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Walking down the streets of Los Angeles's Little Tokyo, I meet up with Jiro Maestu, the man behind the recognizable brand Poche. As he heads down the flight of stairs that connects the outside to his studio, the space is inconspicuous, never revealing the magic that happens tucked away on the second floor of the building.

Beginning in 2015 as a woman's apparel concept, Maestu found himself studying in Paris and then back in Los Angeles, holding onto the vision that's become the brand's DNA. Officially re-launched in 2018 with a considerable focus on hats, subverting the silhouettes of beanies and bucket hats, Maestu continues to sew upcycled fabrics, creating one-of-one's, a practice welding together intentionality and connection.

Evolving over the past few years, the Japanese-American French designer is not one to consume himself with the process but rather place value on the community that builds him up. Launched in 2021, LTTT, Little Tokyo Table Tennis, was created as a club where people can connect but, most importantly, have fun. Aligned with the ethos and intention within Poche, Maestu has designed merchandise of accessories and garments, a wearable extension of the experience, and a celebration of the clubs one year anniversary. 

As I walk around his studio, I spot bins full of LTTT hats, embellished with contrasting colors and all with the Poche label, a creative cohesiveness. I'm surprised that the rooms fold into each other, a spacious studio where every corner is utilized, either with a giant sculpture or small sculptural hats, some in progress and some not. This space must only be a fraction of the inner workings of Maestu's mind, a place where curiosity and play rule all.

While Poche continues to grow in popularity, already a favorite among the ones who know, and LTTT carries on with programming, an acting touchstone for Asian-American identity, Maestu is happy with the direction his brands are heading, stripped of hyper-commercialization and the need to "level-up."

Sitting across from me on the floor, with the windows cracked to let any cool breeze in, Maestu opens up about his LTTT community, creative motivations, and the future, where growth is on his terms. 

Thank you for inviting me into your space. Can you tell me a little about Poche and how it began?

The brand itself started in 2015 with an ex-partner at the time as a women's wear line. And then it was slow for a while. I went to Paris for school and then came back [to Los Angeles] and kind of relaunched as a pure hat brand in October 2018. So a year before, we were in the studio, and then from there, it was an easy start. First with making hats for myself, and then it just kind of took over; that's all people wanted.

Like this over here. I had friends asking me to make hats, and I was making pretty simple ones,  at the beginning. Then it kind of just evolved where people were asking me to make hats for other friends or famous people. They're like, “we need some crazy shit.” I said, “Okay,” I gotta make some crazy shit. But then, I would play around with different kinds of fabrics. Hammering them into the floor and then dyeing them, bleaching them, and then fixing them. I would spend a lot of time dying things. I use fabrics that I'm kind of recuperating or finding morsels of; I would only have like a yard or two, like weird trims here and there.

Where do you source your material?

Downtown LA. Sometimes it'll be a thrift store or a garment that I’m cutting up. Now it's mainly Ragfinders if you're familiar. It's a big store. It's all deadstock fabric. And there’s all of ninth; between San Pedro and Main, there are these smaller deadstock fabric stores. That's like 99% of where I'm buying stuff from.

I used to dye everything by hand. Now, it's evolved where I work with a small dye house. We're using so many different fabrics pieced together on these types of hats. Dyeing them over gives each piece of fabric on the hat a slightly different hue. I try not to do it like a full dark dye; that way, there are nuances and similar tones of colors.

Your team’s pretty small?

The whole inner workings are pretty much just me and Patty and then my girlfriend/partner Gurina. She does, on a larger scale, garment manufacturing and production. She has a studio not far from here. She's also a designer and makes her own clothing, bags, and accessories. She helps a lot in terms of streamlining the production process. Until we met, I was sewing every single thing by hand. So I could only output as much as I had in me to sew. The team expands naturally to all my friends who participate creatively in projects we conceive and collaborators we partner with.

Do you see your team expanding?

It’s something I think about all the time.  I had a talk with Gurina about it the other day. I feel like brands on a similar level as ours may benefit from investment or backing. And then build this scalable structure. And it takes months or years to turn around the investment while dealing with expectations. It’s a step up (or sideways…), I suppose - I am still reluctant to entertain that. I really value the freedom to create (or not to).

Does it ever get hard to let go of one of your creations, especially because they're mostly one-of-ones?

I’ve never had an archive because I don't hold on to anything. I'll remember the hats for the most part. It's getting harder now because there's a lot, but when you see it, you're like, ‘Oh, I remember that. I'd rather have someone wear it than sit in a studio.

So, you were born in Los Angeles?

I was actually born in France. I'm half Japanese and half French. I went to high school and middle school in LA. And then I went to college in France, so I was living there for a while.

Do you see LA and its culture playing a role in your craft?

There’s an LA that pops into your head when you think about LA, but it doesn't mean anything. Everyone's from somewhere else here. I grew up in LA, where influences come from all over. I like that you have the space to be anything. When I was in other places and living in France, I did not feel this comfortable.

You’ve created a community here. How do your friends inspire you or the people you connect with?

It’s a subconscious thing. You’re drawn to people who resonate with how you feel or what you're doing. The inspiration is really natural, and I might not even realize it. It can be my sister (Zoe Blue M.) and her friends or my mom’s friends or anyone! Everyone is a DJ, so we have unlimited good music. Everybody's doing work for you in a way, but then you're doing the work for them as well.

Do you see Poche studio existing outside of Los Angeles? Maybe back in Paris?

I couldn't be in Paris. I mean, it's a state of mind. When I was in Paris, I was broke, trying to start this up, and I lived in an apartment that was half the size of this room. I might go back if there was something going on or if everybody was receptive to what I’m doing. I could see it going anywhere, but I don't think I would change the base. I’d always be back here.

You’re growing a lot, yet Poche still remains lowkey, flourishing among the people who know and understand the brand’s vision.

What I love about what we're doing is that it's not a brand that has a rulebook. Poche is fun because it changes month to month, year to year. It's growing like an organism that has this community that's also growing with it - not just up but in any direction.

You keep establishing a community, now with LTTT, Little Tokyo Table Tennis; how did this begin?

I've been playing for three and a half or four years. During the pandemic, I was playing with my friends a lot. 12 hours a day kind of a lot. It was kind of one of these things that really stuck with us - because it’s so fun - but especially because we felt a connection to something we hadn’t before. It’s this sport that is fun and accessible and easy for most people. Everybody is familiar with it. But then, doing research about it and learning about the sport, it became one of these things that actually was really representative of who we are. It's such a huge phenomenon in Asia, yet in America, you don't think much about it. I developed an intimate relationship with this sport that, unlike most other sports, is dominated by Asian countries. Where the stars of table tennis resemble us as Asian Americans.

After diving into the sport and establishing a love for it among friends, then it became more structured?

LTTT lives one block away from here. It’s a community center called Terasaki Budokan that is operated by Little Tokyo Service Center. They just opened last year as a result of 30 years of planning and construction. It's a huge accomplishment for the community of Little Tokyo.

I visited one day about 15 months ago to inquire about plans for a table tennis program or club. They said they had none. I offered to start it, and after some planning, it took off. It was good timing.

I always had thought I would make merch or a brand that was table tennis related. When LTTT began, it was truly a dream come true. Making the logo and then creating the identity that is LTTT has been a huge part of what it all represents.

How do you approach making merch for the club?

This past year has been about the hat. Which felt like a comfort zone in relation to my work with Poche. But the logo on the hat is what makes it all. It’s a type of product development I’ve never experienced before and that I am constantly grateful for. The merch is simple but is growing all the time. I consider them symbols of this community we’ve all nurtured. Something everyone gets a piece of.

On a design note, did you ever study color theory in school?

I went to school twice after high school. The first time was for graphic design and only lasted a year. It was all art classes - art history, drawing, etc... I never got to the computer by the time I had dropped out. It was an impulse and may have taken longer, but I am happy to have taught myself. The second time I went to school was in Paris for draping and pattern making. We’d flesh out collections and show our research, so there's some training there.

Do you come from a creative family?

My mother (Asuka Hisa) is an artist and someone I’ve always looked up to. She's also a director at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, doing public programming and engagement. Before the ICA LA was the Santa Monica Museum of Art for almost 20 years putting together incredible public programs. So I grew up in museums my whole life. My sister is a wicked painter. She’s now finishing her MFA at UCLA and has been showing for the past year and a half pretty frequently (and successfully!). And my father is in financial consultation, so there was definitely a harsh balance. He had me playing sports up until I was 18 years old. In my early 20s, I had this feeling that I was starting late, creatively. I think both worlds have now met and now work together for me, which is beautiful.

It's interesting because it’s more than just a creative passion, but it's been handed down to you– these creative tendencies and curiosity.

Yeah, exactly. It’s been ingrained.

Do you see Poche going back to its apparel roots?

I think it's something that could happen, eventually. It's hard for me. I think it could eventually become something bigger, but we're still creating this solid foundation with the hats. I've made other things other than hats in the past that people were really into. We did belts, or we’ve done clothing, sculpture, and more. I love making clothes. I have a weird relationship with fashion. I don't look at fashion that much. It turns me off remembering how much excess there is.

It seems like sustainability is a large part of your ethos.

It’s a core value, definitely.

It’s great that your brand remains focused on intentionality and being authentic.

I think that's something that we want to hold on to. I'm not trying to sell out and be forced to do things a certain way. Time is valuable. Even if we’re not capitalizing as much as possible at any given moment, other things are more important.

OGBFF already conquered the internet and the street-style scene with its wildly creative, tongue-in-cheek graphic designs.

Coming off of major success now one year into the brand’s inception, it’s safe to say that founders and designers Angela and Lauren are definitely not in their flop era.

But after successfully stealing the hearts of quirky customers far and wide, Angela and Lauren decided to curate a drop that signifies a new chapter for OGBFF. 

Introducing: OGBFF’s Rework Collection, an ongoing project which proves that upcycling and repurposing scrap materials is now the hottest thing. “It was very intuitive,” they shared, “We print everything ourselves, so mistakes are expected, as we are not machines. But even the first shirt that we messed up, we never considered throwing it away.”

Angela and Lauren seem to have perfected the balance between fashion and humor, as OGBFF is proof that even the most simplistic styles have the power to resonate with fashion lovers. But although their designs, in theory, are simple and super wearable — baby tees, slip-on micro mini skirts, ribbed tanks — it seems to be the clever slogans and prints on each that really catch the eyes of onlookers. With this new endeavor, the two OG “Hot People at Work” preserved that notion of uniqueness and silliness, and built upon it further by incorporating sustainable elements and teaming up with some of their favorite local independent brands as well.

“One of the most important things to us is community. Being young designers in LA, we love seeing our friends’ work, and being able to call on their talent and have them help us with this collection was everything,” Angela explained. To show this new side of OGBFF, Angela and Lauren worked with five different designers — Left Hand LA, Lifer shop, Ratstar, Mack (Plagueround), Billie Brooks, and the brand’s own Blondita (aka Angela) even stepped in as well. Each of these designers was given the full liberty to take old scraps from OGBFF’s past and turn them into masterpieces fit for every niche internet micro-celebrity.

It seemed like it would be hard to top some of the brand’s original ingenious creations, such as the “Tits for Brains” tee or the “Mini Skirt,” but, of course, the dynamic duo rose to the occasion with the help of some amazingly talented creators. “Each designer's voice is so distinct and unique; to have such a strong group of designers be so dedicated to this project feels so special,” said Angela. Lauren echoed this enthusiasm for the project and the resulting one-of-a-kind pieces, “My favorites are the reworked maxi skirt by our friend Mack. To see that many OGBFF designs in one garment created such a beautiful mess, and the construction of the skirt is really impressive. I also love the ‘Soulja Boy Ally’ reinterpretation of our ‘Gay Ally’ shirt. It has that perfect amount of absurdity.”

Looking back on the last whirlwind of a year, the two reflected, “The most important thing to us is still making sure we are both still having fun. We are totally aware of the ‘never go into business with your friends’ trope, but if the first year is a precursor for what is to come for our working relationship, I think we’ll be just fine!” We definitely think so too.

To bring the Rework Collection to life, they called upon creative director Clare Gillen’s magical touch to give the photos that quintessential OGBFF hot girl touch and Angela and Lauren additionally celebrated a year of success (and what is to come) with a pop-up, a DJ set, and more. 

The name of the collection and film is “Messages From The Stars” is inspired by the fantasy of creating a societal powershift in which trans people are appreciated for their light, beauty and divinity.

Being trans can be a somewhat lonely experience, because the world tries to erase us in a multitude of ways.

So for this film and in general we wanted to bring trans people from different walks of life together to create connections between the people we know around Copenhagen, Denmark and at large to strengthen our communities locally.

The project is a love letter that seeks to affirm each others collective and individual power, by creating something entirely by and for us. Only the stars know where we’ve been.

The joy her being brings 

A heart glistening in a bath of brightness 

Streaks of light Graciously caressing her surroundings, like a star If you are lucky, you will see inside the heart is a mirror 

Reflecting a world of beating hearts 

A family of breathing stars. 

Everyone knows we love to challenge what's been done before. And after all, who said you couldn't challenge the classics? 

This is the definition of new classic style. 

It’s a story of imagination, curiosity, and creativity. Of rework and re-invention. 

It’s a picture of movement, and democratic design. It's intricate tailoring, with a twist — a vintage-inspired suit with sneakers; sportswear layered with a rigid collar. It's in the details, and the attitude. 

Inspired by the idea of regeneration, and rearranging the codes of how to wear and (de)construct the most "classic" styles and silhouettes — office dove into the idea of creating our very own fashion dialogue with these modern, elevated pieces.

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