You cannot satisfy others if you are not satisfied with yourself.
Congratulations on the 20th anniversary of your brand. How do you feel now that you have reached this milestone?
Konno:Thank you very much for your kind attention to our 20th anniversary. It has been a more difficult two years than I had expected because of the pandemic that broke out during that time.
Has it been 20 years in the blink of an eye?
Konno:Looking back in detail, it seems like a long time, but my sense is honestly that it has already been 20 years.
What is the secret behind the success of a brand for 20 years?
Konno:I did not graduate from a fashion school. That is why I started making things while following the footsteps of those who did. Because there were so many things I didn't know, I always approached my work with the mindset that I was learning, and I think it was good that I was able to do so while having fun at the same time. I was able to apply the knowledge I gained in this way in the workplace. Thanks to that, I was able to learn about the difficulties of making clothes while doing it, and I enjoyed it so much that I have continued to do so for the past 20 years.
When I look at the production of "NEXUS VII.", I feel that you design products that customers want, of course, but before that, you design products that you yourself want.
Konno:That's right. I hope that the result will be one piece of clothing that someone else is looking for, and my premise is that I must first be satisfied with my work. If I don't make something that satisfies me, I don't think I will be able to satisfy others. I am very conscious of this.
I like vintage clothes, and I make clothes with the idea of rearranging them to create what I want, or upgrading them. I think this is why people who like vintage clothing and clothes like my clothes so much like them. That's why my creations are based on secondhand clothing stores. Without them, I would not have been able to do what I do.
