PROFILE
Born in Hiroshima Prefecture. He gained experience as a patterner and production manager at Itti Bitti, and now works for the family business, Uda Clothing.
PROFILE
After working in sales at a vintage clothing store and select stores, she worked as a buyer at two stores before moving into PR. 2012, she participated in the launch of "Wism". Currently, she is the director of the store.
I kept thinking, "I wonder how he wears his pants."
Uda-san, what were you doing before you started UDA?
Uda:I worked as a patterner and production manager for a brand called "ITTY-BITTY" for about eight years. My family originally ran a sewing factory in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture.
And now you are taking over the family business.
Uda:That's right. I am designing UDA while doing that work.
Hori family:When you were at Itty Bitty, you didn't get to know each other very well, did you? But when it was time for me to return to Hiroshima, he came to the store to say hello, and that was the first time we had a proper conversation. I had the impression that he was a quiet person, and I thought he was somewhat of a technical worker, but when I heard that he was taking over the family business, I didn't know it was a sewing factory.
But the way Uda-chan wore his pants left a deep impression on me. The silhouette was thick and the hems were loose. At first glance, it may look sloppy, but I was just curious about the way she was wearing them.
Uda:I think I was wearing "Senna pants" at the time.
long vowel mark (usually only used in katakana) Pants specially ordered by WISM for Itty BittyYes, it is. Were you conscious of something in the way you put on the shoes?
Uda:No, not really. I measure the length when I lift the hem, but it may be rather rough. I don't look at it that closely.
But from your point of view, that was a good feeling, wasn't it?
Hori family:That's right. Some time later, in the spring of the year before last, I was having a drink with Mr. Ino of "Doublet" and somehow we got to talking about Uda-chan. That was when I first learned that the family business was a sewing factory. And I was talking one-sidedly the whole time, saying "I'm interested in the way you wear pants" (laughs).
I'm going to guess how to put it on (laughs).
Hori family:So I said, "Let's contact him! I got his contact information and sent him an e-mail, and he was scheduled to come to Tokyo the following week, so we met there.
Uda:It was about a year or a year and a half after I returned to Fukuyama. Suddenly, I got a call.
Hori family:So I said, "I'm curious about how you wear pants, so why don't we make pants?" I said, "I'm interested in the way you wear pants.
(laughs). What did you think when you heard that?
Uda:I wasn't the type to stand out, so I said, "First of all, why me? (laugh). (Laughs.) At first, I thought I was going to create an original "wism" product. But after talking it over with them, they said, "You should try a brand. How about a brand name like UDA? He even went so far as to ask me to name it "UDA.
Hori family:In my mind, I had already created a story. Seeing the way Uda-chan wears his pants, I assumed that he is good at pants, and I created a formula that if I wore his pants, I could match any top with them. There are so many unique brands and strong items in our store that if I were to match my entire body with them, I wouldn't be able to get on the train (laughs).
All:LOL!
Hori family:But I still like clothes, so I wanted something that could be matched with such dark items. So, one concept was to make it easy to get on the train (laughs).
Why did you suggest that we do it as a brand?
Hori family:Because it has no peculiarities, it adds no value, good or bad, so I thought it would be more appealing to launch it as a brand rather than doing it as an original product.
You made your debut as a brand with the release of your slacks at the end of 2018.
Hori family:We had stocked up on a substantial quantity, but we sold out in two weeks.
Uda:I thought they offered that number with the intention of digesting it over a long span of time. It stands as a staple in the store, like it's always available.
Hori family:That was my plan, too, to be honest (laughs). (Laughs.) But when I got it in and posted it on Instagram, I got a great response from that day on. I had just made my debut, and the customers didn't even know about it, but they were like, "Why? Why? There was a good sense of excitement at the store. Uda-chan said to me, "Oh my God! It's selling like hotcakes! I called Uda-chan and she said, "Oh, thank you very much," and her reaction was very weak (laughs).
Uda:Wism" is an incredibly influential store, so I wasn't quite sure how great that would be. But I was really happy. The fact that people were picking up items from a brand whose name I didn't even know.
