ORIGINAL BAGS by TOMOO

 デザイナー TOMOOのプロフィール

 

イギリス/ウィンチェスター芸術大学プリントテキスタイル科留学後、ロンドンの複数のスタジオでフリーランスデザイナーとして2年余活動。帰国後は日本でも大手生地問屋のインテリアやファッション向けオリジナルファブリック図案を手がける。図案を描き続けて8年程が経った2000年頃、自ら起こした図案を元に刺繍や手描きを施したバッグを制作、当時営んでいたギャラリーショップ他デパート等で販売を開始。その後はクリエイターの手仕事が求められる時代の風潮とマッチして様々なセレクトショップから取り扱いの要望があり、制作発表だけでなく卸を始める。

2003年にはパリの展示会に出展する等活動の場を海外にも広げ、日本ではIFFrooms、Gift Show等といった企業向け商業見本市に年2回出展して受注生産体制を築く他、デパートやギャラリーで個展やグループ展も開催。

2007年、縁あってタイはタマサート大学に客員講師として招かれ、年の半分はタイで服飾小物デザインクラスの教鞭をとるという日々を2007年から5年間続けた。

2012年に本帰国後も、バッグ制作を継続し続けている。

素材は主に布で、布でしか出せない表現の面白さを追求しつつ、実用面にも、柄の一部分がポケットになっている等、遊びゴコロを持たせた工夫のあるバッグが得意。

ブランドコンセプトは、Wild Plantsで、バッグ自体に自由に枝葉を伸ばす植物のような生命感が漲る作品作りを目指している。

 

Biography of Designer Tomoo

 

Qualifications

Tomoo holds a Degree in English & American Literature from KansaiUniversity of Foreign Languages in Osaka, and a Degree in Fashion &Pattern-Making from Vantan Design Institute in Tokyo.

Tomoo also studied Printed Textile Design at Winchester School of ArtIn the U,K.

 

Employment-Textile Design

Tomoo has worked for textile studios in London, such as Carver and Pound and Atom Design, and as a freelance textile designer specializing in printed textile for women’s fashion. Her designs were mainly sold in the U.K, Germany, Japan and France.

After 2 years working in London, Tomoo moved to Tokyo and started work there As a freelance designer, with several textile company’s in Japan, producing original designs inspired by both East and West, which proved to be very popular.Soon, Ichida Co.Ltd set up Tomoo’s own Lavel,Which she named “T.H.O.2”(The Harmony Of The Opposites), The concept of the T.H.O.2”was the balance between light and Dark, black and white etc. The T.H.O.2 collections designd and organized by Tomoo, wereshown in Tokyo and Osaka by-annually.

As well as this, she also worked closely with Nuno(Arai Creation System),A company created by world renowned textile designer, Junichi Arai. Nuno is famous for it’s dericate and modern fabrics, Which combine traditional Japanese Weaving techniques and state-of-art technology.For Nuno, Tomoo creatd experimental designs inspired by nature and historical sight she had experienced while traveling extensively around Asia, Europe and  the Middle-east. These woven fabrics were often bought by Fahion designers such as Donna Karan.

As well as Ichida and Nuno Tomoo has worked for many other well known textile companies, which includes Takisada, Longchamp, Marubeni, Toyo-shoji etc.

Award Tomoo has awarded the Japan textile association award in 1993.

 

Employment-Bag design

In 2000, Tomoo began to design and make hand-bags for women.

The demand for her bags increased rapidly and so, in 2001, she established her own bag label, “TOMOO”. The concept of the label is “Freedom of Wild plants’

She has participated in international fashion trade shows, such as 

The Gift Show, I.F.F, Rooms, Under, and Ambience in Japan and Who’s Next, The Box in Paris.

As her background is not in the bag-making industry, her bag-designs have unique atmosphere, which has been well accepted by by the fashion business which has attracted many big-name clients such as Barney’s New York, Tomorrowland, Iena, Pal group, World, and Marzen etc,

As well as above mentioned sales thorough retail shops, she sometimes holds events in Dept stores such as Matsuya, Mitsukoshi(Ginza) Odakyu, Takashimaya (Shinjyuku) Tokyu (Sibuya) , Hankyu(Umeda) etc.