The Japanese shoemaker Kiichiro Ozeki has a background at Hiro Yanagimachi and Gaziano & Girling, but now he introduces his own bespoke shoe brand Fig. A new challenge where he for the first time will do all the steps himself, not only his famous bottom making, but also lasts and upper making. Fig now does its first trunk show in Japan.
Kiichiro Ozeki started working at one of the pioneers of the wave of Japanese bespoke shoemaking, Hiro Yanagimachi, already back in 2004. He spent 14 years at the Tokyo based shoemaker and were their main bottom maker, known for his very high level of execution. In 2018, Kiichiro then moved to Kettering in England, and became part of the Gaziano & Girling bespoke department, as their main in-house bottom maker. Last year he had to move back to Japan though, due to work permit expiring.
Kiichiro Ozeki in his new workshop.
Kiichiro now moved to Kanazawa in the Ichikawa prefecture, his wife’s hometown I believe, and there he set up his own workshop to start his own brand, after working for others for two decades. This spring, he announced the brand Fig, and now on he will host the brand’s first trunk show at Trading Post Ayoma in Tokyo, on November 2-3.
A bespoke derby on round toe last, with exquisite welt finishing.
With Fig, Kiichiro now will do also lastmaking and upper making by himself, which he describe as new and exciting challenge, albeit he is rather slow on these steps now in the beginning. As always it will take time before he has more samples of different last shapes and styles, initially he has shown a red-brown plain toe derby and a black punched cap toe oxford, both very classically made. But of course Price starts from €3,300 (550 000 yen) including bespoke shoe trees and tax.
Black classic. Pictures: Fig / Yuya Hoshino
