Hi!
The catchphrase is "The beauty all around us."
"ReADY B" is a new apparel brand that reconstructs beautiful fabrics such as kimonos and obi that were on the verge of being discarded.
My name is Iwaoka, and I am the Marketing Director.
In cooperation with a Type B workshop that supports continued employment, we carefully upcycle obi and kimonos one by one.
We will spread Japan's beautiful culture to the world.
It all started with an inherited kimono
The business started two years ago.
When the mother of a friend of Noda, who is the CEO of the operating company, Setouchi Mirai Design Inc. and a designer of ReADY B, passed away,
The family asked me if I could take some of the kimonos from the closet.
It's a very beautiful kimono, but it's quite difficult to wear on an everyday basis.
Is there any way to incorporate it into our lifestyle?
So I consulted with a friend who is a pattern maker and remade it into a skirt.
The works were exhibited and sold at the gallery space that he manages.
In fact, the market for kimonos lying around in closets is said to be worth 30 million pieces and 8 to 20 trillion yen, and I learned that there are many people around me who are also in trouble.
It is estimated that about 500,000 tons of kimono are discarded each year.
Of this, nearly 70% is said to be incinerated as garbage .
The beautiful culture that Japan has inherited from ancient times,
It's so sad to see it being abandoned and abandoned like this.
I think it's a real shame. 
Create a society where anyone can work under any circumstances
While I was thinking about seriously starting a business out of upcycling kimonos, I was introduced to Mr. Yasukawa, the representative of small.step Inc., which runs a Type B workshop that provides continued employment support.
The number of welfare facilities for people with disabilities, as well as the number of users, is increasing year by year, and the number of people certified as disabled is expected to increase to 25.31 million, or 20% of the population.
Among them Because there is no minimum wage set at Type B Continuing Employment Support Workshops , the national average wage is only 233 yen per hour. The average monthly wage is about 17,000 yen.
I was shocked to learn for the first time that in the future, 20% of the population could potentially be working under these conditions.
Noda herself went through a period of depression after giving birth as she lost touch with society.
What saved her was the fulfillment of her work.
I made accessories every night after my children went to bed, and they were well-received, resulting in more sales than I expected. After that, I created a place where people who had difficulty working due to environmental factors could use their time to their advantage.
What I want to achieve is a society where anyone can work under any circumstances.
That's why, even though we were aware of this issue, we couldn't just leave it as it was.
Wanting to do something about it, I came up with the idea of upcycling kimonos, sewing the products at a Type B workshop providing continued employment support, and then expanding overseas.
At Type B continuing employment support workshops, it is difficult for one person to carry out all the work, so productivity is maintained by dividing up the processes and having specific people perform specific tasks repeatedly.
In fact, the work of the people at the workshop is very thorough.
They are excited by the beauty of the kimonos, and are happy and motivated by the opportunity to expand overseas.
Through this project, we
We are working to improve the working environment for people with disabilities, whose numbers are increasing year by year, and conveying the joy of working with a sense of fulfillment.
"Fair payment" for the results,
We would like to support them in finding employment in regular companies or Type A continuous employment support programs.
Two years ago, we remade a skirt to honor the family's wishes.
Through various opportunities and connections, "ReADY B" began.
We look forward to your continued support!
Marketing Director
Sumire Iwaoka