Celebrating its first anniversary since its remodel, LE CIEL BLEU has been introduced to the "TOKYO Closet" on the second floor of the Isetan Shinjuku store. The keyword for this store, which brings together the latest Tokyo brands, is "mode entry." We spoke with Maiko Shibata, creative director at Restear, who consulted on the rebranding of LE CIEL BLEU two years ago and reinvented Tokyo's real clothing, and Yasuaki Itsuji, buyer in charge of the TOKYO Closet at Isetan Shinjuku. What was the new LE CIEL BLEU that Shibata envisioned when rebranding two years ago? Shibata: I don't usually think about fashion in terms of categories, but I aimed to be a trend-setting brand that proposes new daily wear, or perhaps a new standard, for Japanese women who possess inner strength and elegance. Has your customer base actually changed over the past two years compared to your previous customers? Shibata: In the past, the majority of fashion trends were those that simply adopted the styles and trends introduced in Japanese magazines, but I feel that there are now more women who regularly pay attention to the trends of contemporary overseas brands. In that sense, the age group may have risen a little.

--This is a slightly abstract question, but what do you think fashion is, Shibata? Shibata: Hmm, that's a difficult question. Personally, I think fashion is a form of self-expression. A person's life may not change whether they dress up or not, but we believe that it can be changed as a form of expression. It's the same as makeup or the food we eat.

--When did you start aiming to become a fashion buyer, Shibata? Shibata: I've loved dressing up since I was little, but I didn't set out to be a buyer. At first, I was happy just being able to buy the clothes I wanted, but it gradually escalated and I became a buyer. I became a buyer around 2000.
--What was the reason behind Isetan Shinjuku introducing Le Ciel Bleu to the second floor one year after the remodel?
Itsuji: The reason is that the value of young people's fashion, which was that wearing the same clothes as everyone else, was good, is changing. A year has passed since the remodel, and analyzing the situation, I feel that there are more young customers who are very interested in fashion. These are customers who love fashion and understand what they should wear now.
--What do you think is the reason for that?
Shibata: There are so many clothing stores, and fast fashion is on the rise, making it easy to adopt trends. I think fashion-loving women have become skeptical and are starting to feel like they're willing to spend money on clothes that are a little more expensive but have meaning, or that have a message.
Itsuji: It's not that I want to wear things that I think are good, or that I'm wearing something because someone else said it was good, but rather that I can't really understand it until I experience it for myself...
Shibata: I feel like I won't know until I try it (laughs). Ituji: That's right. --At Isetan Shinjuku, Le Ciel Bleu is positioned as the fashion entry zone. What is the intention behind this? Ituji: Women in their late 20s to early 30s who are starting to have more financial freedom look at and know about products from famous overseas fashion houses, but they are expensive and they can't buy multiple pieces per season. I think Le Ciel Bleu represents the "entry point into fashion" that emerged when I entered the workforce, gained experience, and learned about the world. While fashion is certainly cool, I think it's difficult to incorporate it into everyday life. However, women who can successfully incorporate it into their daily lives are wonderful. The TOKYO Closet on the second floor reopened on February 26th, and Le Ciel Bleu customers are looking for something a little more edgy than the standard. --What exactly is Le Ciel Bleu's MD for incorporating fashion elements into real fashion? Shibata: (Le Ciel Bleu products) are made up of three lines: a line with a strong collection-like element and message, a slightly edgy, trendy commercial line, and a line of simple, sophisticated items that are not influenced by trends. No matter how you combine these three lines, you can effectively subtract. I think a woman who is good at fashion is someone who can subtract. Ituji: What made an impression on me when I first met Shibata was when she said, "Aren't kids these days having too much fun?" The same goes for their fashion sense that it's okay to just copy what's in magazines or what others do. Do you remember her saying, "If you wear high heels all day, it's only natural that your legs will hurt"? If young Japanese women are to go out into the world with a more global sensibility in the future, it's only natural that they should style themselves to suit the occasion and purpose. In that sense, I think young people today may be having too much fun. Shibata: While it's unthinkable overseas, in Japan, you can go to a French restaurant dressed in sloppy clothes, and dressing up for a special date can be seen as odd or even unwelcome, which can be a bit sad. Also, in Japan, I think the number one criterion for young people when choosing clothes is whether or not they'll be popular with the opposite sex. Of course, that's one criterion for choosing clothes, but there are also women who aren't like that, and I often see these women turn out to be very talented in their work and have success overseas. I think it would be good to have a brand aimed at women like that. Ituji: The customers at Isetan Shinjuku, which targets fashionistas, are certainly knowledgeable about fashion, and many of them choose Le Ciel Bleu's clothes, mainly from the collection line. However, from my perspective, they certainly aren't women who choose their clothes based on what will make them popular. Continued on 2/2.