HOUGA

HOUGA

Designer

Moe Ishida

Category

Women’s / Ready To Wear

Brand information / About the designer

―What inspired you to become a fashion designer? Describe developments leading up to the brand launch.

When I was a kid, I was shy and I was not good at showing myself, but I felt that I could be myself by wearing the clothes of my favorite designer, so I wanted to be a designer who can make clothes that people who wear such power can bring. When I was in junior high school, the magazine KERA! I was happy that I applied for the BA-TSU x Battle Royale design drawing contest and received the Grand Prix, so I was aiming to become a fashion designer in earnest. After getting a job, I gained experience as a designer and originally wanted to manage the brand myself and balance business and creation, so I became independent after childbirth. After a preparatory period, the brand started.

―What is the brand’s concept? What do you want to communicate through fashion designing?

“The concept is “”Unbirthday party dress 364 days a year, I sprout.Dresses that release my true self.”” Even though I have only one life, I am a mother, so I am like a mother, like a woman, like an adult, and I don’t have to live according to values. I think it’s an era where you can live and challenge your life in your own way, whether you are women or have children, without sacrificing anything. I would like to propose people who enjoy being
themselves kindly and honestly without trying to play any role.”

―What is your source of inspiration in creating fashion? What is your process of developing a design concept?

Now that I’m busy raising children and working, I can’t take a leisurely walk or settle down in the bath, so I feel a sense of discomfort and mood in my daily life, my childhood memories, my favorite things, and the world of stories. I often imagine it. I have a country of HOUGA, so I think about how the inhabitants of that country live. I will write down what I care about and research widely from various genres.

―Who are your current stockists (areas, retail formats, etc.)? Describe the typical followers of your brand.

It is wholesaled to select shops and department stores in Japan. I feel that there are many people who have learned about the brand from events such as pop-up stores, introductions at stores that handle it, and Instagram. At exhibitions and other occasions where I can talk directly with customers, I can hear happy voices such as “I think it’s fun for adults to wear what they really like,” and I sympathize with them mentally.

―Which brands, designers, styles and cultures have had the most impact on your fashion designing, and why?

Around 2000, when I was an elementary and junior high school student, I became absorbed in fashion. I was excited to see the children’s clothes I admired in the magazine at the store. It was fun to wear clothes of brands with strong individuality, which are completely different for each store, and to go around the stores. When I was a fashion student who often applied for contests, I majored in aesthetic art history at university and was in a seminar on contemporary art, so I was interested in the relationship between fashion and art. After graduating, I joined FRAPBOIS in 2012, which I have liked since I was a student, and learned to design clothes.

About 2022 S/S collection

―Why have you chosen Tokyo (Rakuten Fashion Week TOKYO) as the venue for presenting your collection?

At the shared office I moved in this year, I was thinking about what I should do to let more people know about the brand and its world view, and I started thinking about choosing to participate. From the start of the brand, the number of stores handling it has gradually increased, and I wanted to take on the next challenge. I would like to use this as the first opportunity to show the values

―What is the concept / image for your brand’s 2022 S/S season?

The theme is “Pleasant Holiday”, inspired by 19th century tennis dresses and holidays where you can get out of your daily routine and spend your time elegantly in an extraordinary mood. We propose leisure dresses to regain yourself from the stuffy world and enjoy your daily life.

―What is your vision for your show / installation?

We are considering creating a direction that conveys the world view so that the viewer will feel as if they are looking into the events of HOUGA’s country.

Future

―What are your brand’s future outlook and goal?

Brand awareness is still a long way off, so I want to make it so that I can convey the brand image through events and visuals. I want to create a team and work so that I can manage the business side well. First of all, I would like to focus on domestic sales and take on the challenge of expanding overseas if the opportunity and timing match.

About TOKYO

―What does Tokyo represent for you?

A city where we can always enjoy dressing up and fashion.

―Which parts / sites of Tokyo do you like most? Why?

Harajuku-Omotesando. It was a place I longed for when I was a kid and sometimes went on holidays. It’s also interesting to see the fashion of people who are there.

―What are your favorite / recommended shops (of any genres, e.g. fashion stores, homeware stores, food services), facilities and sites?

Cafe Seibu in Shinjuku. A pure coffee shop with a retro atmosphere. I often have lunch meetings.

About efforts for SDGs

―Please tell us about your brand and personal efforts and challenges regarding SDGs.

We have been making ageless dresses that can be worn by children and adults for a long time regardless of age in the real world. A dress that doesn’t get old with the times for people who have various faces but the essence hasn’t changed since childhood. It can be worn in any size by changing its shape and wearing style from 2WAY and 3WAY. It can be worn carefully for a long time across generations. Through the brand, I would like to create a world where there is no [likeness] that anyone can always be on their own.