Mari · Jul 16, 09:20 AM

MARI

I met up with Mari while she was in New York City for fashion week.
Mari owns four boutiques in Japan (Faline, Baby Faline, Bambi, and Tokyo). She’s a business woman with a whole-hearted interest in her products and the people she serves. She travels the globe, not so much searching, just seeing what’s out there. While some would be all worried about finding particular styles of clothing to fit some notion of what’s hot, Mari checks out what’s available and stocks what she likes.

Young Philosopher: Would you talk about the work you do? What brought you to New York and what will bring you to Paris?

Mari: I have a store in Japan. I started this business 10 years ago. In the beginning, I was only buying from Vivian Westwood and I just had one little store.

YP: A little boutique where you sell other people’s clothes?

M: Now, but it used to be that I only sold Vivian Westwood.

YP: How’d you go about becoming a licensed dealer?

M: I really wanted it so I went to the company’s outlet seller.
At that time I was wearing blond wigs and long dresses and I had no eyebrows, totally like a western drag queen. And the company was quite businessman [style]. They were like, ‘Oh, my god,’ when they saw me. But it worked out and from there I started a tiny store in Nagoya City.

YP: Where does your style come from?

M: I started going out to discos when I was 15 and at that time I didn’t have money to buy expensive clothes, but I liked quite freaky, punkish, new wave styles, so I just tried to make them. I would sew ballerina costumes by hand, and I’d make fluffy, pretty, French style clothes. It wasn’t only me, all the kids at that time wanted to show off.
Then I started wearing Vivian Westwood’s clothes when I was maybe 20 or something.

YP: You made your own clothes because you wanted a certain style that you couldn’t find on your budget, are you like this with other things? You don’t wait for them to come to you?

M: I’m coming from me, always, very strong. I’m a Scorpion. I want everything that I want.

YP: What do you want that you don’t have right now?

M: Me? Now I’m very happy. I just opened a Tokyo store last year on St. Valentine’s Day.

YP: As a business owner, how important are the people who work for you?

M: Almost my livelihood. Like my family.

YP: What types of clothes do you sell at your stores?

M: My stores are mixed: edgy and haute couture.
I respect my customers. Tokyo customers are more casual—they don’t buy as much expensive stuff as Nagoya customers. Nagoya customers are more VIP. We have VIPs from 10 years ago. It’s quite expensive but they love it.
(In Nagoya, she’s the only one who sells these labels, but in Japan these labels are easier to find).
We’re all very close.

YP: You’re in the mix.

M: It’s a community.

YP: It doesn’t sound like you’re just trying to capitalize off of fashion but fashion is something you love and you’re happy to be sharing it with others.

M: It’s very personal.

YP: Do you choose all the clothes you’ll sell?

M: I travel myself and meet designers or go to the show room and pick up stuff. I look at clothes and decide which ones are better.

YP: Has your job always been about doing what you enjoy, not like I have to get a job; I need cash?

M: It follows you later.

YP: The money?

M: Yeah. My friends all think Mari do whatever Mari likes.

YP: Is that the way to do it?

M: In ten years sometimes it’s good and I make money but sometimes it’s really bad.
Couldn’t make any money. I spend a hard time as well. Now after ten years there’s been a revival so I’m very happy. Now I can save or give to mommy.
Plus I was too young when I opened the first store. I didn’t care about my furture.
My mother had a stroke two years ago. That was quite a hardcore time for me. So many things are different. I realize life is not forever. She is losing her body and I worry that mine will go as well.
Now, we’re coming together and making money. We share.
But it’s not going to be forever; I have to figure out what’s next.

YP: When did you first start this business?

M: Eleven years now. Faline is eleven years this year. Baby Faline this summer is six; Bambi is eight or nine. Tokyo is baby, just one year.

YP: Are there many female business owners in Japan?

M: Yeah. My age is getting more. My mom’s age, not really. The generation is different. Our’s is more powerful.

A couple days ago somebody asked me, “Isn’t it hard for a woman to have a business in Tokyo?” I’m not married yet. I don’t have kids.
My answer was, “Since I was a kid I didn’t care about marriage or having a baby. So, this is quite natural for me. Maybe somebody else can’t do this. For her it’s quite hard.
It is a hard job but fashion is beautiful.
In other parts of Asia it’s quite difficult. I’m Asian but other Asian countries, like Bangkok, have a tougher reality. I’m lucky.
I didn’t always have money. I had some bad times, really bad. I got really popular and then went down.
Now is a good time but it’s not going to be forever.

YP: When times were tough did you still have good people around you, supporting you, or did people ditch you?

M: The people who work for me need to make money so they had to get other jobs. That’s reality but I loved them; they love me, and they helped me even if I don’t have money (to pay them).

YP: It’s a typical story to hear that when times are good people will stick around to enjoy the success but when things sour people leave. If you’re low no one wants to be around you.

M: But I didn’t show to anyone that I had a bad time. This is a fantasy so I cannot show to them.
Of course the shop people know but other people around me they’re still thinking things are good.

End.

— Albin

Comment

1. Albin Mark, she is a neat , tough gal.

   I am a scorpio too.

   Dad

   — · Jul 17, 04:39 PM · #

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