koto showcases brands with diverse backgrounds.
Different countries, different cultural roots.
The products created and their expressions are also distinct.
Looking only at the lineup, it might be a shop that's hard to categorize into one genre.
However, within ourselves, the reasons we choose each item are connected somewhere.
When we consider those reasons, we arrive at how we ourselves have interacted with clothing over time.
In our early twenties, I think we relied on the power of clothes even more than now.
Perhaps by wearing items with strong designs or a significant presence, we wanted to showcase ourselves even more than our true selves.
Of course, I don't think that was bad.
We could become a different person, or feel a little more confident.
We thought about unexpected combinations, and were drawn to things we'd never seen before.
Purely, I think dressing was enjoyable.
Even now, the things we saw and the cultures we experienced back then remain vividly in our current sensibilities.
However, as we've gotten older, our relationship with clothes has gradually changed.
Working, meeting people, finding more things we like.
Conversely, we also gradually realize what we don't need.
Through accumulating such experiences, I feel like the outline of who I am has gradually become clearer.
As a result, I no longer feel the need to define myself solely through clothes.
When I was young, looking at the attire of adults, I honestly sometimes felt it was a bit bland.
I thought, "They should wear something more interesting."
But as we've gradually reached that age ourselves, I think there were things we couldn't see back then.
The work that person does.
What kind of life they usually lead.
What they like, what they've seen.
What kind of experiences they've accumulated.
Such things cannot be understood by just looking at what they wear.
However, for some reason, they manifest in that person's demeanor.
They're cool, even without dressing up more than necessary.
I might have felt it was insufficient in the past, but now, I've come to think that their style includes the person themselves.
Rather, I feel a certain strength and beauty in being able to see the person even without adornment.
The word "yohaku" (space/margin) we consider at koto is also connected to this.
When you hear "yohaku," you might imagine something simple or a pared-down style.
However, the "yohaku" we're thinking of is a bit different.
That person's work and life.
Their favorite music, and the cultures they've experienced.
We believe that these personal aspects are also elements that create a style.
Therefore, you don't have to express everything with just what you're wearing.
Leaving room for the person themselves.
This kind of balance feels very comfortable to us now.
That being said, we don't want to give up the fun that clothes offer.
Even now, we sometimes get excited looking at a single item.
It might be a slightly unexpected balance,
or a combination that makes us think, "You put that with that?"
Sometimes we're drawn to details that seem unnecessary at first glance.
Such playfulness and unexpectedness, along with the various cultures we've experienced, still remain deeply rooted within us.
Instead of eliminating them, we naturally incorporate them into the axis of the person themselves.
Now, this kind of distance feels just right.
That's why koto features a variety of brands.
We don't believe they all need to be heading in the same direction.
Some items attract us with their beautiful presence, while others have strong cultural backgrounds.
Some appeal to us through their materials and craftsmanship, while others bring a slightly different sensibility than before.
And what kind of background does that brand have, and with what philosophy are they creating their products?
We choose items that resonate with us, including these aspects.
If we center our thoughts on the wearer, even items born from different cultures and backgrounds can naturally coexist within the same person.
What that person has seen, their current life, their mood.
Chosen and combined through such things, it becomes their own style.
Therefore, we believe there's no need to unify koto's curation into a single genre.
We find interest in the existence of things with different backgrounds in the same place, and the relationships that emerge from that.
Rather than clothes completing the person.
The clothes are layered upon the person who already exists.
There, there is the time and life that person has spent, and a little bit of incongruity or playfulness is fine.
The person themselves is clearly visible, and it's still cool as a style.
We gather such items from our own perspective.
The current curation at koto is one answer we've found in our journey with clothes.