Sashiko Gals, by women in their 40s and older.
I would like to ask you again, how did you first come across sashiko?
Fujiwara: First of all, I was involved in a completely different project in Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture, at the time, hoping to do something about post-disaster reconstruction through the power of business. I then moved north and ended up in the town of Otsuchi, where I met the Otsuchi Reconstruction Sashiko Project, the predecessor to SASHIKO GALS. This led me to place an order to have stitching done on Quon products. At that time, it was a relationship between the brand and the contractor.
Baseball shirts and open-necked shirts by "Quon" with stitching. These are also handcrafted by "Sashiko Gals.
What led you to establish "Sashiko Gals"?
Fujiwara: In 2023, we had the girls conduct a stitching workshop at our showroom in Tokyo. At that time, we talked about how everyone's memories of the earthquake are fading as time goes by. It is not that this is a bad thing, but that it is inevitable. However, at first there was a lot of work as part of the "Otsuchi Reconstruction Sashiko Project," partly for charity, but the number of jobs was decreasing every year. When Corona was added to that, orders from Quon alone were not enough to keep up.
On the other hand, I saw nothing but potential in stitching. Quon's products with stitching sold well, especially when taken overseas, and the response was tremendous. So I thought that if we could change the way we did things and the way we presented them, there would definitely be demand for them, especially from our point of view, We would be very disappointed if we could no longer ask our customers to do sashiko. Until now, we had been in a relationship of client and contractor, but we decided to work together and "Sashiko Gals" was born with the support of "Moonshot," which is run by me.
The name "Sashiko Gals" was invented by Mr. Fujiwara because the craftspeople who gathered in his office for small talk overlapped with the cheerful and lively gals.
The tools used for stitching are stitching thread, a stitching needle, and a thimble. Pliers can also be used to thread a hard part, such as the sole of a sneaker.
There is a theory that the origin of stitching originated in the Edo period (1603-1867) when farmers, who were prohibited from wearing cotton, sewed hemp fabrics together to keep out the cold.
So that's how you came to create innovative and original items such as the Sashiko sneakers.
Fujiwara: As an aside, I want QON to become a maison. When I think about what makes a maison a maison, I think of its philosophy and the craftsmen who embody it. Although QON is currently participating in the New York Fashion Week, my goal is to go to Paris. I think it would be great to have these women on the runway saying, "These are artisans from Quon! My dream is to have them appear on the runway.
I see many comments in English and Chinese on the "Sashiko Gals" Instagram page, and I get the sense that the brand is highly regarded overseas.
Fujiwara: When we held pop-ups in Korea and Hong Kong in 2024, many young people came to both events, and Hong Kong in particular was a whirlpool of excitement, as sneaker fever is very high there. About 350 people came on the first day.
At the event held in collaboration with the Hong Kong street brand LAKH, nine pairs of stitched sneakers were displayed with the official approval of New Balance. The sneakers were sold for about 300,000 yen per pair as a charity event, and all of them were sold out.
Are there actually more job inquiries for "Sashiko Gals"?
Fujiwara: That's right. One day, out of the blue, <Hidden I think that was one of the triggers. The next day, influencers from all over the world picked up on it, and the number of inquiries began to soar. I'm so thankful that I've been able to keep up with them. I get calls every day from people at the consultation level.
That's why you said you would be happy if there were more people who could take part in the project.
Fujiwara: Of course. Simply put, the more people we have, the more things we can create, and we may be able to take on projects that we would have to decline at present.
I heard that the hourly wage at "Sashiko Gals" is higher than that of a typical job in Otsuchi Town.
Fujiwara: In traditional industries, it is important to train successors. Sashiko is one such industry, and although the number of people who carry on the tradition is rapidly decreasing, I believe that there are many people who would like to do it if they were properly paid. With this in mind, we are now paying 2,000 yen per hour.
Ozawa: It's amazing that people on the verge of 80 years old can also get 2,000 yen per hour.
Located on the coast of Iwate Prefecture, Otsuchi Town is rich in nature, surrounded by beautiful sea and mountains. Since the earthquake, the town has experienced a population outflow and a significant decrease in the number of residents.
Fujiwara: Iwate is a city where hourly wages are particularly low, so if this were to happen, I think more people would want to do it, because they would get twice as much as those who work part-time around them. Plus, it would be recognized by leading fashion experts like Mr. Ozawa, and appreciated overseas as well. I think it will be a very exciting job.
Ozawa: My ideas of "editorial stores" and "livestock" are based on the process of turning 1 into 10 or 100, which is of course difficult, but Mr. Fujiwara and his team have turned 0 into 1. Of course that is also difficult, but Mr. Fujiwara and his team have turned zero into one, and they are also thinking about the town and employment. At first, I didn't think much about it at all. I just thought it looked interesting as a showcase and that it would be a fashionable item with good taste.
Fujiwara: But Mr. Ozawa is right. It doesn't matter what the background is, it is all about whether or not the work looks cool as a product. I am most pleased with that evaluation.
It would be wonderful if these high school students graduate and become the next leaders of the industry.
Fujiwara: I think so. And we would also be paid well and go abroad together once every six months. If that happens, I think it will be more interesting and the city will become more exciting.
Ozawa: In the future, it would be interesting to have some real gals who have graduated from high school or something (laughs).
Fujiwara: It's like they have long fingernails and can't prick them at all (laughs).
Ozawa: Yes, yes (laughs).
