Masaya Kuroki and Gildas Loaëc of Maison Kitsuné

Business of HYPE

HYPEBEAST

Society & Culture

4.8 • 785 Ratings

🗓️ 25 May 2020

⏱️ 61 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Gildas Loaëc and Masaya Kuroki are the Co-Founders of the popular french fashion label, Maison Kitsuné. Since 2002, the pair have been reinterpreting French classics through a chic and modern take with a nod to Japanese fashion. What most may not know is that the two joined forces in affiliation with famed electronic duo, Daft Punk, where after a trip to Japan with the music group, they decided to start their music & fashion brand, Maison Kitsuné.

Under the music label, they've birthed numerous musicians such as Phoenix, Kilo Kish, Two Door Cinema Club, La Roux and more. But alongside their music ventures, the night life, the DJing and worldwide traveling, Gildas and Masaya were slowly building connections to eventually build their fashion counterpart. Now more than 15 years later, the brand is a full functioning label with retail stores worldwide, a ready-to-wear collection, unique collaborations under their belt and hundreds of employees. In addition to all this, the duo have also opened their cafe division, Cafe Kitsuné, where they showcase their love of interior design, food and coffee culture.

In this episode, the two detail the transition from the early days of working at a local thrift shop and record store to managing musicians and eventually forming their own clothing brand. Remaining as a stronghold in today's line of successful lifestyle brand, Gildas and Masaya emphasize the importance of the art of the slow grind when it comes to running a business.

Thank you so much for tuning into the Business of HYPE. As always, thank you for tuning into HYPEBEAST Radio and Business of HYPE. Please don't forget to rate, comment and subscribe to our other shows. This episode was recorded prior to COVID-19 with the interludes recorded during. We hope you guys stay safe, wash your hands, practice social distancing and find ways to still stay inspired during this time.

For more info: https://hypebeast.com/2020/5/maison-kitsune-interview-masaya-kuroki-gildas-loaec-business-of-hype-jeffstaple-episode-74

https://maisonkitsune.com/us/

https://www.instagram.com/maisonkitsune/

https://www.instagram.com/cafekitsune/?hl=en

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Transcript

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0:00.0	From Hype Beast Radio, I'm Jeff Staples, and this is the business of hype, a show about creative entrepreneurs, brand builders, innovators, and the realities behind the dreams they've built.
0:36.1	Today's guests are no strangers to the slow grind of building a business.
0:41.2	A French electronic music record label turned fashion brand and cafe.
0:46.8	Maison Kucine is the brainchild of founders Gilda Lueck and Masaya Kiroki.
0:52.6	Most of you guys may recognize the French brand for its tri-colored fox logo and clean,
0:57.9	elevated preppy silhouettes.
0:59.7	But what most of you may not know is that the two co-founders joined forces in affiliation
1:04.9	with famed electronic duo, Daft Punk.
1:08.2	Under their music label, Kitsunei Music, they have birthed numerous musicians today,
1:13.4	such as Phoenix, Kilo-Kish, Tudor Cinema Club, and more. And while music and fashion go hand in
1:19.7	hand today, Gilda and Messiah were the forerunners to it all. From managing multiple artists
1:25.7	to DJing around the world and eventually creating their
1:28.7	fashion label, the two are creative pioneers in their own right, from curating modern electronic music
1:35.2	to creating interpretations of Parisian sophistication. They are the personification of
1:41.3	effortless cool. And while very little credit may be given to them,
1:46.0	streetwear culture and popular lifestyle brands owe these two individuals a lot. Nearly two
1:52.5	decades into this business, their brand has expanded to retail stores and cafes worldwide.
1:58.9	And while most entrepreneurs are itching to globalize as soon as possible,
2:03.4	Maison Kitsune's business is quite the opposite of that.
2:07.0	Their business runs on their own timeline,
2:09.7	working in a manner that is truly in alignment to the integrity of their brand.
2:14.6	So this week, we have the honor of diving into the brand, Maison Kitsune,
	...

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