When starting to design clothing, what do you decide first?
Ex. Material, silhouette, target persona, etc.

Silhouettes that form naturally with movement. I love clothes that look most beautiful when a woman moves. I explore materials and forms that can achieve this.

Could you tell me what kind of background music you listen to while working?

I'm listening to J-wave radio in the background.

Which travel destinations have influenced you?

In my youth, it was New York. Now, I draw inspiration from nature and the crafts people create within it—in places like India, Sri Lanka, and Amami. I am deeply captivated by the cultural fusion born from New York's diversity and the historical backgrounds of India and Sri Lanka.

Do you have any favorite photo books or books?

“Picasso and Jacqueline” David Douglas Duncan
“Slice of Life” featuring my favorite artist, photographed by my favorite photographer. This book, packed with everything I love, serves as the foundation for my current work—a creative process with no single right answer. It was the book that gave me the confidence to trust my own sense of what I love.

Do you have any recommended restaurants or cafes?

Panevia. I hate to toot my own horn, but this is the casual Italian restaurant at Cignale where I handle the image direction. I really want everyone to experience the lively chatter, the clinking of cutlery, the pleasant buzz, and the dishes made with carefully selected ingredients. By the way, the cafe curtains on the facade are handmade by me.

What event has moved you recently?

Amami Oshima Mud Dyeing

Please tell us your favorite piece from this season and what you like about it.

This lined jacket was perfected through fittings both in town and on trips since last summer. Though I'd always disliked jackets, this first piece I made looks like a jacket but feels as light as a shirt. Designed as a sophisticated, effortlessly chic outer layer for adults, it features premium materials and meticulous stitching. The design is collarless, buttonless, and unlined, with a slightly longer hem for a relaxed feel.

What are “good things” for you?

Things that hold love

Satomi Sekido

edit & co. Representative/Director.

After graduating university, worked as a PR Director for a major fashion apparel company, handling image direction and media relations for a wide range of brands.
After becoming independent in 2007, while maintaining PR clients, launched a hand-knit collection of Couchin pieces made in Vancouver, Canada in 2011, driven by a desire to create things she loved.
In 2022, she launched a small clothing line. She continues minimalist production, creating only what she personally desires when the inspiration strikes.
Also serves as Co-owner and Imaging Director for Italian restaurant Cignale ENOTECA and other ventures.

When starting to design clothing, what do you decide first?
Ex. Material, silhouette, target persona, etc.

First, we establish the overall mood to build the worldview.
From there, we embody a specific female image and begin applying materials and styling. It's like gradually gathering scattered pieces and bringing focus to something previously blurry. The time before the focus sharpens is lonely and painful, filled with uncertainty and struggle. Once the focus begins to lock in, the resolution suddenly increases—it shifts from flat to three-dimensional, and the form becomes visible.

Could you tell me what kind of background music you listen to while working?

Silence, Olivia Dean, Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars, Sakanaction, etc...

Which travel destinations have influenced you?

Tateshina. Last summer, I was deeply moved after reading Maha Harada's “We Who Live” and visited Tateshina, the setting of the story. The refreshing breeze blowing from the Japanese Alps and the magnificent beauty of the vast green rice fields were truly breathtaking.

Do you have any favorite photo books or books?

Ryohei Kamide “Hardboiled Gourmet Report”“MIDNIGHT PIZZA CLUB”Maha Harada ”We Who Live,” “Today Is a Fine Day”

Do you have any recommended restaurants or cafes?

Ralph's Coffee, MORETHAN, Hisuikyu, Kokonotsuido

What event has moved you recently?

An incident at last year's Paris pop-up.
A jewelry designer who happened to stop by purchased a wool angora coat, telling me, “I've been searching for years and finally found my ideal coat.” Her kind words made me so happy.
Witnessing that moment filled me with joy, and it reaffirmed my desire to create products that touch more people's hearts and bring them happiness.

Please tell us your favorite piece from this season and what you like about it.

The “LOREL” series. I adore this clean, elegant yarn. The gray shade, in particular, possesses a uniquely soft nuance that naturally enhances a woman's beauty.

What are “good things” for you?

Beautifully standing, blending in.

Hiroko Kanagawa

Deuxième Classe Designer

After working as a designer at a select shop, I have now been working as a designer at Deuxième Classe for approximately 18 years.
Focusing on staple items, I develop seasonal themes and create products to enhance the beauty of more women.
In my personal life, I am currently juggling the challenges of raising an 11-year-old and an 8-year-old.

When starting to design clothing, what do you decide first?
Ex. Material, silhouette, target persona, etc.

If we are using a prominent stone in the jewelry piece, I generally sit with the stone for a very long time and imagine various different concepts to showcase the stone and do it as much justice as possible. When designing, I often times start with the movement that I want the piece to have, and that helps me decide what overall shape and form the piece will take and that is where I begin.

Could you tell me what kind of background music you listen to while working?

When I am working on the business side of the brand, I listen to calming spa music in the background, the kind of music that would play during a massage and sometimes white noise, like the sounds of the ocean or of rain. When I am designing and want to be in a more creative head space, I want something more energizing and stimulating, so I listen to electronic music.

Which travel destinations have influenced you?

Guatemala is where AZLEE began when I started studying metal working while living down there, so it will always have a special place in my heart. Morocco is always very inspiring to me, recently I was in Marrakesh, and I have such a deep love for their use of color, tile work and laid-back luxury, I also love Islamic Architecture so that is always a favorite spot to be inspired. Greece of course because we pull so many references from ancient Greece, so I enjoy seeing all the antiquities and artifacts in person while there.

Do you have any favorite photo books or books?

I love Galerie Half's coffee table book, “The Impossible Collection of Jewelry”, and I will always love “The Alchemist”.

Do you have any recommended restaurants or cafes?

A5. Los Angeles - Giorgio BaldiTaverna TonyGjelina

What event has moved you recently?

I just had a baby 5 weeks ago which was such a magical, emotional experience. It still feels hard to believe that I now have a daughter.

Please tell us your favorite piece from this season and what you like about it.

The Staircase Cuff Earrings are one of my favorite new pieces. It's so architectural and chic and easy to dress up or down. It feels modern and effortless.

What are “good things” for you?

I am not totally sure if I understand the question correctly, but what makes something "good" to me is the thought behind it, the intention and then the execution. How thoughtful something is created, but then how well it is executed. That is what creates meaningful objects, texts, and art.

Baylee Ann Zwart

AZLEE Designer

She founded AZLEE in 2015.
At her pop-up shop at MUSE de Deuxième Classe, the designer personally provides advice on custom orders, which has made the shop very popular.
“AZLEE” is a name created by combining her first, middle, and last names.

When starting to design clothing, what do you decide first?
Ex. Material, silhouette, target persona, etc.

Once we’ve decided on the seasonal theme and established the overall concept, we move on to designing the clothing.

Could you tell me what kind of background music you listen to while working?

BACH:”Le Joueur De Violon”
Some time ago, a violinist named Gordon Kremer performed the music for a film called Unaccompanied Chaconne, and his playing was so wonderful that I went to see him in concert when he visited Japan.

Which travel destinations have influenced you?

A3. Paris

Do you have any favorite photo books or books?

Bruce Weber et al.

Do you have any recommended restaurants or cafes?

Crony in Higashi-Azabu and KAHO in Jimbocho

What event has moved you recently?

This happened during the lookbook shoot for raspail’s 26AW collection, which took place a week ago. I was deeply moved by the way the entire team worked tirelessly, without compromise, to bring my vision to life. I was once again inspired by the process of “co-creation” made possible by their professional skills and passion.

Please tell us your favorite piece from this season and what you like about it.

We’ve transformed a casual ribbed T-shirt into a sophisticated piece that mature women can wear with elegance. We created an original fabric characterized by a beautiful sheer texture and just the right amount of structure, with a distinct raised texture. This fabric provides just enough structure to create a flawless silhouette that doesn’t cling too tightly to the body.

What are “good things” for you?

This may stray slightly from the intent of your question, but what I value most in my artistic expression are “dignity,” “beauty,” and “contemporaneity.”

Mie Kadowaki

raspail Designer

She has worked as a designer for select shops for many years and is currently the designer of his own brand, raspail.