example, in the case of "Arledge," they know that I like music, so it is easier for me to work with them, and I find it very rewarding.

Oshima IslandIt is more time-consuming and difficult to create an image together, but it is easier for us to communicate with each other, and we end up with a better product.

giant waterfall (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)Yes, I try to throw a soft and fluffy ball. I personally have a desire to have such an item, but I suppress my impatience and start with a rough idea (laughs).

Oshima IslandYou are patient, I'm sure (laughs).

giant waterfall (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)...Yes (laughs). But it is easier to mix the charms of each other well if you create while playing catch with Mr. Oshima and Mr. Yamaguchi. I think that is the true meaning of collaboration.

Oshima IslandFor us, there is a sense of being tested, but it is also fun.

YamaguchiIf there are too many requests, it can be difficult to do. A special order for a single item is possible, but I think it is counterproductive to have a clear image from the beginning for a line like this.

giant waterfall (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)That's right. But this time, we added a British element to it.

Oshima IslandUntil recently, he was talking about Paris, but six months later, he started talking about London. I thought, "What am I going to do now?

giant waterfall (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)London is a trend, but I thought London would be surprisingly familiar to people living in France. It is easy to get to and from by taking the Eurostar train. Then, they would probably do their shopping in London...and my imagination began to grow.

Oshima IslandI think there is an interpretation of American casual from the Italian point of view. I came up with the idea that it would be good to think of it that way this time. I imagined that if a Frenchman were to choose British clothes, he would choose something like this. Also, England is known for its patterns. I wanted to incorporate that into the design.

Oshima IslandThe materials and silhouette. We decided that it would be important for the collection-like appearance, so we used a very good fabric. It is woven with 100% cotton fine count yarn in a high density. It is a high quality flannel material.

giant waterfall (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)The more you wear it, the better it tastes.

Oshima IslandYes, it is. There are trendy elements in the design, but the fabric itself is classic and can be used for a long time.

Oshima IslandWe made arrangements to suit the "edifice" customer. The armholes of the tops and the hem width of the pants are narrower than the in-line items, while retaining the airiness that is typical of "Itty Bitty.

giant waterfall (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)This is the second season of this collaboration, and it feels very powerful.

Oshima IslandMen are very sensitive in the way they choose things, aren't they? They cross various vectors, such as classic or trendy, plain or flashy, expensive or inexpensive, and purchase what they are satisfied with. In the end, the "mood of the clothes" determines the choice. I always make clothes while searching for a "good mood," and I hope that when you pick up a piece of clothing, you will think, "This piece of clothing has a good mood.

giant waterfall (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)As I mentioned earlier, Mr. Yamaguchi's craftsmanship has the scent of music. On the other hand, although "EDIFICE" advocates French chic, its cultural aspects are tasteless and odorless. I thought it would be great if we could successfully compensate for that.

giant waterfall (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)Compared to other select stores, the customers of EDIFICE are older. Therefore, there are many people who value hobbies such as music and movies. We hoped to reach out to these people.

YamaguchiAt the beginning, we talked about music. Since our ages are only one year apart, we came up with many keywords that we have in common.

giant waterfall (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)We talked about music that was popular around 2000. We also talked about "sports.

giant waterfall (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)Yes, it is. We imagined a retro sports look. We talked about how there are so-called jerseys and other sports brand items, so it would be nice if we could do it from a different perspective.

YamaguchiI thought it would look interesting if I changed the material, so I dared to make it with wool instead of jersey. This kind of idea would not have come to me if I had been designing alone, so I felt the real thrill of collaboration as a method of expression.

YamaguchiWe created this collection with the "EDIFICE" customers in mind. It was mentioned that the customer age range is higher than others, but the clothes are young enough to be worn by such people (laughs). (Laughs) To be more specific, the color of the stitching and the material of the side lines of the pants.

YamaguchiStitches are usually white for items like this. This gives the clothes a crisp, musical and cultural feel. But for adults, I think it's a bit too matchy-matchy. In order to make clothes that have a moderate cultural flavor but are still easy for adults to wear, we dared to use brown to make them easy to blend in with the rest of the collection. The side lines of the pants are also based on the same concept. Normally, I would have used satin to give them a sheen, but this time I used grosgrain tape to make them easier to match.

giant waterfall (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)It is exquisite, isn't it? Just a subtle nuance can completely change the atmosphere. This was the first time I had the opportunity to work with Mr. Yamaguchi on a garment, and I think we were able to reach a good landing point on our first attempt.

giant waterfall (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)I feel that both brands have created something very good. It is fine to coordinate with just one brand, but we have actually adjusted the materials and colors so that they can be mixed and matched.

YamaguchiIt would be interesting to mix and match.

Oshima IslandI would like to see how store staff members dress in ways that make me think, "Oh, that's how they do it. I'd like to see coordination that I would never have thought of myself. I would like to see them coordinate with a variety of brands, not just Itty Bitty and Arledge.

giant waterfall (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)Since we are making these products from scratch, this kind of custom-made line is not an easy endeavor to undertake, so it feels very special, and I hope that this will be conveyed to our customers as well. I would also like to expand the lineup next time. I know it will be a lot of work, but... (laughs).