Revolutionizing fashion: MOTHERHOUSE's journey from Bangladesh to global recognition

MOTHERHOUSE was established in 2006 in Bangladesh and has dedicated itself to showcasing the potential of developing nations, utilizing materials from these countries, and the skills of craftsmen. Can you tell us about your unique history and founding, and why you decided to establish your company in Bangladesh?

When establishing the company, I was very interested in international cooperation and assistance. It has become one of my goals to become a part of the United Nations or World Bank. When I was in my senior year at university, I was able to experience a four-month internship at the Inter-American Development Bank. I realized that international organizations are policy-makers and data analysts, rather than those that have hands-on experience. It was hard to tell if donations were contributing to the growth of the local area. I wanted to have more hands-on field experience, and when I was searching where to do that I stumbled upon Bangladesh as a very poor country.

I went to Bangladesh to study for my master’s degree. I actually visited the country first on a backpacking holiday for 10 days, but I quickly realized that 10 days is not enough. The university that I attended was the University of Bangladesh.

How did you decide to get into fashion?

There in Bangladesh, I visited many non-governmental organizations as a volunteer, and during that process, I learned the hardships of Bangladeshi life. There have been so many demonstrations, coup d'états, and examples of political corruption in daily life and these are serious problems that the public has to face. With these facts, I realized that the donations given from overseas countries are not playing an effective role in contributing to the local people. With that, I decided to try and determine what would be the best economy or industry that could support the local people at the time. At that time there was a move from China to Bangladesh in terms of labor, especially in the garment industry. This was not great; however, since fast fashion is extremely short-term and not sustainable in the way it supports the local society.

All of my classmates were Bengali, and one comment, in particular, that changed my life was when a classmate said that they did not need aid, they needed jobs. My mindset changed to think about new ways to create businesses and jobs rather than finding ways to send aid. These Bengali classmates, however, wanted fancy jobs like consultants in the banking field. Unfortunately, the reality is that Bangladesh is 95% supported by agriculture and manufacturing, so within manufacturing, I tried to discover the best way to create a new business.

Through my search, I discovered that Bangladesh is the world’s number one exporter of jute, and I was so moved to discover that within this poor country, there is something that the people can be really proud of as the world’s number one. I visited the factory and learned about child labor and corruption, and it was here that I really saw the gravity of the situation. I tried to think of ways to convert jute in a way that would help the local people. Jute is commonly used for coffee bags or potato bags, but I thought that if this jute could be converted into more of a fashion item, then I might be able to mitigate some of the local issues.

Since I was a student there, I really did not have any idea where to start. Seeing jute, you will understand that it is very coarse and rough, and in fact, it is stinging to the skin. The first step I took was working with local Bengalis on how to make it smoother. I also learned that Bangladesh has very good leather, so by combining jute and leather, we would make very nice bags. Unfortunately, finding a factory that could make these products was a struggle. Minimum orders were in bulk, so we are talking 20,000-30,000 units and I only had my savings, so my budget was very tight. I visited over 30 factories before finally finding a factory that could create samples, so I paid in advance and received 160 bags with the two materials combined.

After getting these 160 bags done, my passport was stolen. As you can imagine, I got very desperate. I was thinking about giving up MOTHERHOUSE. I reflected on what changes would drive the business forward, and I think that creating trust among people is very difficult and always carries certain risks. I thought long and hard and when I was 24, I decided to establish my own factory. Establishing a factory in a location where you do not have much affinity comes with huge risks. I began hiring staff and we would make bags from early in the morning till late at night. Now the company has grown to have over 330 people working in that factory and we export 13,000 bags per month. Even the government of Bangladesh has given us credit for what we have done.

Ms. Yamaguchi works with local craftsmen to create products at the same table

A big problem with fast fashion is the quality, and items are routinely thrown away after a short amount of time. It is estimated that every 5 minutes about 10,000 items of fast fashion are thrown into landfills. We know that as part of your environmental initiatives, you offer your RINNE series of bags and accessories that you create by recycling and reusing customers' leather bags. However, recycled materials can also decrease the perceived quality of products in the eyes of consumers. How are you able to ensure a high level of quality in your RINNE series?

With our RINNE series, we take worn-out bags and recycle them. The treatment of leather is important so first, we treat the leather, recover it, and then disassemble it before finally recoloring it.

Japanese quality is oftentimes seen as some of the finest in the world, and with a weak JPY coupled with growth in inbound tourism as well as tax-free reductions for tourists, Japan has become attractive to shoppers. Tourists can take advantage of the economic situation to bring quality Japanese apparel and accessories back to their home countries. What business opportunities do you see for your firm by leveraging inbound tourism?

We do have a lot of inbound tourists purchasing our products and it is growing yearly. We have customers from the US, Hong Kong, Singapore, France, and many more countries around the world. We recently opened a shop in Narita Airport, so you can see that we are constantly contemplating how to cater to overseas customers. I myself am a designer and the designs we create are a real collaboration between my own Japanese influence and the work manufactured by the people of developing nations. When people from overseas come and see our products they can feel this sort of fusion between Japan and other countries. This synergy really touches the hearts of the consumers.

Could you elaborate more on the details of your Japanese design elements?

There are three characteristics of Japanese design elements in MOTHERHOUSE. First, if the West is a culture of decoration, Japan is a culture of subtraction. In other words, it is the beauty of minimalism. Therefore, when developing a product, we always examine what elements are truly necessary. We do not go to the trouble of adding weight and design. The second point is color. Unlike other countries, Japan has four distinct seasons, and colors vary according to the season. The colors of the materials are mixed and graduated based on the beauty of the changing seasons, such as pink for cherry blossoms in spring, and orange for gingko trees and autumn leaves in fall. The third point is functionality with physicality in mind. For example, this is why there are many 2-way bags.

Backpacks that are formal one-shoulder bags for work during the day but can be converted into backpacks in an instant are a hit. Such "beauty of use" that considers human lifestyle and physicality is also a characteristic of my design.

Is a showroom a concept that you’ve tried? If you have, what locations have you attempted this model in? We have only tried in France so far; however, we would like to try in the US if possible. Out of some of the bags you offer do you have a favorite?

They are all like my babies so it is impossible to pick out just one.

You talked about how this is a collaboration between many different nations. Jute and leather from Bangladesh, as well as aspects from India, Indonesia, Nepal, and others. Are you looking to find more developing countries to bring into your collaborative scheme, and if so which countries?

Many of our staff members are looking forward to going to Africa. We are not just a mere buyer of materials, rather we look to establish ourselves in a locality and plant roots by hiring local people. That can be a challenging point.

Is finding a local partner an area of interest for you? Finding a country manager is very difficult.

Post-pandemic, physical stores are seeing a rebound, however, these companies now have to develop unique in-store experiences to get consumers back to purchasing through physical retail stores.

Narita Airport Terminal 1 store

How is MOTHERHOUSE creating a unique in-store experience for its customers?

A key part of our branding is the emphasis we put on the storytelling aspect of our bags. We do not do any form of wholesale or provide to select shops; therefore customers can only purchase our bags through our direct-line shops. This is essentially the core DNA of our company. Additionally, we like to refer to our staff members as storytellers, telling the story behind the creation of the bags. These passionate staff members are pushing us forward and creating a more real type of in-store experience. Once a year we invite the artisans from these developing countries to come to Japan. Customers enjoy meeting the people behind the craft in person.

In 2022 you launched your namesake brand, Eriko Yamaguchi, which utilizes materials from Asian countries and is inspired by your own story. What was the motivation behind starting this brand and how are you going to ensure its successful growth going forward?

India and Bangladesh are neighbors and therefore in Bangladesh, they are always thinking about India. The Indians are very proud of their handcrafted Khadi material. Ever since the period of Mahatma Gandhi, Khadi weaving has been supporting the local lives of women who live in the countryside. The number of weavers for handspun Khadi is decreasing year by year, and big brands have tried to revive this craft without any success. I was thinking that if we can apply caddies to more general goods it would be more attractive to the general public, thus leading to a revitalization of the material. We have our own factory in Calcutta with 40 artisans there so when I visit, I will ask them to produce things such as dresses and shirts. The idea is to exemplify beauty through the material. Finding younger artisans who want to learn the techniques is difficult since many in India are attracted to jobs in the IT sector.

A recent release of yours is the Kazematou Round Backpack. When it comes to product development, do you have anything new that you are creating or any new designs that you would like to share with us?

My idea behind the design is that the starting point comes from the human body shape. The Kazematou Round Backpack, for example, uses a more fluid-shaped strap, and making this strap shape is quite difficult and can only be achieved by hand with scissors. I enjoy the designing process and am always thinking about ways to decrease the burden on users’ shoulders since that is the contact point of a bag wearer. Lightness is key in decreasing this burden, but leather is often considered quite a heavy material and people will opt to choose nylon instead. Our leathers are so light that people are surprised that there is leather in the bag. In particular, Bangladeshi cows are good for light leather materials.

Of course, humans come in many shapes and sizes. How do you adapt to different body shapes when it comes to your products?

At our Narita store, 70% of the customers are from overseas. Although I am Japanese, I am making these products in collaboration with Bengali people so thinking about making essentially borderless designs is something that is always on my mind. I am looking to create things that are universal and not just to satisfy the Japanese people.

In terms of the make-up of your customers, is it primarily going to be Japanese moving forward or are you going to attempt another international store location in the future?

This is the homework that I am currently working on. Branding is the key to success, and while the Japanese are good at craftsmanship and working on minor details, at times we are not very good at branding and sending out concepts to the world. I think it is important to send out a more sophisticated yet simple message through our branding. I myself have written a book and translated it into English talking about my experiences as a designer and this is part of our branding process.

Imagine that we come back in 2031 and have this interview all over again. What goals or dreams would you like to achieve by the time we come back for that new interview?

In the past, I remember a Westerner telling me that developing nations are poor and therefore can only make poor things. I am totally against this thought and I want to prove it wrong. Currently, our brand is confined to Asia, but I want to expand it and make it a global brand. In terms of dreams, having that tangible feeling that my brand is recognized around the world would prove that developing nations can create world-class products.