LA can challenge you with your dreams.
Location.
What kind of people come to your store?
Greg:We have all types of people coming, from teenagers to 70-80 year olds . . We have a backyard behind the shop where we have benches and a fire pit. There is a back yard behind the store where we have benches and a fire pit, and people gather there in the evening.
Right next to the store is the Design Pacific Center, a large building specializing in art and design that also has gallery space, and it's in a strange location next to this modern building. You can see it from the store's yard, and in the evenings, the people who work there gather in front of the fire with their laptops, drinking beer and chatting. I think it's great that it has become a place where everyone in the neighborhood gathers, and the people who come are all interesting. I think we are creating a kind of movement.
The smoking jacket, with its shawl collar and no buttons, is one of the Elder Statesman's most popular items. It is an important piece that we continue to make, changing the color and pattern every season. It is an item that anyone can wear." ¥230,000+tax (Sotheby's League)
It's a very L.A.-like community.
Greg:I think London has that kind of thing, too, but Los Angeles is not fully developed yet, so people are coming here to seek opportunities. Another feature that London doesn't have is its natural beauty, which I think makes it an easy place for people to gather. L.A. is a place where people can have dreams and challenge themselves. That has always been true. Marilyn Monroe probably wouldn't have become Marilyn Monroe if she hadn't decided to challenge herself here.
I have not studied fashion at all, but I am allowed to say, "I tried it this way, and this is what I came up with," and everyone enjoys it. Thinking back to the Olsen Sisters' "The Row," "Chrome Hearts," and "Oliver Peoples," they all originated in L.A., and although they did not study anything for a long time before starting their own business, they are successful worldwide. I think it's a place that makes people want to give it a try.
Greg's phone records some of the approaches he has tried. . this is from a cashmere knit with a tie-dye pattern on it.
Aren't you afraid of running out of possibilities and ideas?
Greg:I don't think I will be afraid or worried about it while I am alive. The reason is that I happen to be interested in many things, and I am interested in creating, even though I am doing this kind of work now. One day, it may turn out to be something completely different, but I am confident that I will continue to do it, so I am not worried or afraid.
Lastly, what is the first moment that comes to mind when you think of the happiest moment in the 10 years you have been running your brand?
Greg:Ever since I started JE ELDER STATESMAN, I have been feeling really happy every single day. This is true for the accidents that occur during the production process, as I mentioned earlier, and it is also true for the coloring of the hand paintings, which differ from one piece to another. When I come to work in the morning and park my car, I see the dyed products from the previous day drying in the parking lot, and every day I am moved by how such beautiful things can be. I am truly blessed to be in such a beautiful environment.
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