Serendipity

The Meeting That Changed Everything. How years of creative alliance, a side quest through the world’s stages, and a single cold email brought a space, in between. to life.

The Journey, 2015

"It's dangerous to go alone! Take this." — The Legend of Zelda

Back in 2015, Ana Arriola-Kanada was first introduced to Takayuki Tanaka (Taka), Motoyuki Matsumoto (Moto), and Masaki Tomita of divka, through a dear friend and creative confidant, Mogi-san, a design visionary at Sony Design and a guiding force in Tokyo’s Creative Center.

That introduction felt like Zelda receiving her first wooden sword, simple on the surface, but the beginning of something mythic. Together, they ventured into uncharted territory, blending art, innovation, and purpose, forging a path that would one day become a space, in between.

Side Quest, 2016 to 2024

Between 2016 and 2024, Ana moved through the world searching for garments that not only fit her plus-size body but also reflected dignity and a desire to belong. Working within the halls of Meta AI, she carried this personal mission everywhere, initiating conversations, leading a project for YSL at Paris Fashion Week, and making research trips back home to Japan. Seeing who, in this luxury industry, would be willing to make plus-size garments.

The responses were rejections. A disheartening echo the fat community knows all too well. We don’t ask to shrink. We ask to be seen.

In 2024, over a kaiseki private team lunch at Yamazato, located within the historic Okura Hotel Tokyo, Ana floated a simple idea: let’s democratize my private bespoke collection of clothing, created in partnership with the team at divka.

They listened. And the next quest quietly, powerfully began as a joint, deep partnership between divka and “yes,”.

*One of the very first Divka coats we made into plus-size, a true 1-of-1, want us to bring this back for next Fall / Winter? Let us know in the comments/email.

The Meeting, Early 2024

In early 2024, Leila received a cold email from Ana. The message was warm, direct, and unusually specific, outlining a vision for a plus-size fashion line rooted in Japanese heritage craftspersonship, biomechanics, and radical fat positivity.

Subject: Inclusive Futures for Authentic Bodies

Hello SIF lab! 🧪 👩🏽🔬

I am working on an inclusive intersectional plus-size fashion line rooted in Japanese heritage craftspersonship, biomechanics, and radical fat positivity, our company is “yes,” and we’ve partnered up with divka, former Yohji Yamamoto creative braintrust here in Tokyo. We’re kicking off our capsule collection next year.

We’d love to understand how we might collaborate in your research. Would you and your team be up for a video chat with me sometime soon? We’re in Japan Standard Time and available 6pm EST which would be 8am JST - Mondays - Fridays in the US.

I’ll also be speaking at SXSW , if y’all are there or have time to meet virtually, that would be amazing.

Best from Japan and have a wonderful weekend.

/Ana & Megumi, and Miyuki

Leila was cautious. In her experience, too many messages like this led to unpaid “pick-your-brain” conversations. Their first attempt to meet fizzled out. Months later, Ana followed up with one line that caught Leila’s attention: “I’m at South by Southwest.”

A late-night meeting finally happened, so late that Leila’s co-director fell asleep mid-conversation. By the end of that night, Ana made a bold offer: “Come to Japan.”

Leila thought it was just a figure of speech. Two days later, a plane ticket and hotel booking appeared in her inbox.