代表／デザイナー紹介
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Annber Representative/photographer.designer
Gold sashimi Karin
Born in 1997 in Kanagawa Prefecture.
《Biography》
・March 2016: Graduated from Hiroo Gakuen High School
・April 2016: Enrolled in Esmod Tokyo School
Graduated from the school in March 2021
・June 2021 CNAM program enrollment
・August 2022: Bachelor's degree in the same program
・April 2021: Joined Sagami Group Holdings
・March 2022: Winner of the Outstanding Newcomer Award
・Left the company in August 2022
《Activity History》
・October 2022: Participating in the Komazawa Park Dog Festival
・February 2023: Participating in the Chigasaki Camping Car Show
・April of the same year: Participated in the Yoyogi Park Wanwan Carnival
・June of the same year: Opened a stall at the Todoroki Dog Festival
・From September of the same year to the present, we have been operating a store in the Homeostyle Ginza store.
・December of the same year: Opened a stall at the Todoroki Dog Festival
・April 2024: 13th Interpet Exhibition
・From May of the same year to the present, we have been donating a portion of our sales to the general incorporated association Larconsha and the public interest incorporated association Animal Fund.
《Annber Activity Schedule》
・June 2024 Todoroki Dog Festival
・October 2024 Komazawa Park Dog Festival
・December 2024 Todoroki Dog Festival
・Product display at the General Incorporated Association Larconsha's cat shelter cafe
・Designer's Story
I continued classical ballet and piano for about 14 years from a young age, and studied the Sohenryu style of tea ceremony for about 5 years in junior high and high school. I was also interested in self-expression through play, such as composing music for school plays, drawing pictures for friends, and making up sign language.
After graduating from high school, I enrolled in ESMOD, the world's oldest fashion school, to study fashion. There, I was able to learn about fashion from various angles, from design to sewing and history.
When I was deciding on my path after graduation, while there were many people who wanted to make things, I thought that a career in sales would be better suited to me rather than aiming to become a craftsman.
I got a job working in kimono sales.
The summer I got a job, I had an opportunity to have my jacket purchased through my personal social media.
It was around this time that I started to dream about what it would be like if I had my own brand.
Jacket photo taken with purchaser as model (2020.10.17)
After that, I successfully passed the graduation examination. As a result of my graduation project, I received orders for masks and men's jackets.
Cover of the Graduation Examination Materials
Part of the review materials
After I got the job, I continued making clothes after work and on weekends.
While working, I also completed a Master's degree at the Conservatoire National des Arts et des Arts Académies (CNAM), where I learned about business management and disruptive innovation from two French professors through real markets such as Cirque du Soleil.
Sagami Group Holdings awarded me the Outstanding Newcomer Award for my sales position.
Decision to start a brand
At Sagami Group Holdings, I had many opportunities to meet first-class craftsmen face-to-face.
I also had many opportunities to talk with up-and-coming young artists who are senior to me and have paved their own paths.
When I was asked if I would like to transfer to another store to become a store manager, I thought that if I were to be transferred, it would be difficult for me to find the time to do so as I had in the past.
While I was waiting for a response, I realized that I am someone who wants to continue making things.
So I decided to return to the Kanto region to focus on my own activities.
When I was aiming to start a brand, I found it difficult to balance making clothes and running the business because I am not very good at anything.
So, as we were searching for ways to create items that were smaller than human clothing, we received requests to make pet products, and that's when we began production.
In the midst of all this, we had the opportunity to set up a stall at an outdoor festival run by ASP Co., Ltd.
The debut will be at the Komazawa Dog Festival in October 2022.
I had many warm encounters and learned a lot, such as, "What do you think about a product like this?"
(2022.10.16)
In September 2023, we were blessed with the warm connection with Homeostyle Ginza store.
We also created a poster together, receiving advice such as "It might be better if you did it this way."
It is currently still on display at the Homeostyle Ginza store.
You can also experience beauty treatments using the latest beauty equipment for just 1,100 yen.
・Love for manufacturing
We create our products with an emphasis on the sense of enjoying color and the feeling that if we were a pet, we would want to wear something like this.
We also operate under the concept of "discovering your fashionable and sensual side."
For example, when I make dog items, I imagine myself as various dog breeds living in Ginza or Tokyo, and choose a color in front of the mirror, thinking, "This would be perfect for me, with my black fur!" (laughs)
In addition, we have discovered that dogs are actually better able to distinguish colors than ever before, so we create our leashes and collars with the hope that not only humans but also dogs will enjoy looking at the patterns.
In terms of quality, we create our products based on the idea that if we were a customer, we would want to have something like this.
As a result, even the shortest reed requires a production time of at least 7 hours, which makes our price quite unattractive compared to other companies.
As a consumer, I was worried about the price for a long time,
In this day and age when there are so many easily accessible items available, I wanted everyone to use my creations, which are made without compromise and that are filled with my care and love.
In addition to being washable, lightweight and durable, because it is knitted it has a natural ability to expand and contract and, unlike tape-type leads, has the added benefit of being able to absorb shock.
Furthermore, compared to similar products from other companies, the strings are woven much tighter, meaning there are fewer gaps and more string is used, resulting in a durable, light, and beautiful product that we are proud of.
We knit Annber reeds every day with the confidence that if you actually hold one in your hands, you will feel the care and love that goes into them.
・The future of Annber
We are currently working towards incorporating our business, cherishing our desire to continue manufacturing without pause.
First of all, I want to be able to continue running Annber on my own, and because I'm doing what I love, I want to be able to contribute as much as I can to society. So I work as a night shift nursing assistant while running Annber.
This makes it difficult to operate quickly, but since May of this year, we have had some powerful members join us.
With more encouraging members now in the team, I'm confident that we'll be able to further strengthen our social media activities on Instagram and other platforms in the future.
Also, I design everything from the online shop to the official LINE account myself, so please feel free to contact me if you experience any inconveniences or have any requests.
We do not have a storefront, only an outdoor shop and an online store, so we have few opportunities to talk to you face-to-face. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
We are waiting for you through various media such as Instagram, online store, official LINE and email.
Please feel free to stop by any of our locations.
I will continue to work hard to grow as a designer,
We appreciate your continued support and guidance.
Annber Karin