Sei Hasegawa —
your man in Japan

Background

Sei Hasegawa sources Japanese designer archives directly, on the ground in Japan. His edge sits where hands-on market experience meets formal study: three years appraising, authenticating and pricing pre-owned garments at 2nd Street — Japan's largest reuse retailer — alongside a university focus on fashion aesthetics and marketing at Keio University.

He grew up around craft. His mother is a leather-shoe artisan, and that upbringing gave him an early eye for construction, materials and how a garment is genuinely made — the same sensibility that underpins how he authenticates and grades today.

Market expertise

At 2nd Street (2023–2026), Sei worked as a retail assistant and shift leader: appraising and pricing incoming stock, judging brand authenticity from tags, construction and specifications, and handling designer and archive pieces daily. This is the practical core of Tokyo Archives — knowing true market value and recognising the genuine article at a glance.

Academic grounding

At Keio University (Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, 2022–2026), Sei studied digital marketing, branding and market analysis, and wrote his graduation thesis on the aesthetic revolutions of modern fashion — from Chanel and punk to the "black shock" of Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto. The designers Tokyo Archives specialises in are the ones he has studied in depth.

How Sei works

Rather than a static inventory list, Sei builds a curated selection tailored to each partner store's aesthetic — sourced personally and inspected in person before it is offered. The goal is to become a trusted extension of your buying team: someone in Japan who already knows your store's voice.