STYLEVOICE.COM, a media-based EC department store that stimulates the curiosity of highly sensitive users and delivers "the latest you want now," will open in early November. This notable fashion EC site is operated by STYLEVOICE, a joint venture by three companies: JON , MASH Holdings Co., Ltd., and DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL Co., Ltd., offering a wide range of products centered on fashion and extending to lifestyle. Ms. Hiromi Katayama, who has served as editor-in-chief for various women's fashion magazines such as GINGER, Ray, and mina, has been appointed as the Representative Director and President. We invited President Katayama, who will also serve as editor-in-chief for the site, and Mr. Tatsuhiko Akashi, Representative Director and President of MEDICOM TOY, one of the participating companies, to discuss the content of STYLEVOICE.COM, the future of EC sites, and the conditions for attractive sites.

AkashiSo, "STYLEVOICE.COM" is about to launch.

KatayamaWe're in the final stages of preparation for the opening, and it's proving to be more challenging than I imagined... (laughs). However, any website, not just an EC site, is a living thing that begins its renewal process the day after launch, so I've decided to stop aiming for a perfect start. We need to keep changing it, and I believe it will naturally evolve.

AkashiThat's understandable, given your long career as an editor-in-chief for women's fashion magazines.

KatayamaI have about 30 years of experience in print editing, but creating a website is a completely different matter, so I knew I'd need advice from experts. That's when I first visited you in June of this year. JON had already informed you about STYLEVOICE, and you showed great interest even though no design mock-ups or anything were ready. I was very grateful, but also terrified that you might say, 'Is this all you have?'

AkashiNot at all (laughs).

KatayamaEven before meeting you, I had heard rumors about you – not just your work, but that you're knowledgeable about many things, that you closely follow overseas EC sites, and that you have an incredible network. So, I was very nervous.

AkashiI've been a frequent user of Farfetch, an overseas EC site, for a long time. So, I always wished Japan had a fashion EC site that curated only cool brands like that. Then I heard about STYLEVOICE. The idea of starting from scratch and the caliber of the production team I heard about made me think it could become a really cool site, so I asked to be involved from the beginning when I was introduced to you, Ms. Katayama.

KatayamaI'm deeply honored. What we want to emphasize with STYLEVOICE.COM is the way we communicate. Creating a worldview is the same as with a magazine, so we want visitors to always discover and realize something new, whether it's about brands, what to wear tomorrow, or what kind of lifestyle they want to lead. Even with content, we aim to deliver articles that make people realize if something is truly necessary for them.

AkashiThat's your strongest area, isn't it, Ms. Katayama?

KatayamaFashion magazines have always told stories about brands and how acquiring new items can lead to discovering new aspects of oneself. However, as readers' ways of consuming information have diversified, the voices of such magazines have gradually become quieter... around the time when free gifts became standard. On the other hand, brands and clothing themselves still carry that same sentiment, don't they? So, what's the best medium to convey that now? I believe it's something accessible on your device 24 hours a day, for free. So, while it might sound ambitious, we're approaching this with the determination to create a medium that can inherit the role that magazines have played.

AkashiThere are still magazines without free gifts. For example, from a female perspective, there's 'Soen' and 'Casa Brutus.' Those books are compelling enough to buy without any extras. From a male perspective, perhaps 'Pen.' My greatest wish is for STYLEVOICE.COM to become a medium that provides such added value, and I want to contribute in my small way.

KatayamaSometimes, just looking at the exterior or layout of a shop makes me think, 'I want to wear the clothes from here.' That's why I'm currently focusing on how the photos are presented and the tactile experience – the time it takes to move to the next page, or if there's a special event when you tap something, such interface elements are crucial. After all, you can tell instantly when you touch something, right? 'This is new!' or 'This is typical.' I want to create an impression of 'This might be a little different!' The challenge is how much of that novelty can be conveyed through the initial visual and tactile experience, beyond the articles that tell stories once you delve deeper.

AkashiThat's the excitement of flipping through a new magazine.

KatayamaThis is something you first advised me on, Mr. Akashi: services that make it easy to choose products and enjoyable to shop, or how to write emails to customers that resonate with them personally. Or features that make it easy to compare products. I've noted all these down and posted them by my desk. I must achieve all of these. You mentioned Farfetch as the most user-friendly site for shopping.

AkashiIt's overwhelmingly easy to shop there.

KatayamaWhen I actually shopped there myself, I realized you were absolutely right. It might be difficult to achieve that level of completion by the November 7th launch, but we aim to get as close as possible by the grand opening in the spring when we expand our men's brands.

AkashiIn any case, shopping on Farfetch feels great. In terms of shopping by feel, it's probably the best in the world. So, rather than advice, it's more about what I'd be happy to see you create, Ms. Katayama.

KatayamaI'm completely influenced by it (laughs). Since it's mostly luxury items, I don't buy frequently. But with Farfetch, it's not just the joy of buying; the process until the product arrives is also enjoyable. You get real-time notifications like 'We are preparing your item,' 'It has now left Heathrow Airport,' 'It's going through customs,' so even the waiting time until delivery is fun because you know where it is. When returning an item because the size doesn't fit, I just pack it in the box and hand it to DHL. It's surprisingly easy.

AkashiAnd all of that is notified through the app, so you feel secure even when dealing internationally.

KatayamaAround the early 2000s, when EC started becoming popular, I got hooked on REVOLVE from LA, which wasn't available in Japan yet. Of course, I used domestic fashion EC sites too, but with REVOLVE, items arrived smoothly even from overseas, and there were so many brands I didn't know, which made discovering them fun. Compared to that time, the usability now is vastly superior. It feels like being served by someone right in front of you. The evolution over these 20 years is truly remarkable.

AkashiExactly. Another EC site I recommended to you, Ms. Katayama, is The RealReal. This is a site specializing in second-hand luxury brand items from overseas affluent individuals. It's astonishing how many Hermès Birkins are listed. You once said, 'The way photos are taken stimulates desire,' and this site truly makes you want things. Since the items are listed by people overseas, there are women's sizes that I can wear. I found a size 15 women's jacket by Haider Ackermann that I had wanted but was only available up to size 11 in Japan, and I immediately thought, 'I have to buy it!'

KatayamaYou'd have to buy it (laughs).

AkashiThe lighting during product photography is all calculated, and since they are second-hand items, they clearly state things like, 'This is the size when a man carries this bag.' What I found most interesting is their system where you pay $30 a month to see new listings 24 hours before anyone else. This is another new value proposition, and I realized it's the most effective way to monetize information in this era. I feel there's still so much potential in EC sites.

KatayamaWhat aspects make you consider an EC site excellent, Mr. Akashi?

AkashiWhether it's content or any device, it's the ability to operate it without reading a single instruction manual. No manual needed. You can figure it out intuitively through tutorials. I think that's an ideal for a site.

KatayamaAn ideal, indeed. Intuitive understanding.

AkashiAnd then, when you read an article, it resonates with you, or you think, 'Ah, I want this.'

KatayamaIsn't that achieved through system development? The feeling I mentioned earlier, 'you can tell instantly by the movement,' is hard to convey unless you're working with a programmer who can share that understanding, so I think developing systems in that regard is difficult.

AkashiI believe it's the same in any industry, but in fashion, for example, it's a partnership between the designer and the pattern maker; in the world of figures, it's between the sculptor and the planner. It's like thinking, 'This person can create this pattern,' or 'This person has the sense to handle this sculpt.' Similarly, I feel that programmers and fashion EC sites haven't yet reached that level of synergy, so everyone is in the process of trial and error. Farfetch itself didn't have its system established from the start; it has evolved through numerous renewals to reach its current form. STYLEVOICE will also involve trial and error initially, but as long as Ms. Katayama's blueprint as the leader remains firm, we will eventually reach our destination.

KatayamaAs the name STYLEVOICE suggests, we want it to be a place where various voices gather, so we have invited various individuals to participate as curators, contributing articles that propose, recommend, and experiment with different things. At the early November launch, 70% of the products will be women's fashion, so we have many women involved: models Mayumi Sada, Reina Takeshita, Maria Kamiyama; stylists Naoko Okusa, Kei Shirahata, Kozue Anzai. Also, fashion journalist Rei Shito. On the men's side, stylist Yui Mochizuki is participating.

AkashiWhat will they be doing, exactly?

KatayamaMs. Sada, surprisingly, has never played golf before and wants to start, so she'll begin by getting her golf wear from the store, as JON also carries a golf brand (JUN&ROPE), and eventually, she'll go out on the course. Ms. Shito wants to write an article about how much her fatigue is reduced by purchasing a Nishikawa mattress to sleep well in her hotel when she travels to Paris for shoots. She'll be taking selfies from the moment she departs Narita with the mattress, rolled up like an athlete's gear, on a cart.

AkashiThat's quite different from what I imagined.

KatayamaEveryone has so many ideas and is putting a lot of effort into them (laughs). Ms. Okusa wants to serialize essays proposing new lifestyles aligned with the Japanese calendar. We're also looking forward to you, Mr. Akashi, participating as a curator in the future.

AkashiI'm currently thinking about what role I'll play. Hearing from you, Ms. Katayama, about who is doing what, I realize my role will likely be quite different. I suspect I'm expected to come up with企画 (plans) that yield measurable results. An idea that just came to me is to have dialogues with young creators and simultaneously develop limited-edition items exclusively for STYLEVOICE.

KatayamaThat's interesting!

AkashiThis is because I've recently witnessed firsthand how artists emerging from very niche scenes are increasingly using social media to broadcast their work globally, leading to sales. It would be interesting to develop products for STYLEVOICE while effectively featuring these young talents. They too must have ideas like wanting to collaborate with Bonjour Records or do something with Adam et Ropé. I feel I could be the hub for that.

KatayamaWe would definitely like to ask you to do that.

AkashiAlso, I want to be an outlet for sharing and expanding things that I find interesting. Frankly, I didn't even know that Adam et Ropé (operated by JON) had been around for 30 years in the Shirokane area. Moreover, the brands they carry are incredibly tasteful. I was also surprised to learn they produce Oasis T-shirts. I know how incredibly difficult it is to obtain the license for that band. If there are many people who don't know about such interesting endeavors simply because they exist in a different sphere, I want to connect those dots properly.

KatayamaThat's stimulating and feels very current. At STYLEVOICE.COM, we want to incorporate information not only on fashion but also on culture, such as art, film, and literature. I believe that by including current culture within the content, users will perceive it as something new, and I feel that the current mood can only be captured through such elements. Therefore, I am incredibly grateful for your participation, Mr. Akashi, and we would love to introduce you to more work and projects. Personally, I'm interested in art, so I've ordered the BE@RBRICKs of Andy Warhol's 'Double Mona Lisa' and 'The Last Supper,' for which a major retrospective will be held in Kyoto next September.

AkashiThank you. We have also been continuously producing Warhol items since 2003.

KatayamaFor the content you'll be handling, Mr. Akashi, covering men's fashion, lifestyle, and culture, we want to establish a distinct taste, similar to 'Soen' or 'Casa Brutus.' Overall, we aim for STYLEVOICE.COM to be a site where users can experience unique enjoyment and discover things they can't find anywhere else.

AkashiIf it's something that can be bought anywhere, everyone will just buy it on Amazon. There's no point in competing with them. The reason I was most interested in STYLEVOICE is precisely because it has Ms. Katayama's philosophy.

KatayamaWe have a clear vision of what we want to achieve, but realizing it is truly challenging. However, since everyone has high expectations, we've gathered an enormous number of products even before the launch.

AkashiHow many items have been gathered?

KatayamaSince we're including almost everything handled by the three companies – JON, MASH, and DAYTONA – it's about 20,000 to 30,000 items. Among these, quite a few are exclusive to STYLEVOICE, so to convey that, the volume of article content will increase, and we're gathering a lot of information. How to present all of this feels like piloting a jumbo jet right from the start.

AkashiI thought it would be a small plane like a Cessna at first (laughs).

KatayamaIt's so hard to control! (laughs) However, there are things we can do precisely because of the large scale of the business, and many brands have eagerly offered to participate next time, so the number of items handled will likely increase further.

AkashiI think this is a global trend, but lately, people seem to be interested only in things that are growing. This applies to both people and things. Therefore, I believe it would be incredibly enjoyable if STYLEVOICE could evolve daily as growing content.

KatayamaWe will do our best to meet your expectations. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity today.

AkashiThank you too! I'm sure OPENERS readers, with their high sensitivity to information, are paying close attention to the movements of STYLEVOICE.COM. I, too, am looking forward to the site's launch in early November and the full-scale rollout of men's fashion in the spring.