Whether it's fashion, music, or sports, there is a style that only each person can have 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 11th installment featured guest Hiroshi Okamoto, known as the founder of Toys McCoy. Please join us for all 13 installments in July.
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11. The first "A-2" I made the pattern for myself.
I made the first A-2 myself. The first thing I worked on was leather. The A-2 is made from horsehide, and finding the right material for clothing was a challenge. I ended up re-tanning horsehide, the same leather used for shoe soles. I wanted to source parts like zippers in the US, but the older models were discontinued, so I had a Japanese manufacturer make something similar. In the US, I was able to view military-spec documents at the Smithsonian Institution and the Pentagon, which allowed me to figure out the exact stitch count and other details, but I didn't have the essential pattern. Flight jackets from various manufacturers all have different shapes, right? That was the reason. So, I put the A-2 on a torso, pasted newspaper over it, and created a pattern.
To cover costs, we limited the number to 300. We were able to make them without taking on debt, but we weren't sure if they would sell. However, when we opened the doors, we received a registered mail with cash in excess of the limited number. Around this time, together with two other people who were involved in the business, we launched Hario Skor Japan, the predecessor to The Real McCoy's. After shipping out A-2, there was a lot of excitement about the next release, so we released B-3, which was made in New Zealand, as a sequel, but it didn't go as planned and we had a hard time.
Profile
Hiroshi Okamoto (Chairman of Toys McCoy)
Born in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture in 1953, he started his career as an illustrator and founded the military and motorcycle-based apparel brand TOYS McCOY in 1996. He is known as a true Steve McQueen fan and motorcycle rider, and has participated in races on vintage Harley Davidson and Triumph bikes. He currently spends his days working on manufacturing as the chairman of TOYS McCOY.
Homepage http://www.toys-mccoy.com
