I am Junko, a new staff member of andu amet. I have been in charge of press releases as a side job for the past three years, and I will be joining andu amet as a full-time staff member on February 1, which is also the anniversary of andu amet's founding. I look forward to the opportunity to meet you all at the concept store. Thank you very much for your cooperation.
Well, on that February 1, I was in the atelier in Ethiopia. The atelier is located in a quiet, newly developed residential area a short distance from the center of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. When I arrived there in my friend's car, I was greeted by Omochi, the idol of the studio, a guard dog. The space is bright and pleasant, with brilliant sunlight pouring in through the windows. There, the craftsmen, whom I had only seen in photos and videos, were in the midst of actually making their products.
The long, narrow yellow leather that the girl on the right in the photo is making is the strap for the Comfy smartphone pochette. The pattern paper held by the girl on the other side is for a Business Card Case, and Gettier, the factory manager, told us that the delicate work on these small items is actually more difficult than making a large bag.
As a customer of andu amet since before the company was founded, I had heard many stories of the difficulties they faced before the company was founded. For example, craftsmen who had difficulty even in sewing in a straight line. Craftsmen who did not see the value in finishing even the unseen underside of a garment beautifully. Designer Samejima patiently guided these craftsmen, and now, at the local atelier, craftsmen are sewing products carefully, stitch by stitch, holding rulers, taking precise measurements, and applying ironing irons as if it were a matter of course. I was filled with emotion when I saw this process in front of my eyes.
While I was working as a company employee, I was originally involved in activities to connect Japan and Ethiopia through Ethiopia's rich art and culture. It was during one of these activities that I met the designer Samejima, who was speaking as a lecturer at an Ethiopian sheepskin workshop that he had initiated.
Creating a high brand from Ethiopia. We want people to buy our bags because they are really good, because they are really beautifully designed, and because they are both ethical and luxurious, and not because they want to support the world's poorest countries! We were determined to make Made in Ethiopia bags into bags that would be admired by everyone, like Hermes and Chanel. At that time, I vividly remember the feel of the thin and smooth Ethiopian leather that was brought to me as a sample. I still remember it vividly.
After retiring from the company I worked for for so long, I am now in a position to connect Japan and Ethiopia not only in the field of art and culture, but also in the field of business through andu amet, and I cannot stop being excited about it. My journey with andu amet, which started as a fan, is now entering a new phase, and I am very excited to be a part of it as a member of the team. I greeted the craftspeople in the poor Amharic (the official language of Ethiopia) and handed them chocolates I had brought from Japan as souvenirs, which they accepted with big smiles.
After the atelier visit, I had lunch with Samejima and factory manager Gethier. I had never met Gethier before, but we had a great time talking about Ethiopian dance and music, which is my specialty, and we were able to get to know each other very well. We spent the day enjoying a leisurely, hearty meal and the joy of having found a new place for ourselves. It was a very rich time, and it warmed my heart.
My work is based in Tokyo, but the bags and jackets I sell there are the crystallization of the handiwork of the people in front of me right now. I always try to face my work with a sense of that connection. Although I am a newcomer, this was my 13th stay in Ethiopia, and while respecting my colleagues as one of the core members, I am committed to andu amet in my own way, not only to do my routine work, but also to discover what I can do because of who I am, and what I can do only if I do it.
#colorsofanduamet
