Nice to meet you, our new atelier

One day in mid-March, I visited the newly relocated "ritsuko karita" atelier. I remembered that the first atelier I visited after joining Isetan Mitsukoshi was the "Rinrinka" atelier, designed by Kanda-san, a designer at ritsuko karita. I got off at Tsurugaoka Station and walked about 10 minutes. I climbed the narrow staircase and looked to my left, where I spotted Kanda-san beyond the large window.

A gate decorated with a lion door handle led to the entrance to the studio. "This gate closes just fine," said Kanda-san, smiling as he opened and closed the gate, leading me inside the studio.
Going through the gate revealed a garden with spring-like flowers scattered here and there. "They all bloom on their own, but they wilt in the evening and open up in the sunlight. I'd actually like to create a flower bed and a garden, but I haven't had the time to do that yet. I think there are lily of the valley daffodils around here. There are even some bamboo shoots growing in the back," says Kanda.


When I went inside, I discovered a cute stuffed animal at the back of the studio...! It has "SATURN" written on its foot, so it's apparently a child of Saturn.

"I also have characters from Earth as friends of Saturn, but I chose this one because it fit in with the room and was cute."
"This one (the Saturn stuffed animal) has been with me since my previous atelier. For a while I thought I'd grown enough of stuffed animals, but as I get older my love for stuffed animals grows again... (laughs) Stuffed animals are very soothing. But recently the cats that live nearby have been coming to play in my yard, so I think they help me feel relaxed too."

Although it has only been a short time since Kanda set up base here, the atelier already gives the impression of being a "comfortable place" for Kanda. They envision the space not only as a "production space" for their products, but also as a store where customers can come and see the products in person.

With the size, environment, and rent all included, they decided on the space immediately after their first viewing, thinking, "I don't think I could find anything more I want!"
"There were other potential properties, but this one met my requirements perfectly: it could be used not only as an office, but also as an atelier and store, and people could come and go freely. It was a gut feeling the first time I visited, but I knew I wanted to make clothes there. In Tokyo, I like glamorous areas like Omotesando and Nakameguro, but I think it's fitting for our brand to give customers the feeling that they've "come all the way here with a purpose," like a "mini-vacation.""


≫Read Vol. 2 to learn about the atelier's favorites.