Hello! Thanks for chatting to us today! Was there a moment or something you saw that made you want to pursue a career in fashion? Is there any defining moment for you?
First, thank you and it is my honor to talk to you!
I always loved fashion since childhood, but I found myself caught up raising children in my twenties. As my children grew a bit older and I had more time to enjoy fashion, I struggled to find the very outfits that resonated with me. So, I tried to design and present outfits that had long been in my mind and shared them on Instagram: I received a much greater response than I had imagined.
It was at that moment that I decided to dedicate myself to JENNE.
Japan is known for its fashion and always being ahead of the trends. Did your experiences seeing clothes and styles growing up have any impact on the identity of JENNE?
I believe that even ordinary Japanese people have a very sensitive radar towards fashion trends. This radar allows us to quickly capture trends and provide opportunities to try various styles. Personally, I have tried a wide range of fashion styles since childhood.
Having two older sisters meant that I had more opportunities to get to know fashion trends during childhood. I read fashion magazines that my sisters left to me and tried so many different clothes. For better or worse, I believe with those experiences, including failures such as wearing something that didn’t suit me and cool experiences such as finding what suited me, I was able to navigate my favourite style.
Through my own experiences, I learned about silhouettes, colour coordination, the identity of different brands and discovering the joy of fashion. In this journey, I eventually found my way to JENNE, which present timeless trends with elegance.
As a proud Japanese designer, where do you see your place within the tapestry of Japanese fashion? What do you feel JENNE brings to the table?
While respecting past brilliant Japanese designers, I aspire to create JENNE’s contemporary Japanese style. I understand this is a really difficult challenge but by continuously embracing various challenges, my goal is to present an "everyday lives" elegance and femininity for Japanese ladies.
Take us behind the scenes: why is JENNE called JENNE, and what inspired you to create JENNE the brand in particular?
JENNE is a coined term derived from the French word “Parisienne”. The inspiration to create JENNE originated from my trip to Paris. Before I been to Paris, my image of Parisienne [style] was through pictures showed in fashion magazines.
However, from what I saw in Paris, I realized actual Parisiennes were ladies who enjoyed fashion without being bound by age or trends. They just coordinated in a free style that best suited themselves.
One of the most impactful moments was encountering an elderly lady in a stylish street café. She, about the age of my grandmother, wore a beautiful and amazing yellow long coat, that completely destroyed my knowledge about fashion because in Japan, no elder would wear vivid colors in public. This lady, however: she was true beauty and drawing everyone’s attention.
Like this lady, JENNE [presents] a timeless, classic, elegant look without the restraint of age or trends: just enjoy fashion freely.
Your newest collection is inspired by 50s Paris, the centre of style and an era that is known for its fashion. What made you choose this era and is there any style or technique from that time that you particularly love?
I love 1950s fashion, often considered the golden age of the fashion industry, especially the style known as the “New Look” that is characterized by the cinched waist and draping flare skirt. It’s a style looks like a beautiful hourglass and uses a generous amount of fabric.
I believe that the fashion of the 1950s proposed a timeless beauty that doesn’t feel outdated even nowadays. Personally, I always strive to create minimalist simple fashion pieces. That’s why, in JENNE’s collection this season as well, I present this particular style.
Can you tease for us what you might wish to create or incorporate into your collections in future? Is there something style or design-wise you’ve always wanted to try?
JENNE is still a relatively small brand, so our capabilities are limited at the moment. Moving forward, we aim to expand our offering with original patterns on various items such as coats and dresses. Our goal is to create iconic patters that instantly convey the essence of JENNE, allowing people to recognize our brand at a glance.
What do you want women to take away from the collection or how do you want them to feel wearing the pieces?
This season's theme was “Vacation”: the concept was to feel a vacation-style mood and spend a wonderful day with colorful JENNE outfits.
I hope that the moment you put on JENNE, you are going to feel happier and become more confident than ever. The confidence can make your facial expressions brighter, that can make you experience cool trips and many more joys than usual.
What is the most enjoyable part of being a fashion designer and leading your own fashion house, and what is the hardest?
The greatest joy comes when our customers are delighted by JENNE. We receive numerous messages on Instagram every day. I’d like to share some that have been a source of inspiration, especially during challenging times.
“I’ve been put all my effort into my child as a single mother and sacrificing my desires over the years. But when I found JENNE’s blouse, for the first time in years, I bought clothes for myself. When I wore the delivered outfit and received many compliments, I felt such happiness after a long time. JENNE, I really appreciate it.”
“After my husband passed away, during that very hard time I discovered JENNE. I was captivated by JENNE’s beautiful coat and placed an order it through my phone immediately. Perhaps I found a warm place for my loneliness because of JENNE. I look forward to taking a walk under the winter sky in this wonderful coat.”
I started to realize fashion holds tremendous power and delivering that power to our customers is my joy. Though there are challenging moments every day, I try to keep myself not to think too much because I would not like to break my mindset for those tough moments.
As a mum as well, how does your family inspire you when it comes you work and how you create?
My children always give me a peaceful time.
I love my job but designing is not always an easy task. My mind is constantly filled with thoughts about JENNE all the time during the work and I’m often seen under the label of “JENNE’s YUKA” by my colleagues and clients. Being aware of this identity can sometimes make constraints and act as “noise” when designing.
However, when I spend time with my children, I am always just a mom to them. This time is so precious to me because it provides a comfortable environment where my mind becomes simple. I am grateful for this, as it often leads to the new ideas for my creations.
What is your design process? Do you start with fabrics first, or a concept first, or does it purely depend on the piece?
My design process often begins with a concept idea. Once I have a rough concept in mind, I move on to selecting materials. The stage where the materials come together, and the samples take shape, is perhaps the most exciting yet nerve-wracking part of the process for me.
You recently showed in Paris Fashion Week: congratulations! How did that feel, seeing your collection as part of the most prestigious fashion weeks in the world?
Thank you for your compliment. It truly was a dream-like experience.
I am delighted to have had the opportunity to present my collection at Paris Fashion Week, a dream for every fashion designer. I am immensely grateful to the team that helped bring my collection to reality, and [I have] so much appreciation to everyone who came to see JENNE’s show.
A huge part of the recent collection is “femininity.” What do you believe defines femininity and why is it so important to think about it when designing clothes?
“Femininity” is an essential element for JENNE. Whenever I design any item, I always make it a point: the sense of femininity must be reflected in this item consciously. Nowadays, where various tastes of fashion abound, I feel that there are not many brands that are embracing femininity. That’s why I believe there should be brands that do something for “femininity”.
Speaking of femininity, to me, it is about being beautifully, simple, graceful and elegant, which anyone can appreciate. When someone adorns themselves in such an outfit, there’s a fascinating charm that not only enhances their appearance but also transforms their gestures and movement into something elegant. That, for me, is the “femininity”.
Have you seen a change in the way femininity has evolved over the years, and has that changed the way you think about designing clothes or creating products for women?
As you pointed out, I believe the definition of femininity has evolved with the times. Over the past few decades, women have become increasingly active in various scenes, including in business. Alongside these opportunities, there has also been a growing need for women to enhance their inner strength.
I find myself in such a situation as well. While the term “femininity” is often associated with “feminine presentation”, I believe that modern femininity also requires the strength of a women’s heart. In my designs, I aim to incorporate both “outer feminine” and “inner strength”, as I believe that combination of sprit displays the modern woman. This is my philosophy for my fashion design.
All of your pieces are so elegant, combining simple silhouettes but with beautiful tailoring and detail. Was this always the route you wanted to follow or was there a moment where you realized the identity you wanted the brand to have?
Thank you for your compliment. An elegant look with a simple silhouette has always been the style I aspired to achieve. Above all, it’s a style that I personally always adore.
The simplicity allows me to place great importance and pay more attention to the tailoring of collars and the details of skirts in my designs. That craftsmanship, with such details makes JENNE’s brand identity.
If you had to pick one piece from the new collection that is your favourite or best represents JENNE, which would it be?
I think this is really difficult question for me because all of the items from new collection are my favorites! But If I had to pick, there were two representative items.
The first one is the iconic JENNE flare dress. During the fitting, even without instructions, all models were just spinning around when they tried that dress. We used 30 meters of fabric to create an exciting dress.
The second one is:
The accent design was the belt that we called it “Obi” in Japanese, and we usually use it in “Kimono”.
That belt was actually inherited from my mother. It was used by my mother in ceremonies at my school when I was a child, and she passed it on to me when I got married. I wanted to bring this precious item that I always used in the ceremonial events of my three children to Paris Fashion Week for this dress.
I believe I was able to bring JENNE’s design philosophy - which is simple and elegant - to Paris, as a proud Japanese designer.
Is there a type of garment or style that you like creating the most? Coats? Hats? Tops? Bottoms?
The most enjoyable piece to create are undoubtedly dresses. I particularly love the flower print dress [see below]. With great team efforts, we were able to create this beautiful flower print that truly represents JENNE.
On Instagram, you often model your own clothes and showcase amazing ways to combine pieces, but this isn’t common for designers. Why did you make this choice and what do you hope comes out of it when it comes to people that might view your brand?
Actually, I didn’t start off modelling JENNE’s outfits. About a year into JENNE’s launch, the COVID-19 pandemic started, making model photoshoots impossible. However, the clothes kept being produced. That’s when I started wearing JENNE myself and introducing them.
In the meantime, the sales increased, and we began receiving positive responses on Instagram. I believe my average Japanese height may have helped as a reference for Japanese customers. As the designer, I know every detail about JENNE more than anyone, so I could express and promote JENNE to our customers who want to know more details.
By expressing myself, I may have been able to set JENNE’s concept up [well]. Additionally, I created a platform that allows me to have communication with our customers, answer their needs and fix their concerns directly.
Is there one trend that you’d like to see make a return to mainstream fashion?
It might be a bit different from “the trends”, but I hope people will start placing value on items that allow them to feel the soul of the designer than focusing on the price or on changing styles. Before the boom of fast fashion, it seemed like many people shared such sentiments.
Do you have any advice for those with a dream to get into the fashion industry?
Of course knowledge is important, but please cherish the flexible mindset you have before acquiring knowledge. Once you gain knowledge, there is a risk of narrowing your perspective.
Believe in your dreams, without being conscious of what is considered “normal” or “common sense” and push forward. Enjoy the journey more than anyone else, and don’t hesitate to put in more effort than anyone else. By doing so, I believe your dreams will come true one day.
What do you see for the future of JENNE, and what hopes and dreams do you have for the brand in the future?
We would like to increase our brand awareness and recognition, we would like to express our concepts to bring joy and happiness when ladies wear our outfits around the world.
Of course, I would love to have a retail spot in my favorite place: Le Bon Marche, Paris. Currently, we have two boutiques in Tokyo and one in Kyoto. We plan to open more boutiques in major cities across Japan in the new future.
What nice little routines, meals, songs, TV shows or movies do you have that help keep your creative mentality and keep you inspired?
Every day is busy with work and taking care of the children, unfortunately don’t have that such routines.
I feel like I turn on my on switch by sending the kids to school every morning, grabbing a delicious coffee, and heading to the office. Since our office is located near Omote-sando in Tokyo, an area known for its sensitivity to high-end fashion, I often take a walk around the office; it’s common for me to find inspiration by observing stylish people and beautiful architecture in the area.
