Street: Tell us about your fashion line.
Mikey Tedori: It's called Boku Ikasu. Roughly translated in Japanese, Boku Ikasu means "my style" - my direction, my individuality, my passion. The idea is that every garment is unique and one-off. You may see a similar garment, but little details differentiate one customer's piece from another's. It's cool because most of my friends who have completely different styles can rock Boku well.
Street: Where do you find inspiration?
MT: I spend a lot of time in Japan doing random stuff, so I am hooked into that scene as inspiration. I find most of my ideas in Japanese magazines. I cut them up, paste them on my walls and try to see what might work for me. I have so many crazy pictures of Asians dressing up and words scribbled here and there. I can't imagine having a job where I can't cut with kiddie scissors and paste them around my workspace.
Street: What is your own personal style like? What do you wear on a day to day basis?
MT: I started wearing glasses recently, and I like to have fun with those. I find colorful vintage glasses and pop the lenses out for my prescription. A little dorky, a little fun. Just something different that pops.
Street: Favorite thing in your closet?
MT: Boku. Boku. Boku. I like to rock my Boku Ikasu polo shirts. They have neckties and fabrics sewn into the collars and buttons and rivets that often contrast the fabric color. I like them because each one has a different vibe and the fabrics pop in an almost subtle way. The least favorite thing in my closet is the seven loads of laundry from the last few months.
Street: Why all the stickers?
MT: The B is for Boku and then you read the I for Ikasu. It's a different kind of marketing tactic. It draws hype because no one knows what they are or what they mean. It is the sense of wonder that drives people to find out more. And I apologize to that cute Japanese foreign exchange student in my entrepreneurial class; I slapped my sticker right on your ass before your presentation and it was great advertising.
Street: What do you TiVo?
MT: Really random stuff that is on that I like the title of and don't check out the description. Last thing I watched from TiVo was the Victoria Secret Fashion Show - I watched it a few times, but only a few.
Street: Favorite accessory?
MT: Eyeglasses. But for those who can't get a fake pair or are over it, socks are fun. But not some ugly brown or green, some kind of bright color with patterns.
Street: Best dressed celebrity?
MT: For guys: Johnny Depp. He rocks simplicity and classic colors, which are sick. For girls: Kristin from Laguna Beach. She just has a style that is eye-catching and different. And after dating her in 6th grade, I feel like she finally got the heads up compared to when she had that ugly uniform at school.
Street: Favorite web site?
MT: Probably eBay. I find a lot of vintage garments and accessories online. I like finding random things. My latest purchase was the hamburger phone from Juno that I bought for my little sister. So rad, but it doesn't taste that good.
