The two orcas at Smasee are actually mother and daughter. They are mother Stella and daughter Ran. We created a pattern featuring the two of them and made it into a cool cotton-linen shirt. They are almost the same length, but Stella is a little bigger. We made sure to reflect the characteristics of the two whales in the design, such as the shape of their dorsal fins and the shape of the white pattern around their eyes. The model photos were taken in a restaurant on the first floor of Orca Stadium. We had the cooperation of Stella and Ran, as well as their trainer, during the shoot, and we were able to snap a photo with the two models. It was a really fun shoot.
We previously worked together on creating clothing for an aquarium-themed project with Kobe Suma Aqualife Park, which closed in May 2023 and will have its grand reopening as Kobe Suma Sea World in June 2024. The newly renovated Kobe Suma Sea World not only features the fish of its former days as an aquarium, but also orcas. Having been deeply moved by the orca performance I saw as an elementary school student, I was looking forward to seeing orcas at Kobe Suma Sea World. Apparently, orcas are incredibly popular with visitors, not just me. So, while they're not technically fish, we unanimously decided to create clothing featuring the orcas Stella and Ran. This collection also commemorates FELISSIMO 's 60th anniversary and is supported by the "Ocean Fund," promoted by FELISSIMO 's "Sea and seagull club Club."