“INSCRIRE”, is a brand whose name always comes up when you ask people with good fashionable sense, “which brand do you actually pick-up and wear habitually?” This brand, started up in the 2017 A/W season by designer, Ms. Yumi Oka, is known for their eternal production which makes people feel they want to keep pieces in their wardrobe. We spoke to Ms. Oka on this brand whose future movements is being highly anticipated, especially after having expanded their categories to include a men’s line and sports line.

First, please tell us of your present business situation.

It has been growing gradually, presently being approximately 45~47 domestic accounts. We are yet to develop business overseas, but we have 3 accounts in South Korea. At South Korea, our denim collection is doing well, with many people raising INSCRIRE as one of their favorite Japanese brand, and we have been seeing an increase in inquiries.

Please tell us the points which you hold dear in your production.

I place importance on whether I can feel satisfied with the styling possibilities when I put it together with my wardrobe, or how it looks when I try it on myself, do a fitting and move around. I create under the supposition that one piece of INSCIRE will be added to our customers’ wardrobe every season, I finish an item by trying it out, experimenting it against all sorts of items, imagining what kind of styling will become possible when that one piece is added to our customers’ wardrobe, what kind of styling can be made with clothes purchased years ago.

What is the background behind starting a men’s line and sports line?

I started from receiving requests from customers for a men’s development. As a flow of things in starting the men’s line, as a hook in launching, we first developed a sports line centered around cut-and-saw items which people always have in their wardrobe. In addition, in the winter, we sold approximately 20 fun styles in a knit collection made of high quality cashmere.

What motivated you to apply to TFA?

I applied with the hope that being awarded the TFA would have positive influences on overseas developments and towards increasing domestic accounts.

In 2023, you experienced the brand’s very first show. Looking back at it now, how was the show?

It was extremely fun, including the process of building it up together, sharing all sorts of opinions with people who make the stage, people who make the music, etc. Rather than aiming to increase accounts, because it was our goal to send more customers to our existing accounts and directly offer our worldview, to show what kind of styles we are made of, I did the styling myself and invited the general public as guests. We are a brand with the wish to become the closet of all sorts of people, so we presented a production in which the personality of the people wearing the garments could be felt.

How was the reaction to your show?

I was happy that I received many compliments on the styling from business partners and guests. Furthermore, through the show, people of younger generations and Instagrammers have become aware of the brand, and we are feeling an expansion in our customer base.

Please tell us about your future aspirations.

We wish to continue conveying the worldview and styles of the brand, so above all, we want to open a shop. We feel that ours are clothes are such that become invigorated through conversations with customers, so we want a place at which we can convey. Also, at the moment, our overseas business is in South Korea only, but we would like to expand it to the US and Europe. We do not yet have any specific plans, but we are thinking about challenging overseas awards too, to raise our level of acknowledgment.

Finally, a word of advice to brands, designers considering applying to TFA, please.

Awards are huge opportunities to have your brand acknowledged by people of a wide variety of fields, but at the same time, I strongly feel that one must have the necessary physical fitness as a premise. Also, it is difficult to succeed overseas unless you exhibit continuously, so it is better to have a firm background.