Aigle is reliable because it smells properly of earth.
-I heard that Mr. Kobayashi and Mr. Nakagaki met through a mutual friend at the "Hankyu Umeda" event. After that, Mr. Kobayashi was in charge of the window, interior and novelties for the pop-up event held at the "Aigle Harajuku" store, wasn't it?
Kobayashi:After that, he saw me happily engaging in agriculture in Sakurashinmachi, and suggested that we could do something together as friends who share a similar philosophy. Usually artificial flowers are used for pop-up displays, but Aigle has always insisted on the real thing, and I was allowed to use real flowers and vegetables as decorations. This was probably the first time I had ever seen a window with caterpillars (laughs). (Laughs) But the Aigle staff happily reported to me, "A caterpillar appeared today, and the vegetables they decorated are growing! The vegetables they decorated for us are growing! Farming is not only fun, of course, but it also produces insects. I like the fact that they understand this and keep in touch with the soil as a brand.
-That trust is the reason for the collaboration.
Kobayashi:That's right. There are still very few places in the city where you can experience agriculture, so we would be happy if our fans could experience the world view and charm of "Aigle" through the activities of "Agrico" in addition to the window, interior, and novelties. The harvesting events that we have been holding with our partners since last year have always been well received, and we are talking with Aigle about holding more events together in the future.
-I felt that the shooting today was very convincing because he is involved in agriculture on a daily basis. All of the styles are not out of place as fashion, and they fit in easily with Mr. Kobayashi.
Kobayashi:Aigle's clothes are highly functional and look fashionable in their own way while ensuring comfort. In particular, all of the clothes I am wearing today look like they could be worn both for going out on the town and for farm work.
The new down coat wraps around the body so snugly that even Mr. Kobayashi says, "No matter how cold the shoot is, I'll be fine with just this one coat! " says Mr. Kobayashi, who is also a fan of the new down coat. The half-zip sweater inside keeps her neck warm as well. Coat ¥82,500, knit ¥29,700, bag ¥11,000, long boots ¥31,900 (all from AEGLE Customer Service), vintage pants ¥17,600 (Pitts), others: stylist's personal effects
-What are your future goals as "Agrico"?
Kobayashi:First, we would like to increase employment at farms and for people with disabilities. We would also like to start our own e-commerce mall this year, featuring products made in collaboration with agricultural and welfare organizations and other carefully selected products.
-Is it a select store?
Kobayashi:That's right. Even now, we receive many consultations from producers regarding sales channels, and there is a problem that products made by people with disabilities are not easily marketed, especially in the context of cooperation between agriculture and welfare. In this sense, I think it is important to prepare the market and to make it a sixth industry.
-When do you feel the most joy in your business?
Kobayashi:When I was a farmer in Niigata, I ate rice and said, "Oh, it tastes so good!" . This is what makes me happiest. Now, when I am doing farm office work at the end of the field and am extremely tired, a staff member says to me, "I saw the drama. I am happy to know that I am not alone" when a staff member casually supports me by saying, "I saw the drama. Also, when the disabled people report their work and show me their produce with a smile, I realize that this is the kind of face I want to see on their faces. The company is a wonderful thing, and today we are able to take pictures of the farm in such a beautiful condition because our staff has kept the farm in good shape.
-I strongly felt that you are a mediator of various new "cycles". Are there any new areas you would like to challenge in addition to agriculture?
Kobayashi:A disabled person who recently joined us drew a picture based on his first impression when he saw the farm, and it was so wonderful. The level of seriousness was so great that I wanted to use it as a design for a package or a product. When we made syrup, we used the pictures drawn by everyone on the packaging. In the future, I would like to complete the design process within our own cycle, with agriculture as the axis.
