A pop-up store for bag brand Barbara Rihl opened at the Via Bus Stop Museum in Daikanyama on the 13th. Designer Barbara Rihl visited Japan to attend the party held on the same day. Originally from Vienna, she lives in Paris. She gained experience as a fashion designer at Jil Sander and Karl Lagerfeld before going freelance. Her husband is world-famous pastry chef Pierre Hermé. Her bags, adorned with unique illustrations, are sure to catch the attention of fashionistas. --You're coming to Japan after touring various Asian countries. I recently signed a contract with DFS. I'll be setting up shop in airports around the world. My collection is themed around "travel." It expresses the joy and happiness of travel, so it's a perfect fit for an airport. --What made you decide to design bags, even though you originally had a career as a fashion designer? I absolutely love traveling, and I find it truly gratifying. So we decided we wanted to create something related to travel, and that a bag would be the perfect choice. Accessories and bags are a much more open-ended world compared to fashion, with a lot of possibilities. You can create a variety of different things in a variety of ways, depending on your imagination.
As a designer, I draw pictures of girls, and then I design the fixtures and create shop display boards with a girl motif to help shape the store's unique aesthetic.

--The range of your collection has expanded. What's this season's theme?

There are a few, but one of them is holding a bag like you're walking your dog, or holding a pet. Holding a bag feels similar to holding a dog, right? I imagine a scene where you hold your bag like your own pet and take it on a trip.

--What are your priorities when making bags?

Rather than the method, I'm particular about the place where they're made; that is, making them in France. I have many years of experience as a fashion designer in Paris and believe I know a variety of techniques, but I can still make the most of those techniques by creating in France. I also get inspiration from the food I encounter in Paris and France, and some of my coloring and design details are influenced by architecture and contemporary art.

--How many times have you been to Japan?

Hmm, about 20 times! (laughs) I love Japan. I think it's a country rich in creativity. Japanese people are fun-loving, cheerful, and love creative things, so we get along well. I get the impression that Japanese women, in particular, are very open to creativity.

--Your stores will be expanding all over the world from now on.

We have corners in major stores in Singapore and South Korea, and I would like to have a corner in Japan as well.