While working for a PR company, Chien Sekine also works as a freelance attaché de presse for numerous famous brands, including Dries Van Noten, Ladurée, and Marie-Hélène de Taillac. He's also known as an antiques collector, so we spoke to him about the appeal of antiques.

About your antique collection

--How do you usually acquire antiques?

I usually buy them when I'm traveling or on a business trip. I don't usually travel for sightseeing; I only go to places where I can buy antiques. When I'm on a business trip in France, I take time off work to visit antique markets and antique shops, not only in Paris but also a little further out. On a previous trip to Kanazawa and Kyoto, I made an appointment with the right person and visited antique shops that don't allow first-time visitors. It's fascinating to encounter so many different things through antiques.

When I travel on business, I bring an empty suitcase in addition to my large suitcase to use for collecting. I hate finding something wonderful and then having to give it up because my suitcase is full. When I'm visiting antique shops, I become very active. I'm constantly moving, without eating or drinking or taking a break!

--I heard you mainly collect European antiques. When did you start? Do you remember what prompted you to start?

I think it was when I was in my 30s. I started visiting various people's homes in France, and I think a big part of it was influenced by the different values they have regarding things. In Japan, things are considered better when they're new and shiny, but in France, almost every home skillfully combines old furniture of completely different styles. There's a value in cherishing and passing on things that have timeless beauty, even if they're old.

--So there's a culture that cherishes things that have been preserved for a long time.

I think it's amazing that antiques made in France in the late 1800s and early 1900s are still considered beautiful by people today, 100 years later. I'm interested in things that continue to be appreciated after so many years. The reason old things have survived to this day is because there are people who have cherished them and collected them, and I too would like to pass on wonderful, beautiful things to the next generation.

--How do you think Japanese values regarding objects will change in the future?

People are strange creatures. When we pursue convenience too much, we start to miss things that feel warm in our hands. In the past, we tended to choose between new and old things, but I think we're entering an era where both exist. I feel the same way about fashion. Rather than judging one thing as better or worse, I think we're beginning to see value in something completely different.

My encounter with antiques, memories with my mother

--When did you become interested in collecting antiques?

It was my mother who first introduced me to antiques. She loved Japanese antiques, and from a young age she would take me to antique shops. At first, I didn't really understand the value of antiques, and I wondered why my mother loved old things so much.

My mother wasn't interested in the value of the antiques themselves; her purchase criteria were whether she liked the look or not. As a full-time housewife, my mother never lived extravagantly, but she would say, "If you really love it, you should buy it," and would buy things that were priced at a shocking level to me as a child. I was shocked when I saw my mother's shopping habits.

--As a woman, I can't help but relate.

Now I can relate to that very much. When I was in elementary school, I would help my mother prepare meals and choose the plates to serve the food on. However, she would often get angry if the dishes I chose didn't match the food or the other tableware. This led me to try to understand my mother's intentions in my own way, but I guess I was also interested in antiques and how they were combined. I think I was greatly influenced by these memories of my mother and the fact that antique tableware was often, if not entirely, on the dinner table every day.

In charge of PR for overseas brands

--Your love of antiques was largely influenced by your mother. So, who else, or what other people or experiences do you think have influenced you?

I think I was also greatly influenced by my encounters with designers and brand creators such as Dries Van Noten, Ladurée, and Marie-Hélène de Taillac. I've worked at Dries Van Noten for over 10 years, and experiencing firsthand the designer's fashion creations has given me a renewed appreciation for the beauty of handcrafted work. The brand's embroidered ready-to-wear pieces are still crafted by artisans in India, each using a single needle. Dries currently employs 3,000 artisans in India. We strive to foster an environment that fosters artisans and ensures that handcrafted techniques never die out. We understand the fear of giving up even once and never being able to get the piece you want again. Handmade items have a certain imperfection that machine-made products lack. They can be distorted or have imperfections. But I have an absolute love and respect for handcrafted items. I want to be surrounded by things that feel the warmth of human hands, and I want to pass that on to the next generation.