We had the good fortune of connecting with Shunjiro Okamoto and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shunjiro, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Since high school I’ve always enjoyed making my own clothing designs. It was originally gonna be making casual streetwear pieces but I decided to add more themes of my Japanese heritage into my brand.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My brand specializes in denim. I thrift old tattered jeans, jackets, even tops and repair them through patchwork or darning the tattered areas. This has been my style for almost 4 years but I’ve recently decided to pivot my brand into a new direction that has yet to be announced but will be shown very soon.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Definitely take them out to Ann Arbor first. They’ve got great food and a good handful of stores that seem to get overlooked. I would obviously take them out around Detroit as well. Take them out to Paramita and listen to some local DJs, hit Mootz pizza, and end our day by unwinding at the river walk.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I first of all want to thank my friend Kennedy for giving me the opportunity to even do this interview. Her brand is amazing and definitely deserves more recognition. My friends and family have been the ones to push me to be better than who I was. My mom was worried about me starting my business but still stood behind me and gave her opinion on my pieces. My friends who are also designers have been nothing but helpful. My friends Lia (liagabrielleatelier) taught me how to make patterns and Jordan (NOxID) taught me how to make tech packs. They continue to help me progress through this industry as I do my best to reciprocate for them.

Instagram: Iruistudios/Shunjiroka

Youtube: Shunjiroka

Other: TikTok: @shunjiroka

Image Credits
@we4llshine
@bwillvisuals
@_squidthekidd_

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