Q. Today, please tell us your thoughts about BAREN and the story behind its founding.
First of all, what inspired you to create BAREN?
It all started when I was diagnosed with cervical cancer and was unable to find a care hat or wig that I wanted to wear during the hair loss caused by chemotherapy.
In 2021, I was diagnosed with stage 3 cervical cancer and started chemotherapy. At that time, my doctor told me, "The chemotherapy will cause your hair to fall out, so you should prepare a medical wig and a care cap."
Q. Being told you have cancer is a shock in itself, but when you also lose your hair it can be even more disconcerting.
Well, I was pretty confused. So I started looking, but I was discouraged because the only care hats I could find were ones that had designs that said "I'm sick."
I tried buying some medical wigs, but they were uncomfortable to wear; they were too tight and gave me headaches, and they made me sweaty and stuffy.
I bought a fairly expensive mid-range wig, but in the end it never wore me.
When I talked to a nurse about this, she told me, "There are many people who have the same problem and end up giving up on living a normal life for a while."
When I heard that, I had an idea: "If that's the case, why don't I make a stylish and comfortable care hat?" Looking back, I think that this conversation was the starting point of BAREN.
There were already so many things I had to give up while fighting my illness, but I didn't want to give up on fashion and comfort either. With that in mind, I immediately started designing hats and preparing to start my own business.
Q. Was your family surprised that you decided to start a business while battling illness?
That was a big surprise (laughs). But the reason I wanted to make fashionable care hats was because I didn't want my daughters, who were worried about me, to look like I was sick any more. I surprised them in so many ways, but I think I'm able to show them that I'm still fashionable and moving forward in a positive way, just like before.
My daughters are now in elementary school, and they actively support me by helping out with model shoots, giving their opinions about products, and making "BAREN-chan" stamps.
I had told my husband that I was going to manufacture and sell care hats, but he was probably expecting it to be on a small scale, so he was surprised to see me suddenly incorporate the business, write a business plan, and start raising funds (laughs).
I'm sure there are many things on my mind, but I'm grateful to my family for supporting me with a smile.
Q. Did it take a lot of courage to suddenly start your own business?
When I started doing market research, I noticed that the number of cancer patients was increasing year by year and becoming younger, yet the design and functionality of care hats had not been updated.
Also, my experience working on the interior brand manufacturing and sales business from its start-up stage may have been a big factor.
Although the products I make will change from furniture to hats, the business aspect should be the same. I felt confident that I could do it too.
Furthermore, I was a web designer at a major IT venture in my previous job, so those skills came in handy. I thought, "All of my experiences can be combined and put to good use at BAREN! This might be my mission."
>> Click here for the official BAREN store
Q. Even so, I imagine you had a lot of difficulties when you first started.
There was a lot of that (laughs).
After giving careful thought to what kind of care hat could be made to be both stylish and comfortable, I came up with the "scarf hat + bangs wig" style, but from there it got difficult.
I consulted with companies, showing them the specifications and saying, "I want to make a hat with a certain design that can be attached to the wig with a hook-and-loop fastener," but in the end, I was turned down by more than 30 companies (25 hat companies/7 wig companies). Some were kind enough to reply, "We've never made a hat like this before, so we can't do it," but there were also some that didn't even reply. They wouldn't take me seriously because the number of units produced was small and the design was unique.
Q. You're very persistent, trying over 30 companies. If it were me, I would have given up after 3 (laughs). Did you ever think about giving up?
I thought, "There's no reason we can't do it," so I never thought about giving up. In fact, I found a company that was willing to listen to my story. But it was still difficult from there. It took a month and a half to make corrections to the sample they made, so it ended up taking a year to develop. Since the number of units to be manufactured is small, they have to use the factory's free time to manufacture them, so they end up putting them off. It was very frustrating because I wanted to make it into a product quickly.
Q. Did you choose all the fabrics for the scarf hat, etc., yourself?
That's right. First, I went to a fabric trade fair, and then I went to about four or five showrooms. Each company had about 4,000 swatches (fabric samples), so I looked at them all. Of course, the design is important, but the feel and weight are also very important. Even if something looks good on the swatch, it can feel heavy when you actually make it and try it on. Just 20g of weight can affect comfort.
We selected the products by comprehensively scoring them from various perspectives, such as design, breathability, weight, wrinkle-free material, and washability. The products we selected from tens of thousands of items are now being commercialized.
For the hook-and-loop fasteners used to attach the bangs wig to the scarf hat, we wanted to avoid any irritation caused by contact with the skin, so we tracked down and used medical grade ones. In any case, we didn't compromise on any of the details, and we thought it out thoroughly before creating it.
Q. What are your particular concerns when it comes to designing scarf hats?
First of all, it has to be something that won't be noticed at all. The brand name BAREN is a pun on the Japanese word "baren" (not noticeable). We made many prototypes to ensure that the nape of the neck, bangs, and sideburns would be naturally hidden.
You can adjust the ribbon of the scarf by tying it yourself, so you can wear it comfortably regardless of the size of your head or whether you are losing hair or growing hair. When hair grows back, it can push up the hat and make it float away, but this doesn't happen with BAREN. Of course, it won't be blown off by the wind. And because it's stylish, it has a design that you can use for a long time even after recovery.
>> Click here for undiscovered BAREN products
Q. What is BAREN's uncompromising concept?
When we were thinking about what kind of product BAREN should be, we considered more conservative designs, like a regular cap or knit hat with bangs.
There are very few people in Japan who wear headscarves as fashion, so some people were concerned that it would stand out in a bad way.
But then, a question came to my mind: Is it really enough to just hide the loss of hair and make it look like it's gone back to normal? It's boring to just turn a negative into a zero, so why not go all out and make it a positive? I thought I should suggest ways of dressing up that people wouldn't have done if they hadn't lost their hair.
Q. It's true that not many people wear scarves, but when you actually try one on, you'll be surprised at how well it goes with any outfit. It feels like it elevates your everyday outfit.
That's right. After trying out various fabrics, I found that although basic items such as plain black are easy to use, patterned items are also easy to incorporate into outfits. At first, I tried making a safe plain khaki item, but when I combined it with a trench coat, I ended up looking like a botanist (lol). I realized that patterns are surprisingly easy to match. There were many things I couldn't understand until I made it.
>> Easy to coordinate! BAREN's care hat
Q. What is the most rewarding thing about creating BAREN?
That is, reading reviews from customers. Although I started BAREN with great enthusiasm, I was full of anxiety, wondering, "Is this really the right format?" and "Will people accept it?" However, once we started selling, we received many heartfelt reviews.
Q. Are there a lot of good reviews?
We currently have 191 reviews (as of January 2024), with an average rating of 4.9 stars. Of course, I'm happy about the large number of reviews and the high ratings, but everyone has written such heartfelt reviews that I've been crying tears of joy while reading them.
Many people say that BAREN is their emotional support, but I am the one who is supported and encouraged by the feedback from our customers. Of course, we also take seriously any suggestions that we wish were more like this, and use them as a reference for making improvements.
I would be even happier if those who are currently considering purchasing BAREN would read this review and dream of the kind of life they could have with BAREN.
>> Read the review on the official BAREN store
Q. What do you want to convey to your customers through BAREN?
The underlying idea is "I don't want people who are already suffering from illness to feel even the slightest bit of stress." I wrote that in my business plan when I started the company, because I thought that's how it should be to spread BAREN. But now it's no longer just pretty words, and it's my sole motivation.
We always want to create products that are as stylish, comfortable, and cost-effective as possible, in the hope that we can help reduce the stress of those who are battling illness.
The selling price was set as low as possible by calculating backwards from the cost price.
I want to bring a smile to people all over the world who are suffering from hair loss with a product that I truly desire, and this desire grows stronger with each passing day.
It would be wonderful if BAREN spread not only in Japan but all over the world.
For example, the number of breast cancer patients is increasing not only in Japan, but worldwide, and in the United States in particular, it is said that one in eight women is at risk of developing breast cancer.
We are currently exploring how we can make BAREN known to people who need it not only in Japan but all over the world.
