2011

kay me was Founded

On March 11, 2011, the day of the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a major turning point for me. It was the day I decided to start a business that would support people's ambitions. As I was heading back to Tokyo from a business trip, I envisioned a Japanese-made work clothes brand that was easy to wear, coordinate, and shop for.

The day after the earthquake, my sister, who only helped out at a consulting company on weekends, joined me in conducting market research and purchasing materials for our new endeavor, kay me. Despite the chaos that surrounded us, we believed we had a role to play in making people's future happy.

Thankfully, my sister and I have different strengths. I focused on business planning, design, sales, marketing, and recruitment, while my younger sister managed the back office, including website launch, social media operations, shipping/logistics, customer service, accounting, and general affairs.

Opening a Salon in Ginza & Holding the First Fashion Show

Three months after the earthquake, we opened our first little salon in Ginza 7-chome, accepting only reservations to see the clothes at the time. The website was launched three months later, followed by the first ever fashion show two months after that, held at the chapel in the Mandarin Oriental.

Despite being amateurs in apparel production, I connected with a sewing factory and a section manager of a trading company through a pattern maker on social media. Countless rejections and trial and error followed, but it was a huge and amazing learning process.

At that time, I was still a consultant and my time was split between my office on weekdays and the salon where I handled customer service sales on weekends.

2012

Launch of "Try-and-Buy" Service & The Opening of Ginza Flagship Store

In January, 10 months after the inception of kay me, the "Try-and-Buy Service" was launched and it still remains popular today.

Tailored for individuals with busy schedules who are unable to go shopping during store hours, the concept originated from the idea of having clothing items delivered to one's home or office for a try-on and then could be purchased through a PC or smartphone. This was a unique concept at the time, and as a venture company, it was a small challenge that was embraced.

In June, one year after the launch of the appointment-only salon, kay me relocated to Ginza 4-chome as the "Ginza Flagship" store, which did not require reservations. The rent was higher than anticipated, but we were determined to sign the contract to expand our business. This move opened up doors to conduct business negotiations with department stores and be featured in fashion and business magazines.

2013

Expanding in Tokyo & The Pop-up Store Operations

Through these activities, our company had the opportunity to open a permanent store in Shinjuku Odakyu in February, expanding our operations across Tokyo. With kay me growing rapidly, it was becoming a hot spot for customers.

From that year to 2016, in addition to opening permanent stores, we opened pop-up stores in all regions of Japan at least 15 to 30 times a year. The company hired and trained sales staff in all regions and I was in charge of everything from set up to take down and sales.

I was still working at my consulting business during this time, introducing kay me to female employees and managers of my corporate clients through office try-ons.

2014

Challenging the Overseas Market

In February, we had to find a new location for our Ginza head office as we reached the space limit. After much searching, we found a place on the 10th floor of the Ginza Chuo Building, but the rent was higher than we expected, and it was our third relocation in three years. Despite the fear of increased fixed costs, we signed the contract with the help of private investors and bank loans.

In May, we launched "kay me Campus," a business English program in our Ginza main store. It supported those taking on overseas markets, operating early in the morning on weekdays. The instructor, Nick, later became responsible for our global expansion and IT strategy.

The following June, we went on our first European marketing trip to England and France. It was then that we realized kay me's potential in the British market, known for the jersey dress, and how we could differentiate ourselves and be accepted there.

2015

Establishment of a U.K. Corporation & Expansion to Kansai

In February, we expanded the Ginza flagship store for the fourth time, still located in the Ginza Chuo Building. In June, we established a UK corporation and held our second fashion show titled "Road to London" in July.

That August, we opened a two-month-long street store in Mayfair, London, allowing us to receive feedback from people all over the world and it was broadcasted on TV Tokyo's "WBS" (World Business Satellite).
During this time, we also achieved a remarkable milestone by opening our third store, the Umeda store, located in the "Breeze Breeze" shopping complex near the Ritz Carlton and Hilton Osaka.

In November, I was awarded the "Entrepreneur of the Year" award by the British Chamber of Commerce upon returning to Japan, recognizing my significant contribution in connecting Japan and the UK. It was a true honor.

2016

Winning the Women's Entrepreneurship Grand Prize &
Further Expansion of Sales Channels in London

In June, we won the Women's Entrepreneurship Grand Prize from the Development Bank of Japan, a goal we've had since the beginning. This award recognized our unique approach to combining scaled marketing strategies and Japanese manufacturing while expanding overseas independently. It was a dream come true for me.

On my second trip to England, I convinced select stores and department stores in London to start selling our products, despite my limited English. With the help of a local PR firm, we visited major media outlets and secured opportunities for live broadcasts on BBC Radio and BBC TV.

I made my BBC debut and lost five kilograms during my two-month stay, which I referred to as my "English Live Broadcast Stress" diet.

2017

Steady Growth of Business

As the number of stores and employees increased tenfold, we experienced the excitement of business growth, but also faced a plethora of challenges. Looking back on that period, I find that my memories of those times have become a blur

2018

Website Renewal Enhances Services and Collections

In October, we introduced our highly sought-after Custom Order service to our online platform in addition to our physical stores, allowing customers to customize the fabrics, designs, and lengths to their liking, and it's a hit that continues to be popular.

Upholding our company's founding principle of delivering animal-cruelty free items, we then soon launched the "Business Bag" line, following the "Stretch Riders Jacket", made from the most latest advances in man-made leather.

It was at this time in October, we finally revamped our old website, allowing multilingual support, advertisement distribution, and payment and delivery in-house. As a result, we now receive orders from various countries such as the United States, France, the United Kingdom, and Singapore.

2019

Eliminating Clothing Waste & Pre-production Survey Launch

One of kay me's policies is to preserve the advanced skills of Japanese craftsmen for future generations. Working with a jewelry workshop in Taito-ku, Tokyo, a longtime dream of ours, we launched a new line of Made in Japan jewelry.

In November, as a further extension of our founding policy of no clearance sale, we started an online pre-production survey to collect purchase requests at the sample stage before production. Production quantities were decided by demand and size ratio.

The company received significant media attention for this survey, and awareness of the brand as a sustainable and environmentally conscious brand increased.
Additionally, as part of our OMO program, we introduced a Stylist Reservation system and began reaching out to VCs and investors in both Europe and Japan.

2020

The COVID Pandemic & Shoes Line Launch

In March, while at Heathrow Airport in the UK, I received news that the first person returning from the UK with coronavirus infection was confirmed. By this time, Nick and I were unable to meet with any companies in the UK due to the fear surrounding the virus.

Upon returning to Japan, a state of emergency was declared, but we continued with our plans to launch a shoe line using vegan materials, and also launched our online media site "kay media". Despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic, we decided to open stores in department stores using prime locations and at a low initial cost. Little did we know that the impact of the pandemic would last for more than 36 months.

2021

Tough Decisions and Growth Amidst Difficult Times

Facing a difficult period due to the ongoing impact of the COVID pandemic, store operations had shut and hours have been reduced, with more people staying home and avoiding public areas.

However, amidst the challenges, there were also opportunities.
Expanding our online team and hiring a strong member for online promotion, we have shifted our focus to online promotion, including launching our own YouTube channel and starting Instagram Live sessions.
At the same time, our company policies have spread throughout the organization, leading to a better understanding and co-creation of the "new kay me." This has strengthened our unity and helped us to shift our policies accordingly.

2022

Steady Progress Toward Dawn

In the third year of the COVID pandemic, despite the ongoing instability in society, we continue to recruit with optimism for the future.

In May, the highly anticipated kay me point system was introduced, a system for both online and physical stores. Customers and stores alike enjoyed the new style, and although there were still some challenges due to outgoing regulations, it was a year in which hope gradually began to emerge.

The media began to take notice of our efforts in environmental sustainability, particularly our approach to clothing disposal, which has been a focus for the past 12 years.

In December, we launched a new collaboration with the resort complex Aquaignis, called the "Empty-handed Travel" service, and we celebrated with a successful customer networking event, our first event in three years!

2023

Looking Back Over the Past 12 Years

To our producers, collaborators, investors, and financial institutions, we had not been able to catch our breath for even a single day for about 4,400 days. All of a sudden, I realized that 12 years had passed since the start of our business.

What I have learned and realized the most in 12 years, especially through the last 3 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, is the importance of having a
steel mentality. If you have mental fortitude, you can overcome anything.

With a steel mentality, you will grow no matter how late or early you start, and if you don't give up, you will eventually achieve your goals.
There is no night that never ends and no rain that never stops. I am more convinced of this now than ever before.

The Future for kay me

To chart a path for kay me's future, we have set the following goals:

• (1) To continue taking action to increase awareness of our brand.
• (2) To develop and offer products that cater to the diverse needs of our customers.
• (3) To actively collaborate with other industries, such as travel, beauty, and luxury.
• (4) To share the voices and needs of our customers with the world.
• (5) To learn from the younger generation, such as Generation Z, and to help pass the baton to the next generation.
• (6) To expand into overseas markets, including Singapore, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.

Over the next 12 years, we will strive to promote the "new kay me" even more.