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March 12, 2015
ACT 8 | Talking About MEDICOM TOY LIFE Entertainment Vol. 01
ACT 8｜talk about MEDICOM TOY LIFE Entertainment Vol.02
Products to make 'life' stylish and fun──
Medicom Toy, known for its toys, has many unusual businesses. One of them is the project "MEDICOM TOY LIFE Entertainment" (hereafter MLE), which releases items closely related to daily life in addition to toys.
Utilizing numerous artists and designers, they create original fabrics as the original textile brand "FABRICK®," born from the concept of "making life fun." They produce various products that allow for a more stylish enjoyment of everyday life.
So, how did this line come into being and develop? This time, we spoke with Mr. Takashi Watanabe, Chief of the MLE Division, and President and CEO Mr. Tatsuhiko Akashi.
Text&Photo by OPENERS
Early exhibition photo of the FABRICK series
──First, could you tell us about the circumstances that led to the creation of the MLE department?
AkashiThe catalyst, I suppose, was an expanding interest in creating things other than toys. But I didn't have a clear answer as to what those things would be.
Around that time... about 10 years ago, I recall a peculiar man visiting us. He suddenly brought in numerous figures he had apparently produced himself, along with a proposal. That man, it turns out, is the current MLE Division Chief, Watanabe.
Early exhibition photo of the FABRICK series
He brought replicas of an Alaskan Native bear doll from an Andy Warhol collection auctioned at Sotheby's, and a replica of Indiana Jones' Golden Idol. I thought, 'He brings so many strange things.' His ideas were very interesting, but at the time, our company didn't have the infrastructure to support them.
Then, six years ago, through the British fashion brand Maharishi, we secured the rights to Andy Warhol. We decided to create a cushion based on the "banana" from the album cover of The Velvet Underground & Nico, one of his iconic artworks. Until then, we had no expertise in textiles whatsoever, but when we put it on sale, it was a surprisingly huge hit.
So, what to commercialize next? I was thinking, 'If only I had someone I could rely on for textiles at a time like this,' and Watanabe's face, whom I'd met five years prior, kept flickering in my mind. However, I had lost his contact information due to a move within the company, so I couldn't reach him... But then, he called me after five years! He said, 'Mr. Akashi, my workplace is moving to Tokyo, so may I visit you?' I immediately replied, 'Oh, please, please come!' (laughs). When he visited, even executives who only saw him from a distance were curious about who he was. That's when I truly felt that fate does exist.
After that, Watanabe joined the company, and we officially established the "MLE" department. The idea was to create lifestyle goods that make life stylish and fun using textiles. When I asked Watanabe what we should do, he came up with "FABRICK®." We decided to create "FABRICK®" following "KUBRICK" and "BE@RBRICK." But I wondered if 'fabric,' being a general term for cloth, could be trademarked. It turned out the spelling was different. Ah, I thought, this is interesting.
It has now grown into a department with considerable freedom within Medicom Toy. It's also trusted by the staff within the company.
──Mr. Watanabe, what did you do before joining Medicom Toy?
WatanabeI was in the apparel industry. When I was sending my creations to President Akashi without permission, I was attending dental technician school, but I gave up on that path, thinking it wasn't for me. I loved toys, and I saw articles about Medicom Toy's products and President Akashi's interviews in magazines, thinking, 'What a wonderful company.' My desire grew, and 10 years ago, even though they weren't hiring, I contacted them (laughs). I thought that if I could work at Medicom Toy, I might be able to create something good.
Then, I received a letter from President Akashi saying, 'You make very interesting things. We don't have a place for it right now, but if you ever come to Tokyo, please visit.' I was living in Kyoto at the time, but I took him at his word (laughs).
Early exhibition photo of the FABRICK series
Coincidentally, an apparel company was opening a branch in Tokyo, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to introduce myself and contacted them.
──So, for five years, you harbored these feelings for Medicom Toy?
WatanabeYes. At that time, I was working in apparel, and I enjoyed my job, but my desire to work at Medicom Toy never changed, and then the opportunity arose. When I joined, it was indeed a company with high freedom, just as I had imagined. I had even simulated my joining the company. I thought that since there are many specialists in the toy world, it might be tough to compete there, but I felt immense potential within the company, and I resonated with President Akashi's idea of 'creating things different from toys.' I thought it would be interesting to do something like 'FABRICK®' outside the toy realm, and that's how it began.
FABRICK tableware series
AkashiThanks to the MLE department, I believe the framework of Medicom Toy has expanded significantly. We can now orchestrate not just toys, but all aspects of life, thanks to him. Incidentally, in the early days, Watanabe handled everything himself, managing interactions with numerous artists single-handedly.
WatanabeThe MLE department operates under the concept of making 'life' stylish and fun. While 'toys' can be displayed, played with, or collected, MLE products aim to incorporate elements that are fun, interesting, and 'usable in daily life.'
FABRICK collaboration furniture with Karimoku
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