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This time, we speak to Mr. Richard Collasse, President of Chanel KK, the fashion brand that is so popular with women. Chanel, while respecting tradition as a top brand with a history of more than 100 years, constantly presents innovative ideas as a global trend leader. So much is evident in the entertaining nature of its fashion shows. The "Chanel 2003 Spring/Summer Prete-a-Porter Collection", held in the Exhibition Hall of the Tokyo International Forum in January this year, was one of these. The Exhibition Hall was re-arranged in a way that had never been seen before. Product development with soul
Protecting this spirit of hers is the basis of our product development. While maintaining leadership as a pioneer, seeking new adventures is the major role of our designers and all other creators. In other words, we adopt the approach of having a strong philosophy and maintaining tradition, while also creating new things that suit the contemporary woman, and lead her onwards. We always want to stir up new winds of change. Karl Lagerfeld, our resident designer, always says, quoting from Goethe: "Make the best possible future from the elements of the past". Since we have this ideal approach, started by Coco Chanel, it's important that we apply it to coming trends. Ultimately, we're aiming to "develop products with soul" . To maintain our status as a top brand. Chanel is known as a top brand. Now, there are three key points in maintaining a brand. The first is to have a philosophy. A product without a philosophy will never become a brand. The second is to remain steadfast to that philosophy - to have the firmness of conviction never to stray from your philosophy. And the third is to have correct strategies for conveying that philosophy. "Maintaining a brand" might appear a static concept. In reality, however, it's extremely dynamic. If we just leave it as it is, it will disappear from consumer awareness and cease to be a brand. Even if we have a history of a hundred years, it's still important that we nurture our brand each and every day, and re-examine it without complacency - while remaining steadfast to our own philosophy. And strategies have to be properly set out to this end. The history of Chanel in Japan started with the exalted image of foreign goods in department stores. This was an age when clothes were only considered to be a brand if they were worn by special people in special places - if they were seen to be on an exalted plane. But then the Japanese started to go abroad more, and the image of "foreign goods" gradually diminished. So then, first of all, our cosmetics were brought down from the exalted heights and stood shoulder to shoulder with domestic products, in a bid to meet consumer needs. In the case of fashions, similarly, customers changed and started to wonder whether brands suited them or not. The exalted image tended to put customers off. So we went back to our starting point. We remembered that Coco Chanel had made clothes for the working woman. We made the atmosphere of our boutiques more open, and gave customers the opportunity to see and touch our products. In the old days, our fashion shows used to attract about 300 people, at most. We thought that more people ought to see living garments and clothes that suit the body. But if we put on shows in unsuitable places, the brand image would collapse. The Tokyo International Forum is very well suited to the image of Chanel. It's a "top brand", in the sense that the buildings are beautiful, and they introduce a high level of culture. We chose it as a place that suits Chanel's shows. This is our strategy. The Japanese are particular about things; they understand the "soul" of things. As I said just now, we aim to develop products with soul. The idea that products have soul is perhaps only understand by the Japanese, the French and the Italians. The reason why the Japanese understand it is, I think, because they have such a long history of tradition. There are Japanese craftsmen who spend years perfecting lacquerware. Others protect the 1,500 year tradition of using red dye from the safflower. Others still are attempting new experiments using 21st century technology with traditional colors. And there are many people who are called "living national treasures". The Japanese are particular about things. They like to embark on new adventures and think about the next idea while still retaining the soul of things. Of course, not all consumers are "living national treasures". But this kind of thing is understood at DNA level. The Japanese are sensitive to things. They understand the goodness of our products, beyond their appearance or brand image. And for that reason, I think they are an important market for us. Let's say you buy a garment and a thread comes out of it. The French would cut the thread off themselves, then wear the garment. An American would wear the garment without noticing the thread. The Japanese would take the garment back to the shop and complain that it was damaged (laughs). Japan is a market that makes such demands. We have also raised the level of our quality to meet this. The Tokyo International Forum is a facility with soul.
Another thing I found wonderful was that the Tokyo International Forum is very open and flexible. Usually, managers of buildings tend to say "you can't do this", or "you can't do that". But the attitude from the Forum was that they were glad to be involved in an activity that would be beneficial to their own facility. I think this attitude is an excellent philosophy. Actually, I had wanted to use the Tokyo International Forum before. But I wanted to use it in a way that nobody had thought of until then, in line with our company motto "Let Chanel surprise you!". When we presented our plan, they might have said "If you're putting on a show, please use the upper halls". And that would have been the end of it. But in fact, the reaction was "If that's your idea, let's do it together". I was delighted. The only remaining task was how to make the most of the space, to show it off in its best light. The result was that the show in the Exhibition Hall was a great success. And for that I'm very grateful. I think a variety of new proposals will now start to come in from various fields. But I hope the Forum will select plans that help both parties through reciprocal effects, with true understanding of philosophy and soul. This is an important part of the Tokyo International Forum's work. As for me, I have a lot of new ideas for the future. So much so that I'm called "Doraemon" (laughs). I can't reveal any details here, but I think we will have another chance to discuss them. They'll be worth looking forward to, I promise!
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Scene from the fashion show at the Tokyo International Forum 
