Hello, I’m a new member of the board and I’m looking forward to meeting you. Nice to meet you! I am Demeko, a RUNE staff member.
＜In the RUNE Room, we, the staff, would like to share with you stories about Rene Naito, information about events, and the daily lives of our staff. Thank you very much for your cooperation from now on!
I didn’t know who Rene Naito was! Let me start with a brief introduction for those of you who say, “I didn’t know who Rene Naito is! Rene Naito is an artist who is said to have created the prototype of Japan’s unique “Kawaii culture,” which has now spread throughout the world. Then, the girl on the cover, “Rene Girl,” became a big breakthrough and attracted a lot of attention!
Since then, she has worked on supplements for girls’ magazines and school yearbooks, and has been active in all fields, including essayist, doll artist, painter, interior designer, and goods designer <Multi-creator>.
She is a representative and popular figure, including “Rene Girl,” the originator of beautiful girl illustrations, and “Rene Panda,” Japan’s first panda character!
Even those who don’t know about Renai know the characters, motifs, and goods. I have seen them before! (laugh).
Many people have an image of a woman because of the lovely world Renée depicts and the impression her name gives, but in fact, she is a man! Surprisingly, there are many people who say, “I am a fan of Renée’s work,” but do not know that she is a man.
In 2007, at the age of 74, he passed away. In his creative activities, he always had in mind “to make every girl’s life as joyful and wonderful as possible.
“Fantastic dreams in life.”
These were René’s most cherished words. It is a beautiful word, isn’t it?
Surrounded by kawaii things every day is a normal part of everyday life nowadays, but in Japan around 1960, the image was of a tea room and a chabudai (tea table)! In those days, Renée thought, “If a girl is going to use something kawaii, it better be kawaii! With her unique sensibility, she made everything cute, from daily necessities, stationery, kitchen utensils, to interior decorations. She was the one who continued to lead Japanese girl culture.
Nowadays, there is a resurgence in the popularity of Showa retro, and Renée is often featured, but I hope to convey here not only the nostalgia, but also the various charms of Renée that have not faded away!
