What made ALBA ROSA, a Unique & Charismatic Hit Brand of Heisei Era

ALBA ROSA evokes various images, doesn't it?

ALBA ROSA has been a brand discussed not only in fashion magazines but also across various media platforms. Particularly, from the late 90s, it was featured as a coveted brand for gyaru in fashion magazines and media.

However, despite its thriving business, all stores were closed in 2005 due to a disconnect from the brand's original image.

What kind of history has ALBA ROSA walked from its inception? And what was its true essence as a brand?

This time, we interviewed Rumi Kato, President and CEO of ALBA ROSA CORP.

Started from "Kato Shoten"

ALBA ROSA was established in 1975 by Tamotsu Kato (later Chairman of ALBA ROSA CORP). Prior to this, Kato was operating a predecessor brand called "Kato."

“According to a feature article in the Japanese Textile News from 1970, "Kato" brand of Kato Shoten Co., Ltd. began to produce fashion accessories and expanded the business into women's clothing by 1967.
It noted that "Kato" tended to have a very strong preference for summer items, suggesting that products were potentially designed with a resort or seaside themes from the outset.”

At this time, the "Kato Policy" was established as part of the business strategy.

"The 'Kato Policy' allowed any adventure as long as the fundamental brand image was maintained, reflecting an enterprise philosophy where the designers were the merchandiser as well, which was progressive at that time.

"The underlying principle of product creation was to express femininity; even casual and boyish attire was crafted without losing femininity or elegance.

"Additionally, in the rather than searching for trendy or uncommon colors, sticking to 'Kato Color' was what made it look fresh.

"This policy was carried carried over into ALBA ROSA."

Then, in 1975, the new brand "ALBA ROSA" was launched.

"The name 'ALBA ROSA' was inspired by the name of an Italian female cabin attendant. It means 'rose-colored dawn' in Italian.

"This beautiful name encapsulated the desire to create delightful products befitting it, striving to become a brand recognized globally in the near future."

From the beginning, ALBA ROSA had a clear brand concept.

"This expression, featured in the 1990 catalog, is a key concept for ALBA ROSA.

"Wherever spending healthy and refreshing mornings, stylishly enjoying feminine evenings, and engaging in active fun while soaking up the sea breeze, ALBA ROSA is always there.

"The foundation of ALBA ROSA's product creation is a lifestyle of a Healthy and Sexy woman who loves summer, the sea, and cheerful resorts.

"Based on this concept, we proposed many styles suitable for various resort scenarios, envisioning the sea and paradise, and also suitable to wear during hotel staying days or shopping trips."

The 90s: A Time When All Needs Aligned

Surprisingly, ALBA ROSA did not produce clothing for about five years after its foundation and initially focused on accessories.

However, from the early 80s, it gradually began handling clothing and started reforming its business operations.

"At that time, we were still a small brand, but we wanted to engage in business that wouldn't harm the brand's value with our partners, so we narrowed down our wholesale clients at a relatively early stage.

"Looking back, I think it was a bit audacious, however, we continued to have business with those wholesalers we established relationships at that time to the end, so I believe we could build a good trust.

This trust with authorized retailers later contributed to measures against counterfeit products because we could confidently assert that only products sold by authorized retailers were the ones that ALBA ROSA bore responsibility for.

Later, in 1985, ALBA ROSA opened its first directly managed store in Yokohama's Sotetsu Joinus and registered its trademark in 1987.

It is said that there was also a deep relationship between ALBA ROSA and "me Jane," which represented the Heisei era as well.

"The select shop 'me Jane,' which was located in SHIBUYA109, was a store we worked with for a long time.

"Originally, it was named 'Saya,' but in 1990, the store was renamed 'me Jane' and renovated then.

"At that time, they decided to mainly deal with ALBA ROSA products. When we exclusively tried to sell thick corduroy shorts only by displaying a sample for reservation, the buyer said that we received 1800 orders .

"Even now, some people believe that there was an ALBA ROSA shop in 109, but it was actually the authorized retailer 'me Jane.'"

In 1991, the hibiscus print, which can be said to be a symbol of ALBA ROSA, appeared in 1992, the first blanket coat made its debut.

In 1996, Marui Yokohama East Entrance Store opened, and from this store, yellow and white striped shoppers began to be used.

Additionally, that same year, SHIBUYA109 underwent a complete renovation reopening.

SHIBUYA109 transformed from its previously dull image into a popular fashion building targeting high school girls.

Many people from the same generation as the author may remember that ALBA ROSA opened in Marui City Shibuya in 1998.

Indeed, the 90s were a time when all the trends and timings lined up perfectly for ALBA ROSA.

However, as its popularity grew, an unintentional image, which ALBA ROSA did not want, began to take over its original image.

The Image of ALBA ROSA Created by the Media & the Problem of Counterfeit Products

ALBA ROSA expanded its media coverage from the "Fine" magazine of the 80s to "JJ" in the 90s, and in the 1991 "JJ" survey, it was selected as the third coolest brand, following Chanel and D.K.N.Y.

In 1992, the term "Paradise Girl" was coined in "JJ"; however, this term was independently interpreted as "Para-gyaru," spreading in a way that was significantly different from the original brand image.

"The term 'Paradise Girl' became translated to 'Para-gyaru' within a year, and it started to be used in other magazine media with an image different from the original. Therefore, we requested that our wholesale partners be cautious with the media, contents and images when lending items, and as a company, we decided to limit our public exposure."

Even in the late 90s, the stance on limiting media exposure did not change, and items were not leased to gyaru magazines such as "egg" and "Ranzuki," but many unauthorized feature articles and giveaways continued to emerge.

Another factor that altered ALBA ROSA's brand image was the counterfeit issue.

"Due to the attention received in 'JJ,' as more people began to know the ALBA ROSA name and stores, there was an increase in clothing makers imitating our original print designs.

"Furthermore, in the late 90s, Korean-made counterfeit products that forged woven labels, paper tags and printed logos flooded the market."

As of 2004, there were 70 authorized retailers, while the number of identified counterfeit retailers reached 173.
   
"In the midst of the significant trends in society, ALBA ROSA intentionally chose not to participate in it.

"We didn’t hold fashion shows, only provided catalogs to customers, and we didn't engage in online sales.

"Although, the image that Shibuya community made using resort wear was not the one Alba Rosa suggested, we do not perceive critically the fact that the vibrance, freedom, rarity, and hibiscus mark exuded by the brand were accepted by them.

Craftsmanship of ALBA ROSA: Handmade Prints

Kato spoke about the philosophy of ALBA ROSA's craftsmanship as follows:

"The craftsmanship policy of ALBA ROSA remained unchanged since President Ichikawa inherited the brand from Chairman Kato.

"As long as the designer did not deviate from the image, the policy allowed for significant investment in production costs. Essentially, they were made in Japan, and I believe we pursued high-quality production regardless of costs."

ALBA ROSA's representative products, the prints, feature various patterns every season. These original prints are created by using the hand-screen printing and there are over 930 types of screen prints remained.

"We were quite particular about how the prints and colors turned out.

"To reduce costs, there are methods to show more colors within a single screen, but ALBA ROSA printed each color in a single screen. It was usual for us to create 12 or 13 screens.

"Moreover, to ensure that no connecting lines of repeats appeared within the patterns, we invested in larger screens despite the costs.

"The factories genuinely understood ALBA ROSA's ethos, they were meticulous about the color outputs and the order to lay down the colors.

"We also made sure to show the shop staffs the efforts of the factories, helping them understand the importance of the products and ALBA ROSA's attitude."

Currently, ALBA ROSA operates an Instagram and a website.

"Here, we hope to introduce the official ALBA ROSA archive.

"Furthermore, we want to preserve an archive that includes interviews that reflect who contributed to the brand’s development and insights into Japanese craftsmanship.

"While our online presence mainly showcases images, 'Hibiscus Shimbun' can be viewed at the National Diet Library."

Recently, the Heisei revival has garnered attention. In this context, many companies may wish to collaborate with ALBA ROSA. How does ALBA ROSA feel about collaboration?

""I would like to collaborate with those who truly understand the ALBA ROSA brand and can create products with it.

"I also hope for initiatives that generate new value using ALBA ROSA's original print patterns.

"Moreover, the number of companies and artisans involved in our production is rapidly decreasing.

"I want to support efforts to preserve Japanese craftsmanship, and I would be delighted to hear proposals in which ALBA ROSA's printed patterns are utilized within traditional Japanese techniques."