IRI🎩Hat Designer

After all, I set a record for not selling a single hat in a week, making it the lowest point of my hat-selling career. Every day, I thought about giving up the shop.
But overcoming that period is what brings me to where I am today.

I used to run my own hat shop in Shinjuku Lumine.
When meeting people for the first time, they usually think I'm just a small-time hat maker. So, when I mention my shop, they often respond with, "Wow, that's amazing!" But it's really not.

肉がいいです。

I became a hat designer because I love hats too much. I share the charm of hats daily. Your "likes" and "follows" are greatly encouraging. 　　 @irih.bsky.social

Now that I've said it, I have no choice but to do it.

Since scaling down my business, I've stopped going to Paris.
But, actually, I have a new dream.
I want to take my school's students to a Paris exhibition. I want to share with them that making hats for a living is full of dreams, just like the experience I had.　↓

The program, which NHK BS broadcasted, covered Japanese brands exhibiting at a Paris exhibition. It was a good memory, especially interviewing buyers from Belgium and the Netherlands.
That program was aired for a while on ANA's international flight Sky Channel.　↓

I was surprised to see you on ANA!
A friend in the apparel industry who had gone to Italy for purchasing approached me at a Japanese exhibition. What? What's going on?
It turns out, a program I had appeared on for JETRO was being aired on ANA's channel.　↓

Whether they were dramatic or nihilistic, listening to everyone's unique explanations was fun, and it made me deeply grateful to be part of the creator group.
Let's do it again this summer. Gin parties suit the summer. I'm looking forward to it already.

We prepared gin, fruits, and herbs, and everyone made their own cocktail arrangements. It was interesting to see the individuality just through that, but we also gave titles to our cocktails.

And now, we are still owners of our own brands. I've always admired everyone's lifestyle for being so cool, and I still do.
We often hold home parties among our creator friends, and there's always a theme. One hot summer, we held a "Gin Party" at my studio.

I have friends who are creators that I've been close with for over 20 years.
Back then, each of us had just launched our brands, in our first or second year. Designers of bags, clothes, and accessories seemed to gravitate towards each other and became friends.

I also play the accordion for a change of pace. 🪗

There are plenty of beginner-friendly patterns and YouTube tutorials available, making it enjoyable for even hat-making novices to knit.

I became a hat designer because I love hats too much.

I share the charm of hats daily. Your "likes" and "follows" are greatly encouraging. 　　
@irih.bsky.social

If you're interested in making hats, start by trying your hand at a simple knitted hat. The advantages are: (1) it can be made with basic knitting techniques, (2) it doesn't require a large space, and (3) you can easily adjust the size and design. ↓

After all, I've been doing unbelievable things all along.
And it all started from being ridiculed.
Alright.

This is good.

Just watch.

Pop-up shops in department stores nationwide
A special order from the most famous hat maker in the UK

I became a hat designer simply because I loved hats, but I never believed I could achieve all this.
The things I'm about to do have a high chance of actually happening.

It seems unbelievable, even to myself. Everything started from being ridiculed.
Directly managed store in a Shinjuku commercial facility
Directly managed store in a Harajuku commercial facility
Exhibition in Paris
Exhibition in Copenhagen

おやすみなさいませ

That store is no longer there, but somehow, I've managed to keep going with hats. There is no night that doesn't end.

Once, I opened my first street-front store on Meiji Street in Harajuku. It was surrounded by ultra-famous fashion brand shops. Despite the glamour, hats just weren't selling. After closing, I would stop by the store alone, after the staff had left, and cried out of frustration. ↓

Simply cut the fabric and sew it together, and you've made a hat. Why not give it a try? Using a sewing machine is faster, but hand sewing works too.

Hats can be made in various ways, with fabric hats being a popular option. They can be made from the same materials as clothing, making them an easy project for those who love sewing. You can easily find the materials at your local craft store, and no special tools are required.

I want to create things I love for people who appreciate them. I want people to feel glad they bought a hat from me, to think, "I'm really glad I got a hat from Iri-san." To achieve that, I'm quietly honing my skills every day.

I know I need to make hats that sell to make a living. I understand that. But I don't want to make what everyone else wants. Continuing to produce only best-sellers became a burden, leading me to scale down my business.

😭

To become the admired Hatnista, first, you must find a hat that suits you. The quickest way is to go to a hat store and try on every hat that catches your eye. Whether you feel embarrassed or not, the staff won't mind at all. Just keep trying them on! Until you find the hat that fits you perfectly!

If it doesn't exist, we'll make it. I won't allow the joy of wearing hats to be taken away just because of head size!

In my atelier, we even have hats with a head size of 65cm. It's fun to see the surprise and laughter when someone who's been unsure about finding a hat that fits due to having a larger head size tries it on and finds it's actually loose! Head size doesn't matter.

I became a hat designer because I love hats too much. Making everyday special with the magic of hats.

"HAT a magical experience!"
I share the charm of hats daily. Your "likes" and "follows" are greatly encouraging. 　　
@irih.bsky.social