Two designs available

Keiko Toda (Toda): Go Ueki (Ueki):Happy New Year. We look forward to working with you this year.

Toda:So, about the new bags.

Ueki:That's right! We started by choosing the bags. Keiko wanted an off-white fabric, and also wanted the bottom to be black so dirt wouldn't show when placed on the floor.

Toda:Yes. I had been thinking about a two-tone color for a long time.

Ueki:And we found the perfect two-tone bag. (laughs)

Toda:Really, what a surprise. (laughs)

Ueki:This time, we each came up with an idea separately. Keiko's is hand-drawn, and mine is a collage type.

Toda:So we decided to create two concepts! They use the same body, but the atmosphere is completely different.

Ueki:First, the hand-drawn one, which we named "BG SET," emphasizes softness. We drew several popular items from previous BG brand collections. The BG BRAND lettering is a parody of lettering popular among skaters.

Toda:Oh! It has a street feel, doesn't it?

Ueki:Yes! While it looks cute overall, it actually overflows with street style.

Toda:I always knew Go was a good artist, and I've seen his doodles, but he's incredibly skilled. I'd always thought hand-drawn designs would be nice someday.

Ueki:Thank you. While aiming for cuteness and warmth, we also pursued the stylishness that BG brand is known for.

Toda:We really agonized over the arrangement of the items, didn't we? The placement, tilting them, all sorts of things. (laughs)

Ueki:We've been doing the BG brand for over 10 years, so the brand story is quite clear, making it smooth to incorporate. It's like, how to make a rock-inspired look cute.

Toda:Drawing our own products by hand! That was a great idea. Now, for the other one, "Collage." It's very BG, isn't it?

Ueki:"Collage" is literally a collage of artworks. We've mixed digital text and past elements to create a futuristic feel.

Toda:I particularly like the three-dimensional dice in the upper left corner.

Ueki:Those are dice, symbolizing BG, or Backgammon. It's all collage, which is a trend I'm currently into.

Toda:It's incredibly stylish. The two bags are truly contrasting. It's hard to choose which one to get. My friend was so undecided that she ended up buying both! (laughs)

Ueki:You'd want to use them depending on your mood, right?

Toda:And they're so soft and easy to use.

Ueki:It makes me happy that my hand-drawn designs are selling. It feels like they have value. (laughs) I did some hand-drawn designs for pink and purple t-shirts before, and I felt I wanted to do more of that.

Toda:It's great that you have a talent for drawing. Hand-drawn art has such a unique charm. Collages might seem like something anyone could do. (laughs)

Ueki:People tend to think that, but it's not the case. The process of creating the digital data is completely different for someone who can draw versus someone who can't, so they are distinct.

Toda:I see. (laughs) Still, hand-drawing is something I aspire to, as I'm terrible at drawing. You know how some famous painters become hits with their distinctive styles, but are actually incredibly skilled at realistic art too? It's wonderful. Hiro Yamagata's bronzes are amazing.

Ueki:It's rewarding. I enjoy being able to do various things. It's funny, but off-white bags are really trending now, aren't they?

Toda:They are! (laughs) Lots of guys are carrying them around.



Ueki:I'm very satisfied with both of these bags, as they both have a street vibe.

Toda:Let's do our best to create more great work this year. And let's continue to support Love Junkies (an entertainment school for people with Down syndrome) more and more!!

Ueki:Yes! Looking forward to it!!