Before the new season start of March,
packaging material for the products start showing up.
The usual crowd of various brown packages.
They have a very important role of making the brand image.
They cannot be something inferior compared to the contents, but at the same time it cannot be something that will heavily affect the product retail price.
We try to stay aware of the balance as a total package.

When you get home and take a look at what is inside,
if you get the feeling of wanting to put something else in it afterwards,
it might be just right when it is something that can
serve you a little longer.

Naoyuki Inoue / Production

Preparation for the next exhibition is moving as planned.
Planning for small items like accessories, are moving along with clothing.
The category called small items vary widely
from headwear like hats, footwear like boots,
accessories to put on yourself, to furniture that go in the room.

These small items that play a supporting role
greatly reflect the season’s theme just like the clothes.
An unexpected item might appear,
or an item that should be made does not get thought up easily;
this is all because it is based on the selection from that season’s look.

Naoyuki Inoue / 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

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

When talking to someone it is only to be expected
to look at the person straight and listen well.
It is possible to understand the person by a slight gesture
they may show, or a word they may have inadvertently said.
It is impossible to know everything of the person, forever.
It is not possible to separate good people and bad people.
It changes depending on viewpoint
and no one is actually that simple.
In the end you build up the person in a way that works
for you in a good way, but I feel
the more you know the person, you convey yourself better.

Naoyuki Inoue / Production