Roger Ong
CoronaChampions is a new interview series exploring how Japanese sustainable organizations and brands are meeting the challenges from the coronavirus threat head on.
Please tell us about your brand, MAITE, and its concept.
MAITE is a knitwear brand whose concept is “to warm our QOL (Quality of Life).” We use Peruvian alpaca materials to make comfortable knitwear and legwear in Peru and Japan.
The alpaca in Peru, which lives in the harsh environment of the Andean highlands where the temperature differences are large, has very soft hair.
Therefore, it has excellent functionality. The environmental load in the yarn production process is low due to this special characteristic of the hair. It is also a material that is friendly to the environment and people, used by a wide range of people regardless of gender.
In particular, I want women who work hard to appreciate and take care of who they themselves are. This is a message I want to send with MAITE products.
How has the outbreak of the coronavirus affected MAITE?
In Japan, places (including product outsourcing stores) where customers can physically pick up and look at the products are decreasing. Even the factory in Kansai, where our socks are made, is behind production schedule.
The factories and craftsmen involved in production, and the logistics in Peru have completely stopped. There is no telling when production will resume.
What is MAITE doing to tackle the challenges brought on by the outbreak?
We’ve always had online stores, so we are working to strengthen the platform.
We are also thinking of doing things other than “delivering products.”
We had a knit cafe, a place for people who want to knit, to come together with others to knit twice a month in Tokyo. Now, it’s being held online every week. Participants are free to choose to chat, or not if they feel comfortable otherwise.
This is a time when it is difficult to feel connected to society and people. So, I would like the participants to slowly connect with others. Instead of chasing information on their smartphone and other digital devices, I hope they can use the time to concentrate on what they have in their hands right now.
You’re right, it can be overwhelming with negative coronavirus news!
With the plethora of information we receive, it’s easy to feel insecure in face of an uncertain future.
Please be more conscious than before of sleep, food, and exercise. Value the time to converse even if you cannot meet your family and friends directly.
At our online knit cafe, some people draw and read. Please participate if you like. You can find the details here. The participation URL will be shared when you contact us.
