Time: 2022/1/25
Interviewee: Ken Soneghara, Manager of Shanghai Brand Planning Department of KASHIYAMA
Interviewer: DONNA
In 2022, KASHIYAMA will launch a new project titled "Stories of 100 Professionals Behind 100 Suits". The third person, this time invited KASHIYAMA Shanghai brand planning Manager Ken Saonehara, to share with you his "three meetings" with the suit.
On a sunny afternoon in winter, I interviewed Mr. Ken Sogenhara, brand planning manager of KASHIYAMA Shanghai, in the Hongqiao store of KASHIYAMA. He was wearing a KASHIYAMA bespoke suit in a rare color that caught my interest. He introduced it as AW's flagship fabric in 2021. stretch corduroy can be machine washable on a daily basis and has strong anti-wrinkle ability. It is a very friendly fabric for professionals.
Moving on to the interview, Mr. Soonehara shared with me his "three meetings" with the suit.
Mr. Zeng said, "In Chinese, it is often said that there are three levels of life." See the mountains as mountains, and see the water as water; Look at the mountain is not a mountain, look at the water is not water; See the mountains are still mountains, see the water is still water. When it comes to suits, I've had three similar meetings."
Q: OK. Would you like to introduce yourself?
A: "I was born in Guangzhou, China, and went to Japan when I was 9 years old. He lived in Japan for the next 30 years. I had been working in Japan before I joined the Envard Group and was sent to Shanghai. After graduating from university, I was engaged in the development of new customers for printing companies, Chinese and Japanese translation and other work. When I was working in a women's luggage OEM company, I had a chance to attend a free APP development lecture. At that time, I realized the potential of Digital, so I changed my career direction. Since then, I have been engaged in APP development and web production. SEO,CRM consulting and other digital marketing related work. Now, I am mainly responsible for KASHIYAMA's digital marketing and e-commerce business in China, and I am working hard to develop the Chinese market."
I'm with the first side of the suit
A: When I was young, I always dreamed that I could put on a suit. I felt that when I put on a suit, I could act like an "adult" and feel cool. Finally, at my first bar mitzvah, when I was 20, I got my first suit. I still have the one I bought, a classic brown suit with white stripes. At that time, it was not even how to tie the age also did not understand, about the knowledge of suits is blank. Choosing a suit is all about the color and style you like. At a coming-of-age ceremony in Japan, students and friends receive blessings from people. In the suit, I looked a little more like an adult, and even began to look forward to the glare from the audience. I still remember the wonderful feeling. At that time, I knew that wearing a suit was a way to show a different version of myself.
* Coming-of-age ceremony: In Japan, young people in their 20s have a coming-of-age ceremony together. Many students leave their hometown after high school, then return a few years later for the coming-of-age ceremony. The reunion after a few years apart is always more memorable.
Me and the second side of the suit
As mentioned above, after graduating from college, I began to work in society and experienced different kinds of jobs. Gradually, my longing for suits gradually faded. Because the suit slowly became my daily indispensable "uniform" "work clothes".
I'm with the third side of the suit
Until five years ago, when I was in Japan, I met a gentleman, Mr. Chifeng, who was very knowledgeable about suits. It was he who gave me the "third meeting" with suits. "A suit is not something someone passively tells you to wear, but something you spontaneously want to wear," Chifeng said.
This is when I realized that suits were not only "for others", but also "for oneself". A suit can express your inner self on the outside.
Mr. Chifeng is at the far right of the picture
"KASHIYAMA's custom suit is to make the couture suit become the choice and ownership of every professional, and make the custom suit more popular with high cost performance."
Q: "So I can understand that it was these three meetings with the suit that led you to your current job, right?" I continued.
A: Mr. Soonehara smiled and replied, "You can say so.
Q: "What do you think of tailored suits? What about KASHIYAMA's bespoke suit?" I asked.
A: Mr. Soonehara replied,"
Before, suits, especially tailored suits, were only for the rich. Gradually, people can buy their own suits. For people in the past, the suit can be said to represent the person is "money and leisure" social status, but with the development of society, for ordinary people, life is more rich and free, whether for the lifestyle or for the suit have more choices.
KASHIYAMA's customized suit is to make the advanced customized suit become the choice and ownership of every professional, and make the customized suit more popular with high cost performance.
Before entering KASHIYAMA, I still had the fixed impression that custom-made suits were expensive and could not afford them if the salary was not high.
But then I found out that KASHIYAMA's tailored suits are affordable for most professionals, even more often than I buy ready-made clothes."
Q: I know a saying that the first custom-made suit is never 100% satisfactory. Why?
A: Mr. Soone went on to say:
There is a saying. It doesn't depend on which brand you buy for the first time, but whichever brand of bespoke suit has its own unique "fetishes." The Japanese called "く せ". Patterns, cuts, textures, sewing techniques, and so on. Volume experts need to communicate with consumers to understand every specific detail of consumers' needs. So the first bespoke suit is more of an experience of what a bespoke suit is, and it's also a process of, of course, knowing exactly what you want. However, every measuring technician in KASHIYAMA will have in-depth one-to-one communication with consumers. Modern technology is applied in the customization process, which effectively helps consumers to customize a perfect suit they want.
Q: "How do you choose custom suits now, or how do consumers choose the custom suits they want in KASHIYAMA? Do you have an experience to share?"
A: For my work, I prefer to wear casual suits rather than classic ones. So my requirements for the suit are: ① easy to take care of ② elastic ③ fit these three requirements. I especially like fabrics that don't wrinkle easily, so I don't have to carry an iron or a clothes hanger when I travel. Basically, I ride a bicycle to work, so I have high requirements on the comfort and ductility of the fabric. When it comes to bespoke suits, fabric and style are very important, but the most important thing is the fit. Why? Because a suit that makes you look cool is a suit that matches your body type.
Now KASHIYAMA has 3 stores in Shanghai, 2 in Dalian and 1 offline store in Shenyang. We also have KASHIYAMA Tmall flagship store, wechat mini program mall, Douyin store and so on. There are both online and offline channels for you to customize a customized suit. Offline, we have professional volume division to help you customize, we have also reformed the online customization technology, so that you can remotely customize their favorite suit online, no matter what fabric, style, texture, design, can meet the needs of consumers.
To make couture suits more accessible to people who like and need them, that's what we're working on right now.
