History of MEMENTOS
It was in the year of 2020, when I started to run this brand, MEMENTOS, that COVID-19 suddenly began to influence our lifestyles and senses of value.
This situation encouraged me even more to start acting towards opening the brand because I had always hoped to assist craftspeople and disseminate the beauty of traditional Japanese crafts. However, I felt that I was useless in that situation.
As COVID-19 restricted people from going out, which made it difficult for people to buy things in physical stores, it influenced makers and craftspeople’s production. Ironically, it was precisely because it was such a year that I was able to realize firsthand the miracle and delicacy of Japanese traditional crafts and their production being continued from generation to generation.
Meaning of Wearing a Brooch
These days, Japanese crafts can be blended into our daily lives as tableware or room interiors, but I feel that "wearing" them has a different meaning and way of enjoying them rather than "using" them.
Wearing something on the chest may have an imprinted meaning other than dressing up. The badges of legislators or lawyers indicate their occupation and position and public figures who wear SDGs badges express their support for the idea.
Among the various jewels and ornaments, I think the brooch worn on the chest is special in the sense that it can be a communication tool to share information and opinions.
Choices of What to Wear
The older I get, the more I want to give meaning to what I wear. It is interesting that, as a criterion for choosing what to wear, what kind of person is making the product with what kind of background and with what kind of feelings, is important to me. It is not just about the product itself.
The more passionate you are about the craftsperson, brand, or the item you are wearing, the more you might say, “I support such wonderful a craftsperson!”
Depending on what I wear myself, I could feel a sense of confidence, or, on the other hand, it could ruin my whole day. So I really feel that fashion is something I do for myself. In that sense, we may always wear ours own, a craftsperson’s, or someone else’s thoughts.
What We Wear Ourselves and Our Future Selves
When I think about what to wear, I am also thinking of my future self. This may be because what we wear changes with age.
We may be distracted by superficial aging, but I believe that by thinking about what to wear ourselves, as we change with age, we can rediscover our true selves rather than our manipulated selves.
I believe that brooches made of traditional crafts with a long history will naturally accompany each person’s decision on what to wear, as we age.