I think it was around spring of 2018. It all started when we were consulted by a company that serves as the Japanese office for STONEMASTER. STONEMASTER had been sold in Japan once before, but at the time it was developed as USA made product. However, due to a fire at a factory, the brand had been on hiatus for about 10 years. We were consulted and asked, "We want to rebrand it with a Japanese project," and the project started.

First of all, I tried to gain a deep understanding of the history that founder Mike Graham has walked. The brand name is taken from the "STONEMASTER'S", a legendary group of climbers in Yosemite to which he belonged. Behind this was a sense of awe and a strong desire to "not just be cool". So I firmly grasped their history and style and thought about how to reflect it in the products. While incorporating the atmosphere and style of the time, I added a little extra functionality, which is my specialty, and aimed to update the products to be acceptable in modern times.

Rather than focusing on the overall design, I think the focus is on the details. I tried to keep the details and make the most of them without changing them too much.

*The front J pocket was a big focus for Mike.

*The slightly distorted hip pocket is also based on a sketch design created by Mike.

This jagged stitch is a stitch technique used on sails of yachts, etc. It is stronger than normal stitch. In the case of clothing, this stitching is not suitable for fabrics with low strength. I think Mike's message was to express toughness.

Insulation, lightness, and resistance to stuffiness. These three points are the characteristics of Alpha. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to test Alpha in the early stages of its market launch. It was clear that its performance would be fully utilized in jackets, and I felt strongly about Alpha's potential, even though there were many other options such as down and padding. At the time, I thought that in order to fully convey the goodness of Alpha, it was necessary to have people experience its performance directly on their skin. And, especially in pants, I realized that while many Material are difficult to use on a daily basis, Alpha is very suitable. Also, I have always felt the importance of keeping your feet warm as a countermeasure against the cold, so I decided to propose Alpha with pants first. Until then, I always wore leggings (inner pants) in the winter, but after meeting Alpha, I no longer needed leggings. I think that the fact that people could experience the goodness of Alpha on their skin through pants was the catalyst for spreading its appeal to many people.

One of the reasons is that Mike liked product dyeing. And at the time, I was a little tired of inorganic Material while dealing with various functional wear. I don't want to be misleading, but I was conscious of the element of "a little uncool" as the hidden theme of STONEMATER. I felt that it was more "unpretentious, natural and cool". There are many smart and sophisticated brands in the world, but I wanted STONEMASTER to be more casual and easy to wear. The more you wear it, the more it will change to your own texture, and you can use it for a long time like denim. Aiming for such a functional Material, I actively adopted product dyeing.

Yes, it's the same idea as product dyeing. I think it looks cooler when the wrinkles come out and it creates a unique color.

This also ties into the previous point, but I would like you to use it daily without worrying about it. I also recommend two piece set, for example, a jacket in a fabric with an inorganic texture and pants with a garment dyed fabric in the same color scheme. I think the mix of texture is interesting.

Personally, it's the SM PANT POLARTEC® Alpha® Pigment Dyed. A friend in Niigata told me, "I want something that's easy to wear in the snow!", so this season we released the SM PANT Nylon Rip POLARTEC® Alpha®, which uses a water-repellent outer Material. If we made it a waterproof fabric, it would inevitably be less lightweight and more comfortable to wear, so we deliberately used a thin, strong water-repellent nylon.

*This season's new item is Nylon Rip POLARTEC® Alpha®. The jacket is also available in the same Material as the pants.

I am very happy. STONEMASTER is a brand that originated in USA and was established by Mike Graham. Currently, product planning is done in Japan, but I have interpreted Mike's history in my own way and created products while cherishing the "STONEMASTER-ness" as much as possible. If that direction had been wrong, I don't think it would have been accepted by HIGH STANDARD, which has a strong import feel.