On his brand's evolution: "When I started my own label, the designs were more edgy, with safety pins and rips, but I soon realized that the customers were mainly people who love anime and manga."
On the balance of bitter and sweet: "A lot of this is about grossing people out, but not too much. Being shocking but cute at the same time. That kind of balance is really in now."
(I love how the Hangry and Angry cat dolls are jailed in separate glass cubes! )
On seeing the world as a toybox: "Tokyo fashion is a mix. You can buy an old pair of jeans from a second-hand shop and wear them with a Louis Vuitton bag. Abroad there is more consciousness of status and class, so more desire to wear things properly. Here it's okay to be all mixed up. Tokyo fashion is kawaii, more funny than beautiful."
†From The Tokyo Look Book by Philomena Keet (Kodansha Int'l, 2007) p74-77.
