Thoughts on starting ARTIDE

This is Utsumi, TIDE brand manager.
The ARTIDE project will finally start at 2pm today at Makuake!

I myself have been really looking forward to today and working hard at my daily work.

It has been about a year and a half since TIDE was launched. I am writing this article while looking back on a lot of things that happened.

1. About business succession

Urban Crafts, the bag factory that makes TIDE, was founded by my grandfather. We started out making gloves, which is a local industry in Higashikagawa City, and evolved into our current bag manufacturing factory, changing our main products with the changing times.
Our main business is OEM, where we receive orders from customers, produce, wholesale, and sell under the customer's name.

My father is the company president, and I am the third generation.

I left Tokyo eight years ago and returned to my hometown of Higashikagawa City, Kagawa Prefecture, to take over the family business. I'm already enthusiastic about that.

But it wasn't good at all. I thought I had been pushing forward with various reforms, but instead I was just pretending to be a complacent manager. There were times when many people left the company. He doesn't get along well with his father, the president, and they fight every day.

“Why did I come back?”

As I started thinking about these things, I think I gradually lost the energy I had back then. However, with the support of those around me, I managed to make it through.

Our industry cannot be said to be doing well. Although I was always anxious and anxious, I had always wanted to improve the company with my own brand, and I was making progress, albeit little by little.

After failing twice, TIDE is a brand that finally stands up on its third attempt to turn the tide .

I want to grow TIDE with everyone and firmly carry on the baton that my grandfather and father passed on to me.

And nothing would make me happier than if I could make everyone at Urban Crafts, the people involved in our work, and the people who own our products happy.

2. About ARTIDE

Please take a look at the official website of TIDE, the brand that forms the basis of this ARTIDE.

TIDE is a brand that just launched in February 2019.
To be honest, there were many technical difficulties, and I had a lot of trouble with my younger brother who was in charge of development. At one point, I almost gave up. However, I'm really grateful that you overcame it.

We have never sold any products ourselves, even though we could make them. Although it was good to get started, I was worried about how to expand it.
If we had focused on wholesale sales, we might have spread a little faster, but we wanted to connect directly with everyone.
Therefore, we decided to focus our business on direct sales through our own website.

My encounter with Fujimaki Department Store and the fact that an acquaintance liked it and bought it for me somehow kept my spirits up. Even so, the difficult period continued as we could not see what would happen next.

Meanwhile, I received a call from a colleague from my previous job who, like me, had inherited the family gallery business, and this project quietly began.

For those who watched the Instagram live the other day, I think you can understand a little bit, but the five people who participated this time have really different personalities in a good way.
Now that I think about it, the five of us came together with the intention of getting together. Since I was only working remotely, I had trouble building relationships, but now I love everyone.

I was nervous about what kind of work it would turn out to be, but when I saw all five people's works, I was trembling.

The shape is exactly the same, and the patchwork has not changed. Even so, the work has a completely different look and shows the artist's face.
This was the first installment that gave us a great sense of the possibilities of the future.

There is no correct answer to the expression. Even though there is no right answer, I think ARTIDE is about exploring and pursuing points that will enrich both yourself and the hearts of those receiving them, while colliding with each other's individuality.

I myself am not good at expressing myself, but I have received strength from the project members and now I am able to accept myself.

“You can express yourself more.”

I hope that ARTIDE can create an opportunity for many people to think like that.

3. lastly

I was in the dark until about six months ago. Many things are interconnected on a fine line, and I am now able to write this article.

Over the past few years, I have learned that I cannot do anything alone.
But on the other hand, I also learned that interesting things can happen when we all take things seriously and work together.

I feel like it was fate that I was able to start the project ARTIDE at the end of 2020, when the world was in a difficult period.
This is truly a signal for TIDE's concept of ``The TIDE is turning''.

In 2021, our mainstay company, TIDE, has many new developments, including the announcement of new products.

While taking a break, I will continue to work hard to get closer to my dreams.

I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who supported me.

thank you!

■ARTIDE Makuake purchase page
https://www.makuake.com/project/artide/

■TIDE LINE official account
https://lin.ee/X6PNWdI