これまであまり自分たちのことを語ってきませんでしたが、作り手のことが少しでもわかるように、と今回ここに記そうと思いました。
eit swimは【ABOUT US】にも書かれているように２人のサーファーが立ち上げました。アパレル/ヴィンテージショップスタッフとして知識豊富なデザイナーと、ファッションやビーチ関連のエディター/ライターとして活動していたビジュアルディレクターのコンビです。
出会いは都内ヴィンテージショップ。スタッフとお客さんの関係だった私たちは、話しているうちにお互いサーフィンをすることが判明。連絡先を交換してからすぐに海に一緒に行くようになりました。年が近く、サーフィンのレベルも同じくらいだったので、笑ったり泣いたりしながら、長い時間を一緒に過ごし切磋琢磨していました。
ある時から２人で一緒に海を絡めた何かができないか、と思い始め、行き着いた先が”水着ブランドの立ち上げ”でした。2018年当時は国内の水着ブランドが本当に少なく、自分たちが欲しいと思う水着がない、買う場合には海外から取り寄せる、という状況。水着をそれこそ下着のように毎日使っていたため、理想の水着を自分たちで作るというのは自然な流れでした。
２人とも海沿いに移住し、家は車で５分ほど。朝海に入ってから、ビーチや家の庭でミーティングするのが日課。サーフトリップにもよく出かけ、その車内でブランドについて話し合ったり、旅先で撮影もしたり。ぺちゃくちゃおしゃべりしているとアイディアが湧いてくる。そんな風に過ごしていたらあっという間に今年で７年目に。
「友達とブランドをやるって勇気があるね」そんな風にもよく言われます。ものの見方や考え方が似ている私たちは、友達というよりも姉妹のような、家族の関係性。これまで２人でブランドを運営する大変さは感じたことがなく、むしろプラスにしかならないと思っています。
お互いのフェーズの変化で、数年前から東京とカリフォルニアという別々の拠点から運営するのが初めての困難だったかもしれません。以前はすぐにミーティングできたのが、オンラインでのやり取りに変わり、時差もある中でなかなかコミュニケーションがうまく取れない時も。それでもリスペクトと感謝を忘れず、小さな心の気づきや日常のくだらないことでもなるべく「たくさん話すこと」を大切にしています。話すことで見つかる自分や相手の気持ち、解決する問題、アイディアの創造があるとわかっているから。
役割はあっても、すべて２人で話し合って決めて、柔軟に、でも決してブレないように。お互いの良いところを伸ばしながら、楽しめるブランドづくりを心がけています。
We haven’t talked much about ourselves before, but we wanted to share a little about the people behind eit swim.
As mentioned in our ABOUT US, eit swim was started by two surfers: a designer with years of experience in apparel and vintage shops, and a visual director who has worked as a fashion and beach lifestyle editor and writer.
We first met at a vintage shop in Tokyo, where one of us was staff and the other a customer. While chatting, we discovered that we both surfed, exchanged contacts, and soon started going to the ocean together. We were close in age and at similar skill levels, so we spent long hours together—laughing, learning, and pushing each other to grow.
At some point, we started wondering if we could create something together that involved the ocean—and that naturally led to launching a swimwear brand. Back in 2018, there were very few domestic swimwear brands in Japan, and we couldn’t find the pieces we truly wanted. If we wanted them, we had to order from overseas. Since we wore swimwear almost every day, it felt only natural to make the swimwear we had been dreaming of ourselves.
Eventually, we both moved closer to the coast, living just five minutes from the beach. Our mornings start with a surf session, followed by meetings on the beach or in our backyards. We also often go on surf trips, brainstorming about the brand in the car and even shooting along the way. Talking through ideas like this always sparks something new, and now, seven years have passed in what feels like no time at all.
People often say, “It takes courage to start a brand with a friend.” But because we think and see things in a similar way, our relationship feels more like sisters than just friends. Running the brand together has never felt like a burden—on the contrary, it’s been a positive experience all along.
The first real challenge came a few years ago when we began running the brand from separate places—Tokyo and California. Meetings that used to happen instantly became online, and the time difference sometimes made communication tricky. Still, we make it a point to talk as much as possible, sharing small insights, daily moments, and even the silly little things. We know that through these conversations, we find understanding, solve problems, and spark ideas.
Even though we each have our roles, we make every decision together—flexibly, but always grounded. Our goal is to create a brand that lets us bring out the best in each other while enjoying the journey.
We haven’t talked much about ourselves before, but we wanted to share a little about the people behind eit swim.
As mentioned in our ABOUT US, eit swim was started by two surfers: a designer with years of experience in apparel and vintage shops, and a visual director who has worked as a fashion and beach lifestyle editor and writer.
We first met at a vintage shop in Tokyo, where one of us was staff and the other a customer. While chatting, we discovered that we both surfed, exchanged contacts, and soon started going to the ocean together. We were close in age and at similar skill levels, so we spent long hours together—laughing, learning, and pushing each other to grow.
At some point, we started wondering if we could create something together that involved the ocean—and that naturally led to launching a swimwear brand. Back in 2018, there were very few domestic swimwear brands in Japan, and we couldn’t find the pieces we truly wanted. If we wanted them, we had to order from overseas. Since we wore swimwear almost every day, it felt only natural to make the swimwear we had been dreaming of ourselves.
Eventually, we both moved closer to the coast, living just five minutes from the beach. Our mornings start with a surf session, followed by meetings on the beach or in our backyards. We also often go on surf trips, brainstorming about the brand in the car and even shooting along the way. Talking through ideas like this always sparks something new, and now, seven years have passed in what feels like no time at all.
People often say, “It takes courage to start a brand with a friend.” But because we think and see things in a similar way, our relationship feels more like sisters than just friends. Running the brand together has never felt like a burden—on the contrary, it’s been a positive experience all along.
The first real challenge came a few years ago when we began running the brand from separate places—Tokyo and California. Meetings that used to happen instantly became online, and the time difference sometimes made communication tricky. Still, we make it a point to talk as much as possible, sharing small insights, daily moments, and even the silly little things. We know that through these conversations, we find understanding, solve problems, and spark ideas.
Even though we each have our roles, we make every decision together—flexibly, but always grounded. Our goal is to create a brand that lets us bring out the best in each other while enjoying the journey.