Collaboration loafers by plain-me and HARUTA
Since its establishment, the Taiwanese select store "plain-me" has been offering styles that accompany people in their daily lives. Its most distinctive features are its simple yet sophisticated design and the balance between price and quality. The items are carefully selected from all over the world, and their high quality items suitable for daily use have gained a lot of support among young people in Taiwan.
The collaboration items created by plain-me and HARUTA are a fusion of the innovation of plain-me, which has a 19-year history, and the tradition of the long-established Japanese brand HARUTA. We will introduce how this pair, which is suitable for a wide range of occasions from formal to casual, was born, as well as plain-me's unique philosophy.
Japanese Leather Culture Increasingly Popular in Taiwan
First of all, could you tell us about the history of your select store plain-me, how it started, and how it has progressed over the years to the present?
This year marks the 19th anniversary of plain-me. Looking back, we started out as a really small store. At that time, I was the only manager, and I was running the store. Five or six years later, we moved to our current location and began to offer not only select items but also original products. Our staff grew and we gradually expanded the scale of our business, but I remember the first few years were really busy. By the time we grew further from street stores and opened stores in department stores and shopping centers, our brand worldview had solidified and we had created brand awareness. We now have 15 stores in Taiwan, and next month we plan to open one more store, bringing our total to 16.
What kind of impression do people in Taiwan have of Japanese leather products?
When it comes to leather products, Taiwanese people are afraid to use them because of the humidity, and there is not much of a culture to use leather products in Taiwan to begin with. I have the impression that leather products are becoming more popular as more and more people, especially the younger generation who are familiar with Japan through sightseeing or studying abroad, are gradually imitating the Japanese lifestyle. I have the impression that leather products are becoming more and more popular. Some people even go to lesser-known places such as Asakusa and Kuramae to find leather products. I was a bit surprised when I showed my Taiwanese friend the teema website and he said, "I have seen it before. I think that's how much attention Japanese leather products are getting nowadays. Moreover, they are not so expensive compared to Western brands. I think it is a good match for plain-me because it is affordable and can be used every day. Taiwan does not yet have a long history of leather products like Japan does, so I think it would be possible to create new collaborations with products that take advantage of Japanese craftsmanship and design. For example, I would be happy if we could design leather products in Japan that suit Taiwan's climate and culture and develop products specifically for Taiwan.
Something that brings me joy every time I use it.
I believe that behind the growth of plain-me is a strong concept. Please tell us again about your philosophy and concept as a select store.
I want to offer what I myself really want, so I want to offer something that fits the customer's lifestyle while faithfully expressing my own tastes and preferences. We want to select designs that can be used in daily life, not just decorative items or fashion items. I believe that is the central concept of our select store philosophy. I have always loved leather products and have purchased leather products from various Japanese brands. That's why I have been wanting more people to know about these wonderful products, and this time I finally got a chance to hold a pop-up. There is no distinction between good products from one country to another. Especially with the current depreciation of the yen, I definitely wanted to do this because the prices are affordable for people overseas.
As a buyer for plain-me, I am curious about your perspective in selecting products. Could you tell us about your specific selection criteria and points?
After all, there are many good things in the world. Among them, what plain-me focuses on the most is the balance between price and quality. We carefully select products that are neither just expensive nor just good quality, but always have a good balance between price and quality.
We also want to choose products with a taste that can be used every day, with a design and function that brings us joy every time we use it. For example, in the case of apparel, the ideal item is one that is easy to use and easy to dress for everyday use. The same goes for shoes and bags, where I focus not only on design but also on practicality.
The name plain-me comes from the fact that I have always liked plain good things that are just colors, patterns, and fabrics, and I want to express "me = myself" through them.
Leather products that enrich our daily lives.
What message would you like to convey to customers through the teema pop-up? What kind of response or effect are you hoping for?
Our goal with this pop-up is to have our customers experience the appeal of our products. Since this will be our first pop-up in Taiwan, we think it is important for people to directly feel the brand's worldview and teema. We are looking forward to the process of having customers come back again and again during the two-month event, sharing their appreciation of the products, and becoming interested in other products as well. We are looking forward to this process. Influencers are particularly influential in Taiwan, so we worked with them to create content that maximizes the appeal of our products. We also put a lot of effort into product photography to make good products more widely known. We want to showcase the goodness of our products in a way that is attractive to Taiwanese customers.
What prompted you to collaborate with HARUTA? Also, what are your thoughts on the loafers you collaborated with them on?
The main reason for the collaboration was, first of all, my own strong attraction to HARUTA's products. I think the brand is familiar to students in Japan, and I share their concept of fashionable shoes that can be worn every day. And since casual wearable leather shoes are booming among young people in Taiwan as well, I thought this collaboration would be well received by Taiwanese customers. We think the combination of casual yet sophisticated brown and white, and a design that can be worn both formally and casually, is appealing. The fact that they are 2-way and can be used for various occasions is also in line with the concept of plain-me, and I was very impressed when I saw the finished product for the first time.
What kind of events and initiatives are you planning for the future as a select store?
In the future, we plan to develop products that support not only apparel but also overall lifestyles. While 20-somethings are looking for apparel, customers in their 30s and older, in particular, are looking for more than just fashion items. In order to meet such needs, plain-me will focus on product selection.
Profile of plain-me Creative Director
"plain-me" Creative Director / Tim Nien
