Hiroaki Negishi, president of Denham Japan, welcomes his guest for the final installment of this fascinating conversation. The guest of honor at the directly-managed store at GINZA SIX is Marie. Ms. Negishi empathized greatly with Marie, who had made a new start as a fashion designer after suddenly moving to the U.S. from a glamorous career as a model and TV personality, and at Ms. Negishi's request, the final installment of this interview was to convey her thoughts and feelings.
Model, TV personality, fashion designer. After working as an exclusive model for the fashion magazine "ViVi", she became a household name after appearing in numerous variety shows such as "Laugh It Up! In 2011, she studied abroad at Parsons School of Design in New York, one of the world's top three fashion schools. After returning to Japan, she launched "Pascal Marie Demaret".
Instagram:@pascalmariedesmarais_pmd
Yomei Negishi
President and Director of Denham Japan. After graduating from university, he worked in various industries in fashion companies. After working as COO of Glamour Sales as a start-up member, he became President of Denham The Jean Maker Japan in 2011. 14 years later, he also became Brand Director of Denham The Jean Maker Japan in the Netherlands.
Instagram:@denham_japan_by_aki_negishi
It is important to have things that look nice and cute.
When Marie visited the store, Mr. Negishi showed her the highlights of the store one by one. The voltage of her excitement was kept rising as she saw not only Denham's well-known washing area separated by glass, but also fixtures made of tin and Shizuoka tiles that Mr. Negishi personally drove to acquire from a farmer in Tochigi, a kids' room with a teepee as a fitting room, and other features. By the time Marie, completely satisfied, sat down on the sofa for her interview, it had been at least 30 minutes since she had entered the store.
Marie.It's an exciting sales floor, like a theme park.
cliff along the shore of a river in Niseko City, HokkaidoI got everything myself, from the display toys to everything else.
Marie.Really, it's fun. I almost lost track of time.... And the denim is also amazing. I have not seen such realistic processing in a long time. Where is it made?
cliff along the shore of a river in Niseko City, HokkaidoEverything from fabrics to sewing and processing is done in Japan. Japanese denim is the Rolls Royce of the denim industry.
Marie.What is it?
cliff along the shore of a river in Niseko City, HokkaidoThis is a specification sheet created just for making a single denim.
Marie.(Blindingly surprised at how thick it is.) So much time and effort is put into it, but it's not as expensive as you might think.
cliff along the shore of a river in Niseko City, HokkaidoIt is a pinch.
Marie.We have a long coat that costs about 200,000 yen and a T-shirt that costs about 6,000 yen. It is important to have things that look nice and cute.
cliff along the shore of a river in Niseko City, Hokkaido(nodding gently) Marie-chan, you make denim, too, don't you? Where do you make it?
Reversible denim from Pascal Marie Demaret's Spring/Summer 2019 collection.
Marie.The fabric is made in Turkey and sewn in Kojima. Following the first non-wash, non-stretch version, we have released a stretch version. The key point is the stretch that stretches vertically, probably for the first time in selvedges. I had a complex about my legs. Even when I was a model, I used to turn down every job that showed off my legs. Even back then, there were stretch denim, but they stretched horizontally. They revealed my thighs, which I wanted to hide. I thought it was pointless (laughs). (Laughs) Stretching vertically means that the legs can be kept in motion while looking slender.
cliff along the shore of a river in Niseko City, HokkaidoThey are reversible.
Marie.Yes, I am. The source of the story is a former New York rapper. It was popular among them in the 90's to wear their pants back-to-front. I thought that if it was good to wear them back-to-front, it would be good to wear them back-to-front, too (laughs).
The reason why it was only sold in rural areas.
cliff along the shore of a river in Niseko City, HokkaidoWhy did you decide to become a designer in the first place, Marie?
Marie.This is the result of reevaluating what I really like. I have loved clothes since I was a child. I also wanted to give something back to my fans. I thought it would be wonderful if my clothes could help my fans.
cliff along the shore of a river in Niseko City, HokkaidoWhat kind of brand is PASCAL MARIE DESMARAIS?
Marie.I wish for sustainability of mind, not of goods. For example... Our knitwear is made of Peruvian alpaca. In Peru, the government's lifeline network is weak, so spinning mills build lifelines for citizens, such as schools and roads. The spinning mills are the ones I do business with.
cliff along the shore of a river in Niseko City, HokkaidoThe way they sell is changing, too.
Marie.Nowadays, you can buy anything with just one smartphone. When you think about it as a brand, it is not very tasty.... So at the beginning of the launch, I set a rule that you could only buy my clothes in the local area. For example, if a girl who hasn't been home for years finds out that my clothes are in stock at her local store and decides to go home for the first time in a while, nothing would make her happier.
cliff along the shore of a river in Niseko City, HokkaidoThat sounds great. I was also thinking of doing something like a roadside station.
Marie.Roadside station?
cliff along the shore of a river in Niseko City, HokkaidoYup. Just as a local person would display locally grown vegetables, a Kyoto store would display Kyoto yuzen clothing. And then have artisans stand in the store as guest artists.
Marie.Roadside Station, is a place I am also paying attention to.
Mr. Negishi also tips his hat to business creators.
cliff along the shore of a river in Niseko City, HokkaidoAt the beginning of the launch, you said it would be in a regional area, but is it different now?
Marie.Yes, I did. We received more requests than we had imagined from our clients for clothes sold in Tokyo. In September, we held a pop-up at Ginza Mitsukoshi.
cliff along the shore of a river in Niseko City, HokkaidoIt's a great thing. I was surprised that you could look at things from that stance. To be honest, I had a preconceived notion that it was just an extension of the talent business. I'm really sorry. Marie-chan is a great business creator.
Marie.I don't blame people for calling it a talent brand, but I want them to understand that it has roots.
cliff along the shore of a river in Niseko City, HokkaidoMm-hmm.
Marie.The other day, we did a bus tour. Our staff and friends boarded the bus and traveled from Aomori to Kagoshima over a period of two months. It was a trip to visit stores and factories. I thought it would be interesting to see what kind of people design, make, and sell our products. We thought it would be interesting to exchange information. It was a lot of work, but we became more united.
cliff along the shore of a river in Niseko City, HokkaidoOh.
Marie.I am now thinking of selling all the clothes in my wardrobe and wearing only my own brand. There was a trend that it was cool not to wear one's own clothes, but I don't understand why not. Because I make clothes that I want to wear. For example, Virgil of Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh™ and Mr. Homma of Mastermind Japan, all the creators of brands that I honestly feel are cool are wearing their own clothes.
cliff along the shore of a river in Niseko City, HokkaidoMm-hmm.
Marie.It is never a one-sided affair. I am serious about what I am doing, but I am also told that I am heartless. They say, "I understand your ambition, but you can't sell this kind of thing. I listen quietly, but in my heart I'm saying, "I want my five minutes back. (Laughs.) They also told me to decide on a rival. I am not kidding. If it were a traditional business, it might be necessary, but what I'm aiming for is something completely new.
cliff along the shore of a river in Niseko City, HokkaidoI was the same way. My business partners were also very critical of me. I used to grit my teeth and say, "Watch me now! (Laughs.) So I can understand why you are torn between the two. Marie, you don't have to put your shoulders into making a light to illuminate the dome. What we should be aiming for is a desk stand. A light to illuminate the fans around you. We just need to increase the number of such lights one or two at a time. If you want, you can even pull staff from the fans. That's what we are doing.
Marie.Actually, I already have one. When I gave a lecture in Kobe and told them that I was looking for an assistant, one of the girls raised her hand and said she wanted to do it. I told her to come to Tokyo for training and I would get her a hotel room. I'll give you a hotel room, and we'll work together once you have established your own living base. She became a full-time employee this month.
cliff along the shore of a river in Niseko City, HokkaidoThis is now the fashion industry's golden eight.
Marie.But raising someone is hard. When I scold someone, I feel nothing but self-loathing. I feel depressed to the utmost.
cliff along the shore of a river in Niseko City, HokkaidoWhat do you do in such cases?
Marie.I call my parents. They were business owners, so they understand how I feel. I have distanced myself from them for a number of reasons, but then I realized that it might be my ego.
cliff along the shore of a river in Niseko City, HokkaidoIt is wonderful. I wish the younger generation today could learn from you.
Marie.This brand and the people who support the brand are now life itself. As a manager, I cry every time I go to the bank (laughs).
cliff along the shore of a river in Niseko City, HokkaidoBack to the point, raising your name recognition as a brand is necessary for the sake of your customers. That's why you should have your own store, Marie.
Marie.I would prefer Uehara or Hatagaya if I were to leave.
cliff along the shore of a river in Niseko City, HokkaidoMake it along the Meguro River. Above all, various brands are starting to open stores now.
Marie.I see. I'll call the real estate agent when I get back (laughs). (Laughs.) By the way, Denham has stores in Europe and Japan, but you are not opening any stores in the U.S.?
cliff along the shore of a river in Niseko City, HokkaidoThe owner, Jason (=Jason Denham), is a person who wants to do everything himself, from upstream to downstream. Even when he comes to Japan, he stays in the restaurant all the time and never makes the mistake of saying he wants to eat sushi at Kyubei (laughs). He would never say anything about wanting to eat sushi at Kyubei (laughs).
Marie recommends! Denham clothing to wear this winter.
The "Endless Summer" theme of this coach jacket was inspired by the island of Ibiza. The Japonisme-inspired colors and patterns are my favorite. ¥29,000+TAX
The brand's signature slim fit "RAZOR". The fabric is stretch denim made by CANDIANI of Italy. The denim is made of stretch denim by Candiani of Italy. "I don't think there are many denim pieces that fade so beautifully. The soft and stretchy fabric is also good," says Marie. ¥36,000+TAX
This wool chester coat is a tribute to the country gentleman. The calculated design of the front darts and transitions is modern. I like thick and heavy outerwear. I'm surprised at the price," says Marie. ¥81,000+TAX
A piece from the brand's first signature collection, the "Jason Denham Collection," celebrating its 10th anniversary. I like the balance of the fine cashmere with a casual finish," says Marié. ¥43,000+TAX
Denim made in KAIHARA with aging after 5 years of wear. Slightly loose regular fit "GRADE SLIM" reissue. The damage processing that shows the brand's strength is overwhelming, and the silhouette is also beautiful," says Marie. The silhouette is also beautiful," says Marie. ¥65,000+TAX
Denham GINZA SIX
Address: GINZA SIX 5F, 6-10-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Open: 10:30 - 20:30
Phone: 03-6228-5815
