We have been given the opportunity to speak to Takeshi Kunimoto, the president of KINCS, an online web store which stocks famous Japanese clothing labels including h.NAOTO, gouk, Sixh, GRAMM and more. Please take a look at the beautiful collection of diverse and alternative styles on their website, which is linked at the end of the interview. Without further ado, let’s get right to the questions.
Is there a meaning behind the name ‘KINCS’?
K represents the first letter of ‘Kunitomo’ who is the current president of KINCS, and S is for ‘Shinichi’ who is the former president. It is a mixture of both of their names together.
What do you feel each clothing brand on KINCS represent?
I’m also the designer of gouk and the theme for the brand is “Japanese Wa” (Wa is written as “和” which means Japanese cultural concept usually translated into English as “harmony”). For the designs for MINT NeKO, we would like to expand our use of the cat character which has been drawn by the designer MINT. We would like to show the world the art by printing it on clothes.
What is your favorite project you’ve worked on?
I can’t choose our favorite project, but I’m really happy to have met many musicians, game producers, actors, voice actors and so on. They have shown me a different world.
Could you give us a little more information on gouk’s new collection that was revealed at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Tokyo?
I designed 50 original pieces which reused old kimono for the show. Kimono is an important part of Japanese culture and so I would like to introduce it to the world through my clothes.
What was the decision behind announcing that the brand would be collaborating with video game series such as Show By Rock!! and Senran Kagura?
Japanese animation and games are so popular all over the world and both are animations which featured Japanese Wa so it is good for gouk to collaborate with them.
Senran Kagura and Show By Rock!! costumes by gouk.
What was the decision behind splitting the company into KINCS and hISM?What things have changed over the last few years of doing business?
We have started to branch out and challenge more new ideas. I started to work with Japanese traditional artists in MUSUBI PROJECT recently.
To further accentuate the image of each brand.
What’s the most exciting thing you are currently working on that you can tell our readers about?
We have moved to Daizawa from Nishiazabu in December last year and renewed an old Japanese house to become the gouk gallery. It became a lovely gallery with an atmosphere of Japanese Wa.
What can we look forward to in 2016 for KINCS?
We will look for another gallery and produce the space of Japanese Wa.
Before we sign off, please send a message to our readers.
Please come to gouk gallery and feel Japanese Wa produced by gouk. Also I would like you to come and join gouk fashion show of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Tokyo 2016 A/W.
Please take a look at all the photos of their beautifully-decorated gouk gallery. Wouldn’t you love to visit them?
Clothes have been beautifully presented.
Interesting decor inside the shop.
Intricate hair accessory.
Traditional styled hand bag.
Splendid patterns along the garments.
gouk custom lampshade.
Traditional patterned fabrics.
Charms to decorate.
More custom gouk decor.
We would like to thank KINCS and Private Music Company for the interview. What did you guys think of the store? Let us know in the comments below.