PROFILE
In 2004, he established the bag brand "TEN BEAR". . The brand proposes bags exclusively for a specific purpose, such as baguettes or books. The lineup, which mainly uses canvas fabrics, is popular among both men and women. The brand continues to produce bags that are universal tools that can be used in any place and at any time.
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. resonates with the aesthetics that reside in the design of the tools.
You two have known each other for 20 years. Have you ever worked together before?
Hayasaki:Was last year's bagels the first time?
Kaneko:Yes, it is. But that is completely private for me .Herrill," a pochette to hold bagels for the 7th anniversary of Mr. Oshima's wife's bagel shop.. I wanted to create a "new" product. . At that time, Mr. Hayasaki was the first person who came to mind. I thought that Mr. Hayasaki was the only person who could make a bag with simple materials to hold a specific item, so I asked him to do it.
. Indeed, when it comes to exclusive bags, "Tenbear" is the name of the game.
Kaneko:. Because we have known each other for a long time, I wanted to approach him with a project that he would be willing to accept if we were going to work together. If I said, "I want to make a bagel bag," I knew they would take to it (laughs).
Hayasaki:(Laughter). The theme itself was interesting, so I proposed a size that would accommodate only one bagel. There were no other elements.
Kaneko:. And it's cute, too. There are many items in the "Outdoor Products" inline that are in vogue right now, so I didn't think about proposing a bag as a fashion item at "The Recreation Store. I wanted to create bags that were more like tools, so I felt that Mr. Hayasaki was the right person for the job.
. So that's why you made the offer to Mr. Hayasaki, is that right?
Kaneko:I just sent them a short message saying, "Would you be interested in designing for Outdoor Products? (laughs).
Hayasaki:Without any preamble, the story suddenly came to me (laughs).
Kaneko:. I wasn't planning to have a designer at the beginning. But after careful consideration, I needed someone who could bring out 120% of my ideas. Then, Mr. Hayasaki's face came to mind again. I contacted him in the morning, but he agreed to join our meeting in the afternoon. I really made an outrageous request. ......
Hayasaki:At that meeting, we had not even decided where to open the store, nor had we decided on the design of the product or the number of items to be produced.
If you didn't have a specific design in mind, wouldn't it have been easier for you to make a proposal?
Hayasaki:Not really. Because Mr. Kaneko didn't tell me anything (laughs). (Laughs.) Because we could design freely, we started from the point of considering where we should go. At first, you didn't even use the keyword "tool," did you?
Kaneko:Yes . I was only conveying some nuance.
Hayasaki:Although I have not expressed it in words as a concept, the bag is a "bag as a tool," which is a key concept that I have at the core of my work. I had to choose whether I should design the bag separately from "Tenbear" or link it to Tenbear. But I'm not dexterous enough to separate the two, and I'm not the type of person who can do fashionable design. I decided to design the same way as "Ten Bears," and things went smoothly from there.
Mr. Kaneko, did you expect Mr. Hayasaki's design to be free, and didn't dare tell him anything?
Kaneko:. I was vaguely thinking that as the times change, the same bag will inevitably give birth to new designs that should be created. Since the direction of the bags was different from that of "Tenbear," I wanted Mr. Hayasaki to continue with his philosophy of bags, so I didn't interfere too much.
Hayasaki:We are close in age and have seen and experienced the same things, so I think we have similar tastes. I used to work for a company that handled military and work brands, and I like items that are not made for the purpose of fashion. I still make things like that, and I think that Kaneko-san shares the same taste.
Kaneko:Exactly. I also like that kind of design, and it has never changed.
