Things I've been curious about lately.

 

 

 

 

Hello, this is Nishiwaki from THIRD PLACE.

 

 

Lately, I've been thinking more and more about the word "creative."

 

As someone who works in a clothing store, I hear the word "creative" often, and surprisingly, I use it quite a bit.

 

 

Creating styling.

Taking photos.

Writing text.

Designing the store space.

Selecting brands.

Of course, I think all of these are creative tasks.

But lately, I've started to feel that it's more than just that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For example, when I choose a brand.

It's not just about "these clothes look cool." I want to know where the brand originated, what the designer sees, and what they're thinking when they create the clothes.

This year, I had the opportunity to meet John, the designer of de dam foundation, four times.

He usually lives in Amsterdam and I'm in Nagoya, so it's not easy to meet, but if our timings align in Tokyo or Paris, we get in touch, have a meal, and talk not only about clothes but also about the city, what he's seeing, and what he's thinking.

Then, we interpret what we've learned in our own way and consider how to present it in the store.

We create styling, put it into words, and convey it to our customers.

I've come to think that "creativity" is also present in this whole process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other words, creativity isn't necessarily about "creating something new from nothing."

It's about seeing what already exists with your own eyes and interpreting it in your own way.

Combining it with something else.

And then delivering it to someone as something with a different meaning or value than before.

For me, that's what "creativity" has become closer to lately.

And I've started thinking about this more strongly since starting THIRD PLACE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This past year, while continuing to express ourselves in our own way, we've also confronted sales, inventory, and customer reactions.

"Expressing what we believe is good" and "having customers choose us."

The store cannot continue with just one or the other.

That's why we need to figure out how to deliver what we believe is good as value to our customers.

 

What brands to choose.

How to style them.

What words to use to communicate.

When to show them.

What customers should feel when they come to the store.

 

Thinking about each of these, combining them, and giving them form.

I believe that's also part of being a creative clothing store owner.

Lately, I've been thinking that creativity might not just be about "expressing," but also about "creating value."

But I'm still on that journey.

 

I believe that shaping things little by little through daily choices is more important for us right now than finding definitive answers.

 

Just some musings for today.