Thank you for your continued support, Onishi-san.

Thank you very much!

Could you please briefly introduce yourself?

I'm Onishi from the underwear brand Ohh!

Please tell us what led you to start working in the clothing industry.

I guess he's a student.
When I was working part-time at Lawson, I was influenced by the store manager and a customer (Mossan) and decided to work in a clothing store.

I wanted to just go through this briefly (lol), but it's actually quite interesting from the get-go.
When you say students, do you mean when you were in high school? The store manager and customers were really fashionable?

I started working part-time at a local Lawson in my first year of high school.
I still love vertical stripes.
There were a lot of people playing music and it was really stylish.

What happens next?
Like getting a part-time job at a clothing store?

That's right! I started working at Mossan's clothing store after I was a customer there!

I know a little about that too, but isn't it Kokoti from Kansai University?

Yes, yes! Technically it's koko-ti (laughs).

Sorry (laughs). What kind of products did you sell? Casual items, I guess.

Originally, I worked at a denim shop, and I started to admire Europe from America.
We also carried works by Kaempfer, Danton, and of course RIPT.
It was inspiring for me as a student.
For footwear, I often wore Repetto or Aurora shoes.

Was Onishi-san born around 1986? I was born in 1982.
I was going to a fashion college at the time, and there were a lot of people who were into street style or Harajuku, and some DC brands, and I think there were a few people wearing vintage clothes, but there were hardly any people who were dressed casually. I feel like you went through a lot of different styles, like Repetto and Aurora Shoes, in your early twenties, so what was it like in that regard?
I like Comme des Garçons, but since I joined TRIP, the company that makes RIPT, I've started to wear more casual styles.

I was born in March, so it was 1987!
I grew up in a casual lifestyle, so I would go to various stores, such as flea markets, second-hand clothing stores, and select shops, with a magazine in hand.
On the other hand, I have never been to a DC brand.
After meeting koko-ti, I started going to haus because I was attracted to the natural culture.
She was wearing a beret and a pin badge and looked really cute.
My favorite book is Kounel, a natural life style (lol).

It's a girl! (lol)

My hobbies were visiting general stores and cafes (laughs).

How long will it be like working at koko-ti?

I worked part-time about two days a week for about a year.

What happens next?

The CEO of Stratos, where I work now, asked me if I wanted to join him in opening a new store in Minamisenba, so I went along with him.
Somehow, about 20 years have passed since then...

He often took me with him (laughs)! 20 years is amazing.

Isn't that lucky?
I worked hard doing what I loved.

I met Onishi-san after joining STRATO, so I know what he's been up to since then.
She wears a beret, pins, and other cute outfits, and her favorite book is "Kunel."
Have your favorite things and styles changed up to now?

It has changed a lot.
At that time, I was working hard on addition.
Now it's all about subtraction.
I'm so into mountain climbing that I go to the mountains all the time.
It's something I couldn't have imagined back then.

What was the trigger that made you start mountain climbing?

I could see the mountains from my house and suddenly I was curious about how far they were and what it was like deep in the mountains.
I went to the mountains with the intention of just going for a walk.

When you climb a mountain, what do you do when you reach the top? (laughs)
We've arrived! But it seems we'll be heading back down the mountain in a little while?

I'm not aiming for the summit, but I just have the urge to walk through the mountains!
No matter how many mountains you climb, they are just mountains.
I also go alone to the nearby mountains to relieve stress by thinking and listening to music.

I'll try the nearby Kumano Kodo trail next time!

There are a variety of courses available!
I'll accompany Ohashi!

I used to see Onishi often wearing his clothes on the web,
It seems like you're not in the public eye as much these days, but what kind of work have you been doing lately?

I leave the front-line work to the younger generation and work behind the scenes.
From the staff's perspective, she seems as nosy as a mother-in-law.

Do you leave styling to the younger generation?

I either leave it to younger people or do it myself.

Do you do buying?

I still do it today.
There are some parts that I would like to leave to them, and some parts that I can't leave to them!
I'm old-fashioned, so I would like someone to take my position.

Many STRATO graduates go on to open their own stores or start their own brands.
Why did you start Ohh! while you were still at STRATO?

I never had any desire for independence.
Ambition or ambition.
I want to sell! I want to be popular! I do have those thoughts.
I started this business because I wanted to do both sales and manufacturing.
It wasn't easy - making clothes is really difficult.

They work hard and have no desire to go independent, they're the best staff!
I want to sell! I want to be popular! That's true, but...
Regarding Ohh!, they don't actively share information or use social media, so I think they're a bit mysterious.
Is it some kind of strategy? I feel like a lot of people don't know that Onishi-kun is doing it.

I'm really bad at social media so I think that's a minus.
We've deliberately created a sense of mystery!

Why did you choose underwear? The brand description says,
It's hard to find underwear that fits just right.
So I made it. I don't make anything other than underwear.
But it says...

When I thought about whether I wanted to make the main clothes and wear them myself, I felt intimidated.
I was like, "Would it be okay if I wore it as an inner layer?"
Also, I don't really have the right underwear.
I think Uniqlo, Muji, Family Mart, etc. are just right, but there's something just subtly different about them.
Also, I have sensitive skin, so I have to be very careful when developing materials.
I care about the standards of what I can wear.

I see. I understand what you mean. I also try to make clothes for supporting roles, not the main roles.
Trying to be as inconspicuous as possible (laughs).
Regarding materials, where do you make them?
Wakayama? Original fabric, right?

I totally understand!
I'm seriously thinking about making clothes that make you think, "Isn't this just fine?"
The material is from Wakayama!
I've always had good luck with the people I've met.
I have a dough master in Wakayama, so I study every day.
The other day, my master took me to a boat race for the first time.

I always think it's great when people can think like that.
I think it's pretty much the same no matter where you work,
Even though we work in the same environment, some people have a lot of fun, while others complain and quit (laughs).
It depends on how you perceive it.
I think Mr. Onishi has been able to do this for 20 years because he has a sense of gratitude and determination.
I respect that. Seriously.

It's just something that interests me!
I'll bombard you with questions.
Also, I believe that work is play and play is work.

It sounds like a famous quote from Tamori (lol).

Huh! Got it?
Sorry, I stole it thinking I might be able to name at least one.

Is it basically unisex?

I was making unisex clothes that were more geared towards men, but they were surprisingly popular with women, so most of my wholesale sales are to women.
There are about eight styles each season.
We have many standard items, and we are adding new colors as we go.
I make new works irregularly.

There may not be many men who are particular about their underwear.
We have the same unisex style that leans towards men's,
Most of our customers are women, but we also have a fair number of men online.
When I think of underwear, I imagine a tank top like the ones my dad wears that slopes down in the front,
Ohh! I don't know how to put it, but can you wear it as a T-shirt?

Naguya's clothes don't have a masculine smell to them!
But I'm really grateful that women like it too.
In my definition, I would consider it underwear, but in reality, I think there are many pieces of clothing that can be worn on their own!
Your favorite clothes are the ones you wear at the right time.
What I like most about Ohh!'s clothes is that I just reach out and wear them without even thinking about it.
Oh! I was wearing it again today!

The more I listen, the more I realize that although the approaches are different, the thinking is the same.

Ideally, we would like customers to buy it once and be satisfied, but also to buy it again and again!
Recently, I've been contacted by people who wear my clothes and have been asking to carry them, which makes me really happy!

Ohh! doesn't have a very deep neckline, so perhaps it's meant to be layered to show off the colour or to peek out from the hem?

I would like it to peek out from the neck, cuffs, and hem.
Even women often buy size M to show off a little.

The fabric is thinner than a regular T-shirt? About 60 count?

The lightweight series is the thinnest.
It is made from 50 count single yarn and has been specially processed for finishing.
This process removes fuzz while retaining the pleasant texture unique to cotton.
Because it is a single thread, it has the disadvantage of being slightly skewed, but we developed it because we wanted to create a comfortable inner layer that is affordable and easy to buy in quantities of two or three.

It's starting to look pretty professional (laughs).
If you use double thread, it will be too pretty?
Is it like the texture of a single yarn is retained, but the fuzz is removed to give the surface a slightly glossy look?
This is similar to the above, but double-ply yarns and extra-long staple cottons like GIZA and Supima are good, but I also like single-ply yarns that retain a slightly rough feel. This also includes the fact that they are in a price range that allows you to wear them on a daily basis.

I thought I might need some industry feel, so I pushed myself! (laughs)
Sorry!
To be honest, it's the cost. In fact, we could make something even better if we made it using the dual system of Giza and Supima.
However, this does come down to the price, so it's a matter of finding a balance.
Cut and sew really isn't profitable!
Ohh! The Random Rib series that has been around since the beginning was made without considering costs, so we ended up with some really great fabric!

When you create your products, is there a specific type of person you would like to see wear them?

Not at all.
What makes me happiest is when the staff at my company actually like it and wear it.

Do you have any plans or things you want to do in the future?

I've always wanted to do something interesting. It's not about common sense or values.
It's getting harder and harder to be funny every year! (laughs)

That's right! Let's take this opportunity to go on an expedition with the Kansai team.
Thank you for today!!