PROFILE
He operates a total of seven stores, including "Phaeton," which is tucked away on the roadside not far from Komatsu Airport in Ishikawa, "Tieton," a members-only tea salon, and "Porter Classic" and "Old Joe," which have stores in Kanazawa. He is an unparalleled car enthusiast who drives a Mercedes, a Porsche, a Jaguar, and more than a dozen classic cars.
Clothes with powerful engines are always beautiful.
Ms. Sakaya, please tell us about your own fashion trends for this fall/winter season.
You take easy-to-wear, comfortable designs for granted, and this fall/winter you are focusing on beautiful coloring and pattern use. Personally, I would even wear pink all over (laughs). In that sense, the London-based design studio "Toogood," which we carry at Phaeton, and Italy's "Isabella Stefanelli," which designs from yarn selection, are good examples of this.
Is this something you've been thinking about recently?
It started about a year ago. To be honest, I have been looking at simple clothes for a while. If I were to describe myself as a car enthusiast, it would be how powerful an engine I have. It's not just about being flashy, but something underlying must be constant. Not only To Good and Isabella Stefanelli, but also Nigel Cavon, who always designs the best pants, Porter Classic and Old Joe are great. I feel the acceleration is getting better and better.
Porter Classic and Old Joe are now available only in Kanazawa, not at Phaeton, right?
That's right. While we sell our products at Phaeton, we also want to present a fuller line of products, so we are developing this as an only store. That was our intention in opening an only store. When we started Porter Classic nine years ago, we didn't sell more than one outfit a month. At the time, people would say, "A kendo suit costs 150,000 yen! (laughs). (Laughs.) Today, as is well known, the brand has gained popularity as one of Japan's leading brands. Old Joe" has never changed its style since its establishment. The number of fans is increasing because they can wear the same items every season, year after year.
toogood "THE DRAUGHTSMAN SHIRTS". The "new workwear," as Mr. Sakaya calls it, is "Toogood. This "Drawtsman shirt" is hand painted with a 15th century slipware pattern on a tough shirt fabric. The generous width provides a comfortable fit. ￥99,000
Isabella Stefanalli The irregular gingham check pattern that was created in the past for Phaeton's 10th anniversary was reissued. The fabric, specially dyed in navy, has been incorporated into Isabella Stefanelli's signature coats and tote bags. (Please inquire for the price of both items.)
Both brands are based on workwear, right?
We believe that this is exactly the kind of working clothes that working people wear. While the clothes have a comfortable pattern, they are also highly durable and can be worn without feeling self-conscious. I am a lover of German products, and I have a complete line of old Leica lenses, and I think it is wonderful when something doesn't break. On the other hand, I am also fond of flowers, and I like the beauty of flowers as they wither and die over time. The clothes of [TOO GOOD] and [Isabella Stefanelli], which age together with the user, are full of charm not found in other brands.
Q: Are there any other brands that seem to be a hidden gem?
This fall/winter will start with . I honestly choose this brand for outerwear. I think it is the king of synthetic fibers. I call them "akaika," and their down jackets that you can see through the feathers are one-of-a-kind. Whenever Phaeton selects a new brand, we hold a "try-meeting," an event in which we dye the store in the brand's colors. We invite the manufacturer to join the customers and the staff members listen to the explanation of the brand. The "C.P. Company" tri-meeting is scheduled for mid-October. We will also never remove shoes, which are the tire part of a car, if you compare it to a car. Because we have dismantled and looked at shoes of all brands. By looking inside, I can understand everything. Among them, [Fratelli Giacometti] is authentic down to the smallest detail. About six new models of both shorts and boots will be coming in.
C.P. COMPANY "Co-Ted Down Jacket". This is a down jacket by that will be available from this season. Down is enclosed in Taslan nylon with a waterproof and dye-resistant coating on the reverse side. The heavy material is impervious to water and wind, and maintains a beautiful form tailored to conform to the body in any environment. ¥162,000
F.LLI Giacometti "MARMOLADA" Trekking boots made in the traditional way are arranged with African elephant leather on order from "Phaeton". The leather is one of the rarest in the world and has a rich expression. ￥209,000
I wondered if going to "Phaeton" was one of the events because of its location away from the city.
In fact, 80% of our customers come from outside the prefecture. It took a lot of energy to bring people to this place. This year marks the 10th anniversary of Phaeton, but for the first two years we had no visitors. We have invited Toshiyuki Terui of "Blankie Jet City" to do an in-store live concert, held an Italian cooking party with cookery expert Yasuhiro Watanabe, and invited Katsuyuki Yoshida and Reio Yoshida of "Porter Classic" to give workshops every year for the past nine years. It is really an accumulation of small things, isn't it? I feel that because our stance has not changed over the past 10 years, we have been able to grow steadily without being affected by Corona.
I heard that you even created a new flow line for Ishikawa as a result.
After tasting tea at Tee Tung, customers can enjoy shopping at Phaeton, and then visit restaurants in Ishikawa Prefecture after reading "Dai Study" (a magazine published independently by the store). That would never happen in the city. Although the store is located in the countryside, we are now reaffirming that we made the right decision in opening Phaeton in this location.
Phaeton is located about 10 minutes by car from Komatsu Airport in Ishikawa, Japan. The store, which suddenly appears in the countryside, is a sight to behold.
