GUILD of crafts' trunk show, previously held mainly at their directly managed stores and overseas, will be held at ISETAN MEN'S for the first time. This autumn is packed with exciting news, starting with this trunk show. Owner Chihiro Yamaguchi talks about each of them.

Event Information

Guild of Crafts Pattern Order Event

□October 31st (Wednesday) - November 6th (Tuesday)
□ Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building , B1F = Men's Shoes
▶Related article: [Interview] GUILD of crafts/Guild of Crafts' Chihiro Yamaguchi | The ready-to-wear line that took 20 years to create is finally launched

--Following last year's RTW (ready-to-wear) event, MTO (made-to-order) will finally be held for a limited time. Could you tell us again what the highlights are?

While we don't carve the last from scratch like Yamaguchi Bespoke, we have built a system that provides the closest possible fit. We offer a size range of 23-28 cm and three widths, allowing you to choose the best fit for both your left and right feet, and then we make adjustments to the last. The sole is attached using only machine stitching, a 90% finished process. Hand-lasting allows us to consider each customer's individual foot and we believe it is almost indistinguishable from bespoke. Ultimately, whether or not a customer becomes a repeat customer comes down to comfort. We make absolutely no compromises in this regard.



—There's a wide variety of designs. We have well over 30 samples to choose from.

Yamaguchi: This is actually one of the narrower options we've narrowed down. By selecting a certain number of choices for design and materials, we've been able to shorten delivery times and reduce costs. The delivery time is approximately six months.

—Since this is your first trunk show, I hear you've prepared some special models.

This is the "Trinidad," a bespoke house model that could be called the flagship of Yamaguchi 's shoemaking. It's a model that combines a wholecut design with side laces, showcasing the pinnacle of craftsmanship. The lace stays are placed on the inside, making it easy to tie the laces. This is a bespoke-only model, but we are accepting MTO (Made to Order) orders for a limited time only.

Shoes "Trinidad" 302,400 yen (order price)
■Delivery: Late May 2019 onwards

--I hear that the RTW (Ready-to-Wear) line is also going well. I hear that many customers at Isetan Men's are impressed by how comfortable they are to wear. Let me quote from my previous article here.

The toe shape is the round G27, a style that has been used since the company's early days, and the design is the Blackie, a straight-tip shoe with a long and distinguished history. The upper is made of Annonay Box Calf leather, the lining is made by Dupuy, and the sole and surrounding area are made of high-quality materials without being tied to any particular brand. A genuine shoe tree ordered from the prestigious British company Springline is also included.


And then...

"Prime Fit, which started at our flagship store in Ginza, has been around for about 20 years now. Through adding and subtracting elements from a single shoe last, we've begun to see the trends in the foot shapes of modern Japanese people. We thought that if we could create a shoe last that consolidates all the accumulated data, it could become a ready-to-wear garment unlike anything before."

—And after countless samples, you arrived at a structure where the maximum width of the tread area was shifted forward. This result truly confirms the correctness of that approach.

Yamaguchi : Success is only achieved when, a year later, you realize you've been wearing these shoes all the time. It's just the beginning.

Shoes: 129,600 yen

—Following this strong start, we will be adding a new model.

We've added black and dark brown to our lineup of Yamaguchi semi-brogues. The RTW (Ready-to-Wear) model is an entry-level model designed to let people experience the potential of Guild of Crafts. The design is also based on the idea of starting with more orthodox styles.

NEXT> Graduates win awards in international competitions