At the atelier, I often see someone doing manual work.

On the sewing machine trimming the hemline on pants,
making a sample a badge,
nailing something to a rail to put something up,
or sewing on a patch;
it all starts suddenly.

It gets rushed because you want to see the end result fast,
but you end up realizing the importance of
properly planning, taking your time, and doing it carefully.

The plan is about to move to the next step.
It is up to you to use or lose what you have realized.

Yukiyoshi Shimada / Production

This is about last week, but
Rian and Jeff from Vans came to Tokyo.
The Vans Syndicate project that has been going on for a few years.

Usually communication with them is mostly done via email
but sometimes they come to Tokyo to visit WTAPS
and we go to the Vans HQ in California.

Since we can talk face to face, of course we have meetings,
but also being able to grab a bite and drink till the early hours
really closes the distance between us mentally.

This time we had dinner at a local teppanyaki spot.
Back when we first met, they were constantly checking out what it was
they were eating, but now they are complete Japanese food veterans.

I felt how long we have spent time together and
how our relationship has built up
by watching them skillfully eat monjayaki using the small scraper.

Naoyuki Inoue / Production

We had a plan meeting.

Due to a drastic change in the method of progress
there was some confusion at first, but once it was over
I feel it ended in a good result where
the whole picture was visualized at an earlier stage
with each individual able to do more during their progress.

To make major changes it takes extra time and effort;
you might end up thinking about failure, but
when making changes if you do not make major changes
I feel it really does not change much, so from a production perspective,
I try to make major changes for the sake of making a change.

Yukiyoshi Shimada / Production

A “thing” is only
a “thing” no matter what.
It will eventually decay regardless of value.
A “thing” exists
because someone made it.
Since it was “made” there was a reason.
There is no spirit in making things with no meaning.
It there is no spirit, you cannot convey that feeling to anyone.

Tetsu Nishiyama / Director

Yesterday we had a magazine shoot at the atelier.
It is the moment when the atelier’s flexible layout gets put to use.
Rolling desks and chairs; moving them around to make a photo studio.
It sort of reminded me of a classroom.

Naoyuki Inoue / Production