On December 10th, the store and atelier of the fashion brand “KOMO utakooka” (Tsuruta-cho, Kitatsugaru-gun, Aomori Prefecture), which handles handmade linen products, pre-opened in Aomori/Tsuruta.

This store sells and manufactures stalls, tops, etc. with a focus on linen, a type of hemp. The owner, Shigeko Oka, is from Tsuruta and graduated from Hirosaki High School before going on to university in Tokyo. When he was 20, he met linen and started "Handsome Linen KOMO".

After graduating from university, worked for a real estate store in Tokyo for about a year, but decided to return to Aomori. We have started selling linen fabric products that are hand-sewn using the "Seamless Manufacturing Method". "We made the invisible seams so as not to damage the linen texture," says Oka.

In July of this year, we established the "utakooka" brand, which is sewn on sewing machines with the concept of "everyday clothes that enhance the quality of everyday life". "We shape our everyday wishes, such as "attach the collar tag where it is not affected by itching" and "easy to wash by yourself"," she said.

"Handsome linen KOMO" and "utakooka" have no real stores, and until now they have been selling mainly online. The store, which is said to be a two-story rental property that has been about 40 years old, was renovated to use about 14 tsubos on the first floor as a store space, about 40 products were displayed, and the remaining space was used as an atelier.

Mr. Oka said that the repair took two months with his acquaintances. Mr. Oka said, "I wanted to create a place where customers could actually interact with the product, but I could not do it myself. On the first day of the pre-opening, a reception party was held and about 80 people gathered.

Mr. Oka smiles, "I want to not only sell merchandise but also regularly hold events and events. If I could become a shop that would help people come to Tsuruta."

Business hours are from 18:00 to 22:00 (Thursday and Friday) and 13:00 to 19:00 (Saturday and Sunday). The grand opening is January 3, 2018 (11:00 to 19:00 only on the first day of opening).