TIDE is opening a store in Ginza. What is "The Crafted GINZA"?

Hello. My name is Kosho Utsumi and I am the director of TIDE.
The Crafted GINZA The first brand relay baton is finally here for me. Looking back, the two months went by in the blink of an eye.
This time, I would like to write about how TIDE decided to open a store in The Crafted GINZA.

☾ About The Crafted GINZA

Most of you reading this article probably already know...
To briefly explain it again, it is a ``base of communication and encounters for craft-type D2C'' brands that make their own products.
To put it more simply, it is a D2C brand showroom store. The location is a prime location in "GINZA". The store is also really stylish.

TIDE is thankfully open as the first brand of The Crafted from May 21st to July 20th. It's a shame that it's almost over, but the second season will continue, so please stay tuned to our website for further updates!
( Click here if you are coming.)

☾ About the company and “TIDE”

Please allow me to briefly introduce our company and brand.

①About the company <br>We have a workshop in Higashikagawa City, the easternmost tip of Kagawa Prefecture, and make bags under the trade name Urban Kogei.

At the time of its founding, the company began manufacturing gloves, which was a local industry, but as time passed, the company changed its business format and became the current bag manufacturing business.
Mr. Sotokoto has written a detailed story about this, so please read this article if you like.

Since our roots are in leather gloves, we specialize in making women's bags that are soft and lightweight, rather than hard bags that stand up.

I have always had the desire to utilize our strengths to launch our own brand.
“TIDE” started in 2019, three years after its conception.

②About TIDE
TIDE is a brand that expresses the tides of the Setouchi Inland Sea with its unique internally stitched patchwork, and operates under the concept of ``The TIDE is turning''. That's why we want to be the biggest challenger ourselves and become a brand that empowers people with TIDE to take on challenges.
( Click here for brand page)

We are currently working hard with the desire to make this the next pillar of OEM (a business that undertakes production for other manufacturers' brands), which has been our main business since our founding until now.
(Please check this article for more information about the brand.)

☾ Why did you decide to open a store at The Crafted?

Now, as for why I decided to open a store, the bottom line is that there is no reason to refuse to open a store!
Regarding this question, everyone from every brand has written about co-founders We'll Fujii and KAPOK KNOT Fukai, but I feel the same way, so I'd like to write about them.

① The personality of the person who approached us <br>This is simply because the person who approached us was Mr. We'll Fujii, the founder of Crafted.
I originally met Mr. Fujii through SASI Kondo, who has been supporting TIDE since its inception (also a co-founder of Crafted), and from the first time I met him, I thought, ``He seems like a nice person.'' .Even though we are from the same generation, I really respect him.He is someone who makes me think, ``I want to work with someone like him.''

In addition to Mr. Fujii's personality, I honestly couldn't find any reason to decline the idea, from the concept to the contents of the store, so I talked it over internally and ended up opening the store.
Then, when I actually met the management members, I thought, ``Ah, there are just wonderful people after all.They are so comfortable that it doesn't feel like I'm meeting them for the first time.''

②The best opportunity to actually get your hands on TIDE
TIDE does not currently have physical stores. Although some of the products are available at wholesale stores, Crafted was the first time I had the opportunity to see and touch many of the products.
With TIDE, customers are often more pleased with the texture and expression of the leather than when they see it in photos, so I was really honored that my first showroom was at Crafted.

I am truly grateful to have been given such a valuable opportunity to work with the fledgling brand "TIDE"!

☾ New initiatives born from The Crafted

I would like to introduce them here because of the connections that The Crafted has made for me.
Crafted's wonderful vision is to create a place where the 1:1 relationship expands to n:n. A variety of virtuous cycles are already occurring among the brands opening stores.

Regarding TIDE, we have just started working with International Shoes , the company behind the ALL OSAKA MADE unisex sneaker brand `` brightway ,'' whose exhibition space was next door.

The founder of ``brightway'' is Mr. Ueda, who is in the same situation as the third generation of the family business in Osaka, and I had been interested in having a unilateral conversation with him before opening Crafted.
Although I wasn't able to speak with him on the first day of the event, he kindly agreed to visit International Shoes in Osaka later.

And, although it is still in the prototype stage, TIDE's sneaker project has started.

From the beginning of the brand's launch, I had the desire to apply the glove sewing technology that is TIDE's roots and expand it beyond just bags, which is our main business, to other industries. Brightway Ueda understood this idea, and sample production began. Fortunately, the first sample was completed during the Crafted period. I personally think that this is an initiative typical of Crafted.

The quality is really high, and what's interesting is that the left and right TIDE patterns are different. Still, each has a well-balanced finish.

Normally, we would be showing off the finished product to everyone, but we would like to receive a variety of feedback from the development stage and make it a reality.

So, here is an announcement about an event where you can see and wear such shoes! ! !

☾ Event announcement near the end of TIDE store opening

Date and time: July 18th (Sunday) 10:00-14:00
Location: 1-6-2 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

- Event details - ① Crafted limited business card holder order event & order session ② “TIDE sneakers” prototype presentation & trial monitor recruitment ③ “TIDE sofa” image presentation

① Crafted limited business card holder order event & order event
We offer business card holders in Crafted limited colors. (The photo below is an image)

Those who come on the day can order TIDE business card holder The Crafted limited color at a special price.
We also accept color orders for other TIDE products.

② “TIDE Sneakers” Prototype unveiling & recruitment of try-on monitors
You can try on the sneakers mentioned above.
I would be happy if you could try it on and give me your opinions!
Additionally, if you are able to place an order on the spot, we will be accepting special color orders for TIDE sneakers starting from just one pair.

Thank you for your cooperation, Ueda-san!

③ Unveiling the image of the "TIDE sofa" <br>You may be wondering what I'm doing, but I'm serious about making sofas. On the day of the event, we will not be able to show you the actual product, but you will be able to view the CG image.

Although Tokyo is under a state of emergency, we will take appropriate measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. We look forward to seeing you!
This is a bit long, but thank you for reading to the end.