niime 百科

Encyclopedia of niime

Mr Yoshinori Sakai is the one who built the ‘tamaki niime’ brand with Ms Tamaki and poured his heart and soul into it. He has a unique creative spark and an unconventional sense. Ongoing discussions with Ms Tamaki became the source of energy for their fantastic development. In this episode of Encyclopedia of niime, we asked Sakai for details about his brand strategy that may not follow typical logic or traditional theories. With no mind to his surprisingly unrestrained remarks, we explore his words and try to understand the meanings behind them. —— Mr Sakai, your remarks that the branding of ‘tamaki niime’ is: the ‘art’ and ‘expression.’

Sakai

It is my expression.

  —— That’s the core.

Sakai

Yeah, I always try not to accomplish it.

  —— You try not to accomplish it?

Sakai

I believe in the phrase ‘Doubt the obvious’. I have kept my faith in ‘the completion of unfinished’.

  —— Hmmm.

Sakai

I would rather not give a precise definition, even though it was suggested I do so. I want to give people a chance to think about our products, who can see, choose and accept them. We have to gain the ability to ‘understand’. We live in a time where we need thinking habits. In the future, we would speed up the renewal of many things to simplify and automate. If we don’t create those habits now, I think we will lose them. I think we’d all become fools.

  —— Things would just pass us by if we don’t do anything.

Sakai

That’s right. It would be too quick. That’s why I dare not accomplish it.

  —— I see.

Sakai

So called-high fashion brands have consistent world values.

  —— Yes, I understand what you mean.

Sakai

They make you feel stereotypical.

 

Tamaki

Something like that.

 

Sakai

That’s right. I would dare not make such things. We don’t do it on Instagram or the works we have done so far, keeping the styles unfinished. I feel romantic with unfinished branding, and if there is an ultimate accomplishment in branding, we don’t need branding. It should be endless.

  —— After all the effort you made with the brand images, you may find out they are already old.

Sakai

That’s right, that’s right!

 

Tamaki

(quietly) …We destroy it quickly.

 

Sakai

I surely destroy it quickly, but not only me, but you also wouldn’t keep staying there, either.

  —— They are always up in the air.

Sakai

You are absolutely right.

 

Tamaki

We would get bored.

 

Sakai

Yes. We would. If we were asked if we were only a fashion brand company, we wouldn’t be the one, or if we were only a manufacturer, we wouldn’t be. Even Tamaki started saying that she wants to run a dairy farm.

  —— (laugh)

Sakai

So, we have been branding with flexible, comprehensive range plans in that sense.

  —— I see. That would be better.

Sakai

We don’t tell people what we are like, but we are branding with a wide range to put in other elements. We keep it in mind.

  —— Ummm. It sounds a reservoir.

Sakai

That’s right.

  —— Mr Sakai, you have created such a branding policy, which is like liquid, not standard nor fixed?

Sakai

Yes, I have it, basically. I wouldn’t say I like the same things that others have. Since my childhood, I chose B and C if my parents asked me to go to A. I have been like that. I have decided to go in other directions contrary to where our society is going.

 

Tamaki

Since when?

 

Sakai

I was like that ever since I could remember. That is how I am.

 

Tamaki

You are a contrarian, right?

 

Sakai

Am I?

 

Tamaki

You choose to go in the opposite direction as others. (laugh)

  —— You are different from being rebellious, right?

Sakai

I am not rebellious at all. I am not the type of person who has a rebellious spirit.

  —— Did you mention that you are flaky? (laugh)

Sakai

I have naturally become who I am.

  —— He became the person who is difficult for people to figure out.

Sakai

That’s right.

 

Tamaki

There is a saying that there is a fine line between genius and madness.

 

Sakai

I spend money too easily.

 

Tamaki

He doesn’t have any idea how he should spend money.

 

Sakai

No, not at all.

  —— But you could accept and influence Ms Tamaki’s behaviour if she became overwhelmed, correct?

Sakai

Yes, I think I could do that.

  —— When Ms Tamaki created the shawls, she declared that she wants to deliver them everywhere in the world. I think her words are enough to create a brand and to do business.

Tamaki

Everyone believed we could do it.

 

Sakai

Yes, I thought so.

 

Tamaki

I just told our staff, “Next person, I will ask you to do it.” And the staff replied, “What?! I don’t understand if you don’t explain to me one on one.”

  —— I think that is the standard reaction.

Sakai

For me, I don’t like to be told to do this or that by Tamaki.

  —— It’s annoying, huh? (laugh)

Tamaki

I would tell you by knitting my brows. (laugh)

 

Sakai

I would rather be told with simple words and wish she depends on me.

  —— You would feel easy and have fun doing it. (laugh)

Sakai

That’s right. I would enjoy doing it that way.

 

Tamaki

It’s hard to ask him! He is easily upset with me.

 

Sakai

Yeah, that’s why I would say “No” if I were asked to do it.

 

Tamaki

You are a businessman.

 

Sakai

That’s why I can’t be a businessman.

  —— That’s how Mr Sakai expresses himself in the field of art, by asking for freedom.

Sakai

You are right. Because I have been living freely, I can’t get my jobs well done if I was forced to do so.

  —— I understand what you mean.

Tamaki

You mean if you were a bird in a cage.

 

Sakai

Yeah.

  —— Because branding is a game for you. You would do it if they only give you hints.

Sakai

It would be more fun that way.

  —— I think so. But I think it would be hard to understand how regular people understand the feeling you have.

Sakai

I must be a person who does it instinctively.

 

Tamaki

You have to explain well in Japanese because a very intuitive person has to explain the job to regular people.

  —— All the branding work which Mr Sakai has done is kept, so I think the staff could share them.

Sakai

If I am allowed to say, my belief of branding or makers is losing their value when others understand them.

  —— What?

Sakai

You could say the same thing about artists. When they are understood, they lose their attractiveness. People feel attracted to the mysterious parts because they feel some shadows or something deep inside.

  —— Oh, I see.

Sakai

That’s why I have been thinking, right?

 

Tamaki

(nodding)

 

Sakai

I may be repeating but we are trying to make people not understand us, even though people must understand us, somewhat, for example, our products are soft and comfortable, which is true, but when they see ‘tamaki niime’ in a comprehensive vision, we want them to feel we are a mystery. If they don’t, we lose that appeal.

  —— For example, the shawls show ‘tamaki niime’s’ core character; however, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Sakai

You are absolutely right.

 

Tamaki

Yeah.

 

Sakai

The one with the shawl character is obviously ours, but other aspects that make people wonder are ours. There are many aspects within us. Even though we display one of our aspects in branding, I am not satisfied at all. I feel thrilled if people think we are challenging to understand because there are various aspects within us.

  —— You appear multifaceted.

Sakai

That’s right. Even though you thought to understand one of our aspects, we will change to another.

  —— It rotates.

Sakai

You are right. That’s probably what ‘tamaki niime’ is, and Tamaki and I want to be like that.

  —— I see.

Sakai

Therefore, when our staff does business or tells people what we are, if they come to understand our fundamental principles, they would change the way they look at us.

  —— It must be your senses, rather than basic principles, right?

Sakai

You are absolutely right.

  We will have more free and unconventional discussions with Sakai in the next installment.

Original Japanese text by Seiji Koshikawa.
English translation by Adam & Michiko Whipple.