To celebrate the 90th anniversary of Mickey Mouse's screen debut, Disney's art exhibition "Mickey: The True Original Exhibition" was held in New York from November last year to February this year. The venue showcased numerous Mickey Mouse-themed works, including paintings and sculptures by various artists, and a life-size replica of his debut film "Steamboat Willie," all contributing to the anniversary celebration.

The exhibition was curated by Darren Romanelli, designer of the remake fashion brand "DRx Romanelli," also known as the only artist Nike has granted permission to remake its products. Romanelli himself collaborated with MEDICOM TOY, with whom he has worked for many years, to create and exhibit a 3000% size Mickey BE@RBRICK made from vintage clothing. We conducted an email interview with Darren Romanelli to delve into his thoughts on Mickey Mouse and his impressions of MEDICOM TOY, revealing his lesser-known side.

—Mr. Romanelli, you are globally renowned as the designer of the remake brand "DRx Romanelli." Would you be willing to introduce the journey leading to the brand's inception to our OPENERS readers?

I was born in San Francisco in 1976 and moved to Los Angeles around the time of the 1984 Summer Olympics. At that time, the icons of official sponsor Coca-Cola were everywhere, and I was deeply impressed. My first serious collection was Coca-Cola pins. This led me to visit the Rose Bowl Flea Market every second Sunday of the month, where I honed my aesthetic sense through sourcing and collecting vintage items.

Later, I was fortunate enough to attend university in Eugene, Oregon. Oregon is also home to Nike's U.S. headquarters. On weekends, I would explore vintage clothing stores in Eugene, spending my four years of college discovering treasures of vintage Nike. As I began visiting Japan frequently, witnessing how Japanese collectors meticulously organized items by color, material, and year further refined my aesthetic. Japanese people are perfectionists when it comes to vintage.

In 2000, Nike became my first official collaboration partner. Products I had been making for friends caught Nike's attention, and they invited me to do a show together at the Nike Blue House in Venice Beach. Subsequently, the select shop Maxfield purchased all the items from the show, which was a significant opportunity for me. This marked the beginning of DRx Romanelli.

—Please tell us about your first encounter with MEDICOM TOY.

When I first came to Japan, I felt that the vinyl toy culture was an important element of Japanese lifestyle. Japanese culture has always paralleled the history of American pop culture, with a thriving collection of franchise characters. Seeing how MEDICOM TOY collaborates with a wide range of licensors for BE@RBRICK and their attention to various other fine details has made them an important brand to me.

—You have designed many BE@RBRICK and FABRICK collaborations with MEDICOM TOY over the years. Among them, which are your particular favorites, which left the most impression, and which were the most challenging to develop?

My favorite collaborations are "BE@RBRICK DRx NAVY POPEYE THE SAILOR MAN" and "BE@RBRICK DRx ARMY beetle bailey" (released October 2011). I particularly like them because I was able to express the classic rivalry of NAVY vs. ARMY through comic book characters.

The most memorable was "BE＠RBRICK DRx Spirit of 76" (released May 2011). I was born in 1976, and a childhood family photo is used on the packaging. This product is expressed as a kind of self-portrait.

The most challenging was "BE@RBRICK DRx ONE OF KIND COLLECTION - Moroccan Rug drop." Rugs are a fun material, but extremely difficult to handle. I had to start by asking suppliers to find damaged rugs, and I had to develop a completely new system for sourcing and negotiation.

—What are your thoughts on BE@RBRICK?

BE@RBRICK is the ultimate canvas that can be designed for anything. Like Mickey Mouse, BE@RBRICK has become an icon that reflects the times. MEDICOM TOY has produced many wonderful collaborations over the years, spanning contemporary art, fashion, architecture, vintage toys, famous brands, musicians, and much more. They always provide surprises. Their curation keeps fans engaged and consistently delights them with unique collaborations. While BE@RBRICK is a toy, it also represents the culture of its era.

—Having worked together for over 10 years, what are your impressions of MEDICOM TOY as a company?

As one of the companies I've collaborated with the longest in Japan, MEDICOM TOY is very close to me, and we've built a friendship over many years. I have immense respect for them, and they consistently offer surprises. Keeping fans engaged is crucial and incredibly difficult. I am truly honored to be able to work with them.

I am also very pleased with the 3000% Mickey BE@RBRICK we created together for "Mickey: The True Original Exhibition." It's a wonderful piece that successfully combines the icon of Mickey Mouse with BE@RBRICK and my signature patchwork style.

—Finally, what would you like to do together with MEDICOM TOY in the future?

One of the projects I'm looking forward to is commercializing the Mickey BE@RBRICK that was exhibited this time. I would also like to work on a Jerry Garcia BE@RBRICK and a ceramic BE@RBRICK that can be placed outdoors. I am eagerly anticipating the realization of these three projects!