What motivated you to make an entry to the TOKYO FASHION AWARD (TFA)?

We have never held an overseas exhibit yet, but we have been seeing an increase in contact from overseas shops, so we wanted to see how buyers from around the world would react to the items of YOKE if they actually saw our exhibit at Paris, which was one of our motives for applying. Nationally speaking also, because we are still a very young brand in our fourth year since launch, the level of acknowledgement is still very low, and we figured this would be a fantastic opportunity to have more people recognize our brand.

How do you feel about TFA’s support menu? Which menu do you feel to be the most attractive?

I had always wished to someday hold an overseas exhibit, but both schedule-wise and financially, there exists much uncertainty, so I had not been able to think about it realistically. Winning the award this time and being able to participate in the joint showroom at Paris is a very reassuring and thankful opportunity towards overseas developments.

How did you feel when you received notice of winning the award?

I have never won any such contest or award before, so I was truly happy that our brand had been recognized.

Seeing the activities of past TFA award winning designers, how do you feel?

Many of the successive award-winning designers are doing well overseas, which is very extremely encouraging for me, too.

Please tell us your fervor and objective towards the showroom presentation at Paris and triumphant return event at Tokyo next year.

I feel I need to thoroughly plan an item composition targeted towards overseas, different from what we have been presenting. Bit by bit, I am gradually getting the feel of what customers are looking for in the brand, so I intend to create items of 22AW by strengthening such aspects. As for the triumphant return event, we have never held a show before, and I also realize that ours is not a brand fit for shows. But at the same time, because we have only been able to express our worldview through LOOKs up to now, I am looking forward to this opportunity of actually having people see our clothes in the form of a show. This is a great opportunity to try-out new efforts, so I intend to start from now and take time in thinking up a way in which both viewers and me myself can have fun and enjoy.

Please tell us the brand’s prospects/goals from hereon.

Presently, I am hoping to increase overseas developments (especially in Asia), rather than domestic developments. In the Japanese market, the number of brands are increasing exponentially, creating a saturation state in recent years, I predict that transpositions will intensify from hereon. Therefore, in order not to be swavered by this movement, I hope to increase business with overseas shops, nurturing our brand into one which can also battle globally. This is still way in the future, but one day, if this brand survives for 10 years or so, I would like to open a directly operated shop, too.