For 20 years, I was in charge of Christian Dior’s accessories department in a luxury department store in Paris. New jewelry sparkling under spotlights in their glass cases, a confidential trade held within an exclusive VIP lounge. Designers, models, movie directors, and artists from around the world visited this coveted “dream stage”. But one day, a small voice whispered from a hidden corner of my heart. “Is this all I’ll achieve in life?” I was originally an art teacher in Tokyo. My students were children with mental and learning disabilities. Every day was repeated trials and errors with no such thing as a correct answer. Yet, despite the challenges, there was no better reward than the moment a classroom is filled with smiles. This life took a turn after my marriage and divorce with a French man who lived in Japan. Finding myself a single mother while pregnant, I was emotionally and financially tethering on the edge. There’s close to no institutional support available for such situations in Japan, so to protect the life in my womb, I made the decision to return to my hometown in Sanjo, Niigata. There, I started from zero Poupons, a curated shop for children’s clothing. Since there were no businesses who would hire me, a pregnant woman, then my only option was to start my own. My younger sister who was a popular jewelry designer at the time was roped in to help and we sold at flea markets, outside hospitals and train stations. Building on this momentum, I managed to acquire agency agreements with brands like Petit Bateau, Saint James, Du pareil au même and became the representative of French brands in suburban areas. But these suburbs were not kind. Prejudiced against mixed-race children, we drew curious stares at rumors started to spread, eventually reaching the ears of young children. “I can’t keep them safe like this.” With this in mind, I bought a one-way ticket bringing with me nothing but my 8-year-old daughter, my newborn son, some cash, and an almost-zero French language proficiency. My heart was pounding when I arrived at the airport and stepped off the plane. As anxious as I was, my body was also fired up with the determination to make things work. Since then, the journey of my life went on with the help of others. Which is why this time, I will definitely return these favors I’ve received. That’s my vow.
-KUDEN rinlife Magazine vol.1
Writer:Rie Sekinoyama