. it is a hangar full of unique features and surprises.
PROFILE
. He is the president of Murofis, which handles PR, branding, and planning for a variety of brands, mainly in the fashion industry. In November 2020, he launched the bag brand "Monolith" under his direction. . He loves sauna. . He appeared on the stage after sweating it out.
Congratulations on the opening of Monolith Osaka .
Nakamuro：Thank you very much.
. Why did you choose Umeda, Osaka for your third store, following Marunouchi and Minami-Aoyama in Tokyo?
Nakamuro：When we have held pop-ups at Hankyu Men's Osaka and other stores in Osaka, we have heard from many fans that they wanted to open a store in Osaka, and we wanted to respond to their requests in the near future. . Then, we had a chance to talk with Grand Front Osaka about opening a store in Osaka.
Grand Front Osaka was the perfect location for us to meet the expectations of those who are already fans of Monolith, while at the same time cultivating potential "Monolith" users. We decided to open a store in Grand Front Osaka because it contains many good stores, has an image of customers with a strong sense of value regardless of gender or age, and is connected to the station for easy access.
The store has a floor space of about 9 square meters , but didn't you feel that was a high hurdle to overcome?
Nakamuro：It may not be spacious as a store, to be sure, but it has the charm of the location I just mentioned, and I had a gut feeling that the high ceilings would allow us to come up with interesting concepts and designs.
The concept of a "hangar" was born there. . Did you have any inspiration for it?
Nakamuro：. Since the space is limited, we wanted to showcase the products and interior design in a packed manner. If we had reserved space for a stockroom, we would only be able to place items on the walls, and we would only be able to create a store with the same déjà vu as the others. . So, we thought we could solve this problem by creating a hangar that could house the stockroom, mirrors, and even a cash register.
The name "monolith" originally means "monolith," but I took it from the sound of the word "mono" in Japanese and the stone plate monolith that appears in Stanley Kubrick's film "2001: A Space Odyssey," which is linked to human evolution. I felt an affinity between this sci-fi image and the hangar, and it really fit in with my vision. And, as with the Marunouchi and Aoyama stores, we asked Kazuya Sasaki of SMALLCLONE to design the store, and he designed and designed the main fixtures and interior. Well, it's a bit of a scare when you see it in person (laughs).
. . it is overwhelming in its presence. . In fact, it attracts the eyes of people who pass by here.
Nakamuro：The semi-circular hangar is constructed of solid steel, and each shelf of the display can be pulled forward, with the back of the display serving as a stocking space. . Also, I like the large ceiling fan in Mr. Sasaki's office, and I really wanted to add it. . It gives it more of a hangar feel, and I think people who like science fiction will be especially attracted to it.
. - I'm excited just by looking at it. What is your favorite detail, Mr. Nakamuro?
Nakamuro：It's difficult ...... because I love it all. I am impressed every time I see it, with Mr. Sasaki's attention to detail everywhere, such as the graduated joints on the columns that support the shelves that can change levels, and the pull-out mirrors that come out from between the fixtures like in the Aoyama store.
Nakamuro：. However, the star of the store is the product and the staff who work there. If the store is filled with the thoughts and egos of Mr. Sasaki and myself, it may reduce the functionality of the store for sales and operations, so our basic premise is to make it easy to serve customers and carry out operations. We have discussions with the staff who work in the storefront, and we design our products so that we can fulfill all of their requests.
For example, I am very happy that we were able to create this fixture with a good balance of functionality and design, such as a lower shelf that can be pulled out to become a customer service table where you can place things, or a mirror that can be taken out only when necessary.
The design of the "Monolith" is very logical and thorough.
Nakamuro：I'm a liberal arts major, but I want Monolith to be a science-based brand. When you hear the word "science-based brand," you probably get the impression that it is a bit difficult and logical, but that is better for a tool. All of the designs that "Monoliths" puts out have a definite function, and I want to have a reason for everything, from the design of the product to the design of the store. I believe that the Osaka store is also a place where people can understand "Monolith" by looking at the atmosphere and world view of the store before explaining the products.
. is there any significance in the fact that each store has a different interior?
Nakamuro：We value "function determines design," but at the same time, we also value surprise. I often tell the designers at Monolith that I want to provide freshness and surprise while maintaining the brand's core values. As a user myself, that is what makes me become a fan of a brand. . It is not only products, but also stores.
Nakamuro：Whether it is the Shin-Marunouchi Building in Marunouchi or Grand Front Osaka, stores in one section of a shopping building are subject to interference and influence from other stores, both good and bad. . In order to deliver the brand's message, we want to be a floating presence in the midst of all this. The moment the decision was made to open a store, all I could think about was, "Let's talk to Mr. Sasaki about how we can make Grand Front Osaka stand out from the crowd" (laughs).
. . as well as the stores, the uniforms of the staff are also different from the others.
Nakamuro：. Since the concept was a hangar, I decided to include work-like elements in the clothes worn by the staff. I had an image of France, not the U.S., and of the 1940s, so I asked Masateru Kawase of "Product Twelve" to do the same as in the past.
Nakamuro：Mr. Kawase gave us his suggestions, and we asked him to elaborate on each detail, such as the lapel shape, overall silhouette, and length, following the French work of the 1940s. . Of course, we gave first priority to the smoothness of the staff's movements, such as the cut of the sides where arms can easily be raised and the shape of the pockets where things can be easily taken out. . The material used is a degree-filled linen, which also keeps its elegance. . It's a fairly high-quality fabric, so it's not something that would have been used for workwear in the '40s (laughs).
. It also has the logo embroidered on the back, just like old corporate workwear. The embroidery is the same color as the fabric and does not make much of a statement, but when the light from the ceiling of the store hits it, it appears to stand out. If you like the clothes, you should take a look at the gauze line on the collar (the seam that connects the upper collar to the lower collar), which is unique and reminiscent of old French workwear. It is a detail that gives the impression of precise and niche work. Mr. Kawase is a pervert (laughs).
