My days in London were more exciting than I expected. While staying at Orita-kun's flat, we checked out the city during the day. Of course, I can't speak English, so I use body language as per the dictionary instead of conversation. It was over 30 years ago, so I don't remember much about the initial product lineup, but I do remember that one of the brands I bought a lot was HAKETT. At that time, there were very few select shops in Tokyo that were paying attention to Hackett. When it comes to British trad, BEAMS F was a standout, but I don't think Hackett carried it. For me, the important point was that it was a brand that was not carried by other stores, and I was also impressed by the well-dressed owners Jeremy Hackett and Ashley Lloyd-Jennings that I had seen in a magazine. That was the point.
If I recall correctly, there was a store at the end of King's Road, beyond what was then World's End. One day, I visited a small shop where a young staff member wearing a Shetland sweater and mid-ripped corduroy pants was cleaning up fallen leaves. Kids from Japan come to buy chalk striped suits in different sizes. From their perspective, it's like they don't understand why.
I don't know why! Speaking of which, the London corps around Orita-kun is comparable. Among them, Sakayori-kun was by far the best. After returning to Japan, she opened a number of select shops, and ultimately created the ``Aqua Girl.'' However, his looks when he was in London were amazing. When I first met her, I think she was wearing Junior Gaultier MA-1s, hot pants, fishnet stockings, and high heels. She appeared in front of us wearing what we would now call a transsexual. London was the heyday of magazines like ``iD,'' ``FACE,'' and ``ARENA,'' and this kind of fashion was cutting-edge.
Well, after spending such a stormy day, I will return to Japan. In the second half of the trip, I had my bag with my passport stolen and ended up staying there for a month. Preparations for the store's opening progressed at a rapid pace, with many ups and downs experienced, local shipments arriving, and the interior of the store on Fire Street being completed. Then, in November, MADE IN WORLD opened in a space of only 5 tsubo.
The photo above was taken inside the 5 tsubo store. It was small, but because of its narrowness, it was a very dense space. The inside of the store is decorated with directly imported Ralph Lauren wallpaper and beams used in old British buildings that run along the four corners and provide lighting. The store design was also influenced by my business trip to London. The photo below is of the members' drinking party. The one on the far left is Boo-chan, next to him is the staff member Shinyoshi, myself, Kurata-kun and Ken-chan from ELT, and actor Kazuma Suzuki, and we played together every day.
A new store opened in Harajuku from MADE IN WORLD in Shibuya and was named MADE IN THE WORLD, as if it were a play on words, and the company grew steadily in the blink of an eye. At the same time, I started trying to step up, but I'll talk about that next time.