Profile of Naoko Yamada, representative director of Silky Style Co., Ltd.
Ms. Yamada was born in the city of Morioka. After being put in charge of the planning, development, and merchandizing of underwear at a major underwear maker, she gained experience in the selling of domestic and imported lingerie.

As the world's first underwear concierge, she offers advice on underwear through seminars, magazines, TV, the Internet, and so on.

In 2006, she started Silky Style Co., Ltd. , at which she serves as the representative director. Besides dealing with body care products and cosmetics that help the skin look better with underwear, she is also working as a total beauty coordinator for women.

She organizes the "Aoyama Women's Caf," a seminar and exchange club for women who wish to make their dreams come true. She has released a book called “Shitagi no Hinkaku” (publisher: Canaria Shoboh).

*Blog: "Mai Otorii's Shitagi Bijin Blog"
---"Please let us know how you became an "underwear concierge"?

Before I started an independent career, I had been engaged in the planning and development of underwear at an underwear maker.  In those days, my female friends would often ask me miscellaneous questions like: “How many undergarments does a woman generally have?" or "How long is the service life of an undergarment?" Then, I realized the surprising fact that women did not know much about underwear. I thought that they should get to know more about underwear; otherwise, we could not keep our consumers into line with the proposals we would make to the world, no matter how good they were. That's why I decided to be committed to resolving various problems of women as a specialist. So I started my blog to answer general questions about underwear and began referring to myself as an "underwear concierge" to get my position across.

---How was Silky Style Co., Ltd. born?

I was transmitting information on underwear through my blog. In the meantime, I was gradually asked to supervise the underwear feature of a female magazine or organize a seminar, and more and more work began to come in.

I was happiest when planning underwear and had a strong feeling of wanting to do it myself without constraints, so I decided to start an independent business based on the knowledge and experience I'd accumulated at the underwear maker.
---When do you feel happy about being independent?

There are so many women who have inferior complexes about their bodies or problems with their underwear. Such a woman calls up her courage to ask me for advice, resolves her problem, and at last, gives me a word of thanks - that's exactly when I feel really happy. Many of my clients are working women over thirty, and quite a few experience feeling so much more positive simply by wearing the underwear that best fits their bodies.

---What circumstances led you to start the Women's Career Design Association?

We started the association, hoping that a get-together of active and positive-thinking women would cause a chemical reaction in each of them. I, myself, have learned a lot from actual experiences of success, so I want the Aoyama Women's Café to be a scene where women find out as many secrets to success as possible and make their growth faster by hearing the stories of those who are already playing an active role.

---Do you have any messages you want to tell to working women?

I think that unlike men, women have so wide swings to experience in life. The life of a woman has to change drastically each time she goes through an important life event -- marriage, childbirth, or whatever. So unless you keep trying to do anything you want to within a short span of time whenever you get a hunch that this is what you want to do, you may possibly be stuck in a situation you can no longer keep doing it any time.  Get a jump start on whatever you want to do and modify the course as soon as you find out something wrong. Keep going ahead that way is a secret to a happier life. I'd believe so from my own experiences.
------How do you spend your lunchtime?How do you balance your work and private life?

I believe that setting your mind to the job you like will lead to a better private life.  If you like your job, you can work harder, concentrate better, come up with more ideas, which means you can work more efficiently, you know.  When this happens, you will be able to save you more of private time automatically. I have a lot of interests, which include dancing, jazz piano, golf, and yachting. So I’m trying to put myself into a cycle of working harder to create more time for fun by scheduling what to do in advance.

---Could you tell us what you are particular about in choosing the clothes for work?

If I had to choose one thing, it would be "colors." When I put on something orange, I'm in the mood for a hustle on the day. So I think it's really good to have one color to lift your motivation up like that. I guess you can bring out the true you by making good use of the colors of clothes or underwear.

---Do you have any other items to be particular about?

I love bags and have a lot. When I’m working, I'm using a generous bag large enough for A4 size or laptop to fit in. The bags I'm using when not working are relatively small. Many of them are just about sized to hold a porch, a wallet, and a notebook.

I often go to restaurants or places like that. I'm carrying a three-piece set-a cell phone, a wallet, and a notebook?in a good-sized bag kept in my office, but as a matter of fact, I don't really want to carry it with me because it's not so cute. Good-sized bags are hard to come by, you know.
---The ROOTOTE has a mini tote series called “baby roo” for lunchtime.

Isn’t it cute!  This is about the right size to come in handy for women, isn’t it?  And it’s so much fun to have such a wide variety of designs.  Because the prices are moderate as well, I really want to enjoy different variations.  When it comes to choosing bags for office use, we tend to take a safe side in colors or designs, don’t we?  But this is really nice when we want to look a bit showy at least during lunchtime.  If it’s just lunchtime, we do feel like such a fancy look, you know.

---If you are asked, what would you like to put in the roo pocket on the side?

When I think of the handiness, I’d like to put in keys or a Suica.  I’m such a drone that I even get a blip on a ticket gate with the Suica left in my bag.  If I have a pocket in here, I guess getting a blip with the Suica will be easier!
Among the ROOTOTE lineup, the compact baby roo is a tote bag handy for trip scenes during lunchtime.  For working women, lunchtime is the biggest relaxation time, which is vital for them to work with a refreshed feeling.  On such a short trip occasion, the size of a baby roo is perfect for carrying your minimum necessary items such as a wallet, handkerchief, cell phone, and makeup kit for correction.  Plus, it’s available in a wide variety of colors and designs so you can choose one to your everyday fashion.  It’s ideal for women who want to stay fashionable even during lunchtime.