Whether it's fashion, music, or sports, there is a style that only each person can bring out in any genre. "Style is Everything." That's right, someone said that style is everything. "Style Resume" is a series of interviews with adults who literally have style. Updated every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, the fourth installment traces the life story of Katsuyuki Yoshida, founder of Porter Classic.
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5. Planning work is only possible with the help of craftsmen.
In the mid-1980s, I started getting more and more magazines and other things to feature my bags, and I felt that thanks to that, young people were buying Yoshida's bags. However, I've never been the kind of person who thinks about the company's profits or anything like that.
During the Bubble Era, I used to go out drinking alone every day. I feel more free when I'm alone than when I'm with someone. I would go to Golden Gai in Shinjuku. It didn't have a name, but it was commonly known as "Kumi's Bar." I spent time with some great people there. I would down three bottles of champagne every night (laughs). I don't know if it was because of that, but after that period I got cancer and stopped drinking and smoking.
I continued to work in planning during this time, but the planning work I do is only possible because of the craftsmen. My late father often said, "Take care of the craftsmen," which is the family motto of the Yoshida family. We can't do anything without people to make things. I think it was good to be in that kind of environment.
The inquisitive experiences I had while living abroad were also utilized in my craftsmanship at the time, but this also led me to rediscover traditional Japanese culture later on. Curiosity is important, after all, and you have to put that feeling into practice. I'm not in good health at the moment, so I can't travel around a lot, but I'd like to touch and smell the good things that have been around in Japan for a long time again.
Profile
Katsuyuki Yoshida (CEO of Porter Classic)
Born in 1947, he was the first Japanese to be selected as a member of the New York Designers Collective in 1981. In 2007, he founded Porter Classic with his son, Reo Yoshida, and continues to create products that are "Made in Japan," such as sashiko culture.
HP: https://porterclassic.com/
Instagram: @porterclassic_official
