【Reaching Out to 800 Individuals with Disabilities, Transforming the Future of Clothing Choices Through Services】An Interview with Cowardrobe Inc.'s CEO Maeda!

Are there people who prioritize comfort over appearance and design when choosing fashion due to disabilities or illnesses?

"Everyone should be able to enjoy fashion naturally."

There is a company that responds to such desires.

This time, we interviewed Mr. Maeda, the representative of Co-Wardrobe Inc.

After conducting a survey with 800 people with disabilities and realizing the lack of clothing options, they launched the clothing alteration service "Kiyasuku."

We will delve into Mr. Maeda's roots, who faces the barrier-free clothing challenge head-on, and the future he envisions through his business.

1. What is Co-Wardrobe Inc.?

Founded in 2021, Co-Wardrobe Inc. has a mission to "contribute to creating a universal society by solving the problems of people with disabilities and illnesses" and offers the clothing alteration service "Kiyasuku."

The term "wardrobe" refers to the clothes in a closet. The company was named Co-Wardrobe with the desire to create a society where everyone has the same types of clothing.

The logo features a closet filled with various fashions, embodying Mr. Maeda's strong desire to achieve barrier-free fashion.

1-1. A society with choices that Co-Wardrobe Inc. aims for

[Interviewer (Writer): Akaishi / Interviewee: Mr. Maeda]

Akaishi: What exactly is a society with choices?

Mr. Maeda: There are three main aspects. First, we aim to create a society where everyone has the exact same number of clothing options, regardless of disabilities or illnesses.

Second, while solving the problems faced by people with disabilities, we want to create products and services that are useful for everyone.

We want to contribute to society in a way that people with disabilities or illnesses can always feel that their challenges are improving society and being helpful.

Lastly, in such a society, able-bodied people naturally pay attention to and show interest in people with disabilities. We are working towards creating a society filled with such compassion and kindness.

1-2. What is the online service "Kiyasuku" for altering clothes for people with physical disabilities?

Akaishi: What kind of service is Kiyasuku?

Mr. Maeda: Kiyasuku is a service that alters ready-made clothes to fit the customer's body.

We make modifications such as adding front openings, replacing buttons with Velcro, or changing the material of pants to prevent pressure sores. Our specialized staff listens to each customer's requests and makes the necessary alterations.

We also focus on making the alterations as inconspicuous as possible so that the clothes can be worn with their original design intact.

Akaishi: How can someone request an alteration?

Mr. Maeda: Everything is completed online.

From the Kiyasuku website, proceed to the order page, select the menu and the staff for the alteration, and the fee will be confirmed. After that, send the clothes, and we will return the altered clothes in 10 to 14 days.

There is a dedicated chat room on the site where you can directly consult with the staff about the alterations, so please feel at ease.

We created "Kiyasuku" with the desire for people not to give up on the clothes they want to wear and to enjoy their favorite fashion with peace of mind.

Reference: Kiyasuku HP

2. Who is Mr. Maeda, the representative?

Mr. Maeda, who initially had no interest in fashion.

After graduating from university, he joined a bank but was strongly attracted to the vision of Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. and the philosophy of its president, Yanai, which led him to join the company.

While working at Uniqlo, the industry's largest company, he naturally developed an interest in fashion.

He had no prior involvement with people with disabilities and had never considered barrier-free concepts, so what led him to start a business?

2-1. Career and Achievements

[Career]
1994 Graduated from Fukuoka Prefectural Chikushigaoka High School
1998 Graduated from Waseda University, School of Political Science and Economics, Department of Economics
1998 Joined Fukuoka Bank, working in sales
2000 Joined Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. (Uniqlo), involved in store operations, new business development, sales planning, production planning, management planning, and EC operations.
▶︎ Conducted interviews with over 800 people with disabilities or illnesses from 2018 to 2020, learning about various clothing-related challenges and innovations.
▶︎ Led the project for developing front-opening innerwear sold by Uniqlo in September 2020, particularly proposing the commercialization of "children's bodysuits," which received significant attention on social media, web news, and TV.
▶︎ Also launched a company-wide project to improve shopping environments for people with disabilities and the elderly at Uniqlo stores nationwide.
2021 Established Co-Wardrobe Inc., where he currently serves.

Source: Co-Wardrobe Inc.

2-2. A turning point in life after meeting a colleague with a hearing impairment

Akaishi: Why did you become interested in barrier-free clothing?

Mr. Maeda: While working at Uniqlo, I had a colleague with a hearing impairment. It was during conversations with him that I first learned about the lack of clothing options for people with disabilities.

Uniqlo operates under the concept of "clothing for all people," so I was quite shocked to realize that "there are still people we haven't reached."

For some reason, this issue stuck with me, and when I reached out to disability organizations and listened to the stories of people with disabilities, I discovered many challenges.

Akaishi: That led to your decision to start a business?

Mr. Maeda: Yes, that's right. Through these conversations, I learned that people choose clothes based on "ease of wearing" rather than design, and that they cannot choose from the many clothes available in the world.

From there, I thought about how to provide the same choices.

Even with the same illness, each person's body is different, and what makes clothing easy to wear varies. So, I realized that creating clothes specifically for people with disabilities within Uniqlo might not provide the same choices.

Altering ready-made clothes from various brands seemed like it would make more people happy, so I decided to go independent.

I never imagined I would start a business.

2-3. What beliefs and thoughts do you hold dear?

Akaishi: What thoughts do you hold dear when facing challenges?

Mr. Maeda: The outcome is determined by preparation.

Before starting the business, I conducted a survey on clothing concerns with 800 people with disabilities. I wanted to understand the challenges, and before I knew it, I had reached 800 people.

In fact, we have never recruited staff for alterations.

Before launching the service, we raised funds through crowdfunding, and among those who resonated with the project, some expressed a desire to participate as staff.

Everyone wanted to contribute with their skills, which was really gratifying.
The passion was born from the survey with people with disabilities, and it was wonderful to have like-minded people join us.

3. What Kiyasuku wants to convey

Akaishi: Is there a particular meaning behind the name of the Kiyasuku service?

Mr. Maeda: What we want to achieve with this service is to "make it easy to wear the clothes you freely choose," so we named it Kiyasuku for clarity.

We also want people to feel "at ease." I think there are barriers for people with disabilities or illnesses to casually request services from regular alteration shops.

Considering these emotional aspects, I felt that Kiyasuku was the most suitable.

Akaishi: What do you want to convey to society through Kiyasuku?

Mr. Maeda: Since launching the service, we've received a lot of feedback.

For example, a mother of a child with a disability and a typically developing child had a dream of dressing them in matching outfits. When I heard that Kiyasuku helped fulfill that dream, I was very happy.

Unfortunately, I feel that general clothing brands are not addressing these needs at all.

The reason, I believe, is that while there is an awareness of the issues, they don't know how to approach them and end up in a state of inaction.

While Kiyasuku provides alteration services, we also aim to share our accumulated knowledge for free so that all brands can use it as a reference.

Accommodating people with physical disabilities is not something special.

In a world where fashionable and easy-to-wear clothes are abundant, Kiyasuku hopes to be the starting point for such a future.

4. The future we aim for through our business

Akaishi: What kind of future do you envision through your business?

Mr. Maeda: A society where Kiyasuku no longer exists.

If all fashion brands start creating clothes not just for people with disabilities but also with them in mind, then fashionable and easy-to-wear clothes will be abundant for both able-bodied and disabled people.

In such a society, everyone should be able to wear the clothes they want without the need for Kiyasuku's services.

We aim