PROFILE
Born in Tokyo in 1974. Creative director of brands and stores including L'ECHOPPE, BOUTIQUE, and J.B. ATTIRE, etc. His first fashion brand FOUNDOUR is scheduled for release in February 2025. FOUNDOUR" is scheduled for release in February 2025. In his private life, he loves bicycles so much that he participates in competitions.
Functional and rational. It looked classic and had all the elements I liked.
How many bicycles does Mr. Kaneko own?
Kaneko: I have three at the moment. I have one for activities, one for training, and one for transportation. I ride the Brompton completely for transportation. I got it about three years ago with the Corona Disaster.
It was also a time when the demand for bicycles was increasing.
Kaneko: I live in Tokyo now, but at the time I was still in Saitama. In addition to being a "reshop" conceptor, I was starting a second job. I started participating in various projects outside of my day job. I was commuting by train, but the number of places I had to see besides the office was increasing, and it was taking a lot of my energy, and I wanted to move more smoothly to different places.
So you needed a bicycle that could turn on a dime.
Kaneko: That's right. I started driving to work because trains are tiring, but it is rather difficult to frequently travel around Shibuya, Omotesando, and Aoyama by car, isn't it? It's a hassle to park the car each time, and it costs a lot of money to park. So with the foldable "Brompton," I can put it in the car, drop it off, and go. For me, the combination of a car and a "Brompton" is the best combination.
That's a very reasonable combination.
Kaneko: And if you fold it up and leave it indoors, you don't have to worry about it being stolen. They are very compact, so they don't get in the way.
I was attracted to the functional and rational aspects of the Brompton, but it also had a long history and a classic look, all of which I liked. I'm sure there are other compact bicycles that can be folded up, but I thought this was the only one that would satisfy my desire to own one.
Brompton was born in England and is still made at a factory in the suburbs of London.
Kaneko: That is almost a miracle. Even clothes made in England are quite rare. Brompton was founded in 1975, which is almost the same age as me. I visited the factory recently, and the basic structure has not changed since then. I'm sure minor changes have been made to keep up with the times, but that's how complete the design and engineering were in the early days. Anyway, it is unique.
