Fashion: tokidoki INTERVIEW
Simone Legno, Jeff Zuccala
CHAMP MAGAZINE
The Boy Hollywood
CHAMP: Now tokidoki is Japanese for sometimes. Why was that the name you chose for this company?
tokidoki:I chose a Japanese word because I love Japan. I love everything from the ultra modern happy face of Shibuya to the serious magic silence of Kyoto. I chose "sometimes", because everyone waits for moments that change one's destiny … by chance or by meeting a new person … tokidoki is the hope, the hidden energy that everyone has inside, giving us the strength to face a new day and dream about something positive that something magical will happen to us. tokidoki is a happy world. It is a cute, playful and pure, yet provocative, sophisticated world that I imagine, live and dream of
CHAMP: Who are the founding members and what was there initial vision for tokidoki?
tokidoki: Simone Legno, Ivan Arnold and Pooneh Mohajer Arnold
The story is simple, Simone was in Italy developing design for many brands and projects, one day Ivan wrote Simone from California and asked him to move here and try the adventure of turning his online portfolio into a brand. Simone took the challenge and everything started from there, “we studied a bit, printed some tee shirts and started promoting and showing in tradeshows, meeting people that fell in love with Simone’s artwork and concept and contributed to the growth of the tokidoki brand.”
CHAMP: Where are you guys based out of?
tokidoki: Los Angeles
CHAMP: Now what type of pieces do you guys produce. It seems like you guys produce several things from bags to clothes etc?
tokidoki: We launched tokidoki as a clothing line and hit the market in 2005 , and cause of its amazing success here in California, we are spreading the word around the world with other tokidoki items such as: Vinyl Toys, art-skateboards, pin badges, jewelry, watches, knitwear, sportswear, accessories, shoes, stationery.We’ve collaborated with brands like LeSportsac, Smashbox cosmetics, Fornarina, New Era, Ride Snowboards, Hello Kitty, i Skins, and Onitsuka Tiger.There are some very big things on the horizon we cannot really discuss, but you will see them shortly!
CHAMP: Who are some celebs you guys have spotted rocking some tokidoki?
tokidoki: Jessica Alba, Fergie, and Terrance Howard ect…
CHAMP: Are there any exclusive tokidoki spots in Canada?
tokidoki: No, but here are some of our retailers.
Voltage - Vancouver, BC
Below the Belt – Edmonton, AB & Vancouver, BC
Urban Fashion Group – Edmonton, AB
M5 – Grande Prairie, AB
CHAMP: What would you say is the target customer?
tokidoki: Age group – 15 to 35
65% female 35% male
- trend-setter in fashion and beauty
- feminine, yet strong and edgy-she’ll wear diamonds, tattoos and dog tags all at once
- likes to express her style
- celebrates her individuality and seeks unique and specialized products
CHAMP: Your brand has tapped into the urban market lately. Was that something you were expecting or did that come across as a shock when you heard?
tokidoki: We have always liked the urban market. This is something we have strived to enter with the world of tokidoki.
CHAMP: What else can we expect from tokidoki for the rest of the year?
tokidoki: We will be open our new flagship store on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, CA.
We have another collection of tokidoki for Hello Kitty and a collection of tokidoki for Onitsuka Tiger.
Plus many other exciting items and collaboration, but we cannot discuss them now so keep checking back.
