Fused - Archive - Tokidoki

Welcome to the crazy, cute and playful world of Simone Legno, the founder of tokidoki.it. Originating from Rome he currently resides in Los Angeles and has a Japanese name for his business - it is no wonder then that his aspirations are of a global nature. In 2003 his website (the name of which means ‘sometimes’ in Japanese) was spotted by two people who loved it so much they sent him a plane ticket and invited him to set up home in LA. They became business partners and have just launched a tee shirt line as well as vinyl toys, skateboards, pin badges, iSkins (iPod holders), jewellery and accessories - with more to come.

Do things like this really happen to designers?
I chose ‘sometimes’ because everyone waits for moments that change one's destiny. By simple chance or meeting a new person, Tokidoki is the hope, the hidden energy everyone has inside that gives us the strength to face a new day and dream something positive, that something magical will happen to us.
In early 2003 I received an email. The co-founder of Hard Candy Cosmetics and her husband had seen my website and fallen in love with it. They wanted to meet with me in Los Angeles immediately. They sent me a plane ticket and only hours after I landed in LA they made me an amazing offer: move from Rome to Los Angeles and build Tokidoki into a brand to share with the world.

Who and where do you get inspiration from?
The main sources for me are memories, dreams, daily life, good feelings, trips and some how in all of those Japan is related. I look, search, stylize, study, filter and transform continuously in my mind the elements around.

Are you inspired by other artists?
Probably Yoshitomo Nara for the beauty of paintings and feelings and Takashi Murakami mostly for the decorative way he uses vectorial art and his commercial idea linked to his Pop Art. When I started to use digital design programs I wanted to draw white, pale, bi-dimensional female figures in the same way traditional Japanese art represents them. Dark soft lines, flat images, pale skin like in the woodprints by Masters like Utamaro, HIroshige, Hokusai. I think that in traditional Japanese iconography and graphism there's a lot to get inspiration from because of their clean and stylised shapes.

You and your work are heavily influenced by Japanese culture, why is this?
I think it's hard to explain my love for this wonderful country. ‘Japanisme’ is a term coined to describe the craze for things Japanese. It's something I feel inside. I am totally astonished by everything that comes from Japan, the beauty of their tradition to the super pop flashy aspects of the super modern cities. I love Japanese people like they are my people: I love their kindness, politeness, seriousness, and even yet they can be quite funny, playful and extremely creative. Not only my art but even my everyday world is coloured and decorated by Japanese objects, souvenirs, junk packages, toys, books, prints, tee shirts and food. In most of my pages there's a female character decorating the interface, being a load-bearing element of the graphic structure. I use a female figure, generally with oriental features (with their soft gentle lines, with their sweet and sensual behavior) to express ‘beauty’. I adore the sweetness, sensuality, the shyness, the nice and funny attitude of the Japanese women. I adore their strong personality behind such a fragile and delicate figure, being sensual behind their composure.

If there had to be a soundtrack to your art, what would it be?
Some soundtrack by Pizzicato Five probably is that mix of classy and pop, vintage and modern, eastern-western that could work with Tokidoki. I adore the work of a very talented friend of mine called Emanuele Tomasi who makes music for me when needed.

Who are the most exciting clients you've had?
I'd say Lesportsac because it's a great company and bags are a wonderful canvas to work on. Right now I am designing the creative image for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, Los Angeles 2006. It's interesting because my illustrations and graphics will be printed pretty huge for the entrance, in dimensions I have never seen I guess.

What are your plans for the Tokidoki brand?
The strategy is not making it too commercial: spread it, targeting a cool target, using the best stores and always putting my art on quality items and partnering with great companies and people. I am trying to make it an international brand that touches all the continents.

What are you currently working on?
I am designing a Tokidoki line of clothing including denim, sweatshirts, sweaters and new gadgets. This is possible since I just teamed up with a prestigious Italian fashion company which licensed my brand for Europe.

www.tokidoki.it