PEOPLE Working at Makita Shoten

PEOPLE

The creativity, grown up in Nishikatsura, beautiful village by Mount Fuji

Interview with the planning team about working at Makita Shoten

Creativity cultivated in Nishikatsura, Yamanashi Prefecture, at the foot of Mt. Fuji

Q：Ms. Misato Inoue (Misato) has experienced the collaboration project between Tokyo Zokei university and Makita shoten and after graduation, she decided to move in this region and started working with Makita Shoten as a textile designer. Would you tell us the reason?

Misato：This region is located near Tokyo and I was fascinated with their garment textile creation. Now I have already worked here for 4 years but I could start designing my own idea from 1st year and could experience real creative works. I might not be able to work like this if I worked other companies."

Q：Would you tell us more about your work?

Misato：I design textiles based on the requests from our clients, and beside I design our original textiles for domestic exhibition as well as showing in abroad.

Q：Ms. Chiemi Tamura (Chiemi) is the director of design team.

Chiemi：When I have started working here, Makita Shoten did not have design team. At that time, Makita Shoten wove dobby textiles, checks & stripes so that our main work was to combine colors and wise. But the moment I have started working, design job in Makita shoten has also started to create jacquard textiles. There was no examples or existing rules so that we did everything we could do.
Of course, something went very well and something not, but we kept thinking, trying and creating something new. Makita Shoten is the company who has supported this kind of challenge. Like Misato's work, we do what we can do and it is not related with experiences or carrier. This is something I have learned in this company and my younger colleagues do the same.

Q：What do you respect in your work?

Chiemi：Our own taste and that should be always what only Makita can do. Talking about the originality, we create original umbrellas. When we design, we question to ourselves if this textile is expressing Makita Shoten enough or not. This process makes huge difference in the quality of design. Misato：I have designed the umbrella named "sai=vegetable", using the vegetable texture into the textile design. It was quite easy to design textile but Chie gave me an idea to add several lines which vegetables originally had. Then textile became vivid dramatically! Chiemi：As a textile, what Misato designed was good enough. But it is for the umbrella and umbrella is 3D, textile is cut into triangles and built. Then suddenly we notice something missing. It happens often. when we design the textile for umbrella, we should use our imagination.

Q：It is the experience, isn't it?

Chiemi：Yes, but I can say that is exactly what Makita Shoten's value is. We respect details even toward almost invisible parts. We design texture, lines, shadow and colors using all techniques and experiences. That is the only and best way to create our dream textiles.

Q： Would you tell us who you want to work with in future?

Chiemi：Someone who is curious, challenging and has wide perspective.

Q：Do you have any advice to work in Makita Shoten, Misato?

Misato：Someone who likes creation is better, I think. I like textile but Chie, you do not like it so much, do you?

Q：You are the textile lover,aren't you???

Chiemi：No, I don't like textile so much. I rather like creation.
Misato：Makita shoten is the group of people who likes creation!
Chiemi：we want someone who is very mania...who can bring new idea! And someone who is good at communication toward new market!

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