Scenes emerge from mame's clothes.

mame's collections captivate us with their dignified strength, seemingly wrapped in delicate details. To celebrate the fifth anniversary of their debut in SS11, we met with mame's designer, Maiko Kurokawa. Her words offer insight into mame's current and future prospects.

--Five years have passed since mame's debut. Has the image of the woman mame envisions changed in those five years?

While the specific image of the woman hasn't changed significantly, the brand continues to take on new challenges. For example, I think the "scenes in which mame's clothes are worn" have become more diverse than before. Through exhibitions overseas and encounters with various people, I sometimes find myself thinking, "I want to wear this kind of clothing," and this can lead to new ideas for designs and collections. I believe that changing environments increase the variety of clothes we wear, leading to a greater diversification of our items. You mentioned the keyword "challenge." What does that mean to you?

Although it wasn't a specific action, last year was a year in which I realized that more and more people were becoming aware of the brand mame. Many of mame's products feature delicate details like embroidery and lace, and our next big challenge is to improve the quality of our products as well as their durability. We are still in the process of preparing our production base for the next stage, so this challenge may not be easy to understand. That doesn't mean that the collection is on the defensive. We are exploring new forms of expression by experimenting with materials and techniques that we haven't used before.

--At the end of last year, you were awarded the "Rising Star of the Year 2015," a newly established award within VOGUE JAPAN Women of the Year 2015, given to women who will shape the fashion scene of tomorrow. How do you personally view the role of a designer in fashion?

Fashion has a glamorous image. I think that such glamorous aspects can sometimes become the object of someone's hope and admiration. As a brand, I feel that it is important to show this side of fashion.

While there is glamour, it is also true that there are various production processes. I believe that it is only thanks to the work of the people involved in factories and fashion that our brand can become an object of glamour and admiration.

Rather than pushing the word about the production background, we first need to fully understand the appeal of the places where fashion is born. Then, through the filter of mame, we would like to convey it as "something beautiful."

Continued on 2/2.