Izumi Ogino, the creative director who founded Anteprima, a brand that captivates women with its "wire bags," appeared on Tetsuko Kuroyanagi's long-running talk show "Tetsuko's Room" (TV Asahi) on June 23rd. She talked about her career path leading up to her entry into the world of fashion.
Ms. Ogino got engaged during her university years and married when she was in her third year of university, in her early twenties. Her fiancé was a U.S. citizen, and she followed him to the United States.
In the United States, she had time to study, attending flower arranging, cooking classes (about three of them), English typing, hair and makeup, and styling schools. "Everything I've experienced has led to my current job," she says, adding with conviction, "I feel that if you work hard at what's in front of you, it will lead to where you are now."
In the United States, wives play an important role. Since I sent my children to an American school, I had relationships with the other mothers there, and I remember "making a great effort to invite guests to my home and entertain them."
She was a housewife until she was 30. "After that, I invested in the Far East distribution (sales promotion) of a certain brand in Hong Kong and worked hard with my current husband," she says, and then founded "ANTEPRIMA." "When I said I was going to make this brand a global brand, everyone laughed at me. That was about 42 years ago," she says. She says with sparkling eyes that she enjoys doing research because she can gain a wide range of knowledge.
When asked what a creative director's job entails, he likens the ever-ahead fashion to cooking, explaining, "It's like telling everyone what's on the menu for the day after tomorrow. Like, 'How about fish for the day after tomorrow?' Once a variety of fish are gathered, you might say, 'This one's too greasy, let's go with something lighter this time.' It's about observing and conveying the atmosphere of the times and other such things."
For over 30 years, they have held two collections every year. "We decide on a theme each time," and they have also started collaborating with contemporary artists. "It's a mutually beneficial relationship," he says with a smile, expressing his joy at being able to shine a light on contemporary art. He then shared his dream of collaborating Japanese contemporary art with Anteprima products.
