WMV VISVIM SANTA FE

Our first store in North American opened in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2017. Santa Fe has a long history of Native American people calling it home, so their traditions and culture remain strong in the city even to this day. From a young age when I would watch Western movies, I was always drawn to the Native Americans instead of the Cowboys. I used to always think, "They're so stylish," especially when seeing the clothes and accessories they adorned. For me, New Mexico has always been a place of longing.

I first started visiting Santa Fe nearly 20 years ago. I met Jed Foutz, who had just opened his gallery called "Shiprock", where him and his team showcased the Arts of Native Americans with a primary focus on the works of those from the Navajo Nation. As we got to talking, he invited me to "please come to New Mexico someday," and I ended up going there just two weeks after this conversation. I remember calling him from the airport in Albuquerque, and he was very surprised to hear from me and asked me, "Did you really come?"

Jed and his family showed me around Santa Fe that first time I visited, and we became really good friends and have remained close ever since. Jed is well acquainted and connected to local Native American artists and artisans who create crafts. Through his introduction we were connected to weavers of Navajo Blankets who helped to create our very own blanket weavings that utilized yarns dyed with Natural Japanese Indigo and Cochineal. Since working on those initial blankets, we have continued to work on a variety of projects together.

The Navajo silver jewelry, accessories, blankets and other hand crafts are very powerful pieces and have always provided me with great inspiration. All of these pieces they create are born within the realities of their lives and possess a distinct charm that seemingly has a connection to Japanese "Mingei" or folk art. Something Jed once told me left a very strong impression with me and that was the fact that these creators do not have an aesthetic sense that is defined by the statement and idea that "perfect straight lines are good." There are distortions, misalignments, and an unevenness where I feel that there is an organic and human charm to it all.

Santa Fe is known as a city with an abundance of craft and art, and many craftspeople reside there. There is also a large craft fair held here annually that draws many people to it. It is a small rural town; however, it is very sophisticated and international. A wonderful place with many culture loving people. I am the type of person that will always want to make things that I want to wear, and I also have a sense of wanting to open stores in places that I want to visit. It makes me very happy to have been able to open my first (North American) store in this city.

Text: Kosuke Ide
Photo: Keisuke Fukamizu