Itoko Matsuda was born in Tokyo, Japan on 18 April 1936.
In 1954, after graduating from Yamawaki Gakuen High school, she started to assist her family business, which deals in cosmetic goods.
At the same time, she devoted herself to learn Japanese traditional dance and she is a master-hand at the Hanayagi School of this Japanese dance.
Producer
ITOKO MATSUDA
In 1958, she got married with Mr. Yasuhiro Matsuda who had just come back from 3 years studying in the United States and also entered “Matsuda Morihiro Shoten”, her father-in-law, Morihiro Matsuda’s company engaged in the marketing of ties.
In 1961, at the opening of the company’s Kyoto branch, her husband, Mr. Matsuda became the director of the branch and Mr. and Mrs. Matsuda took on the relationship in the entire marketing activities conducted in the Kansai area.
In 1963, Mr. Matsuda established Matsuda and Co., Ltd. in Kyoto, independently from “Matsuda Morihiro Shoten”.
She supported Mr. Matsuda as a managing director. In the new company, Mr. Matsuda started to design, produce and market ties under the original brands, having a production base of the first-class Nishijin textile to be used as the materials for ties and adopting the traditional dyeing and weaving methods cultivated in Kyoto.
In the 1970’s, Mr. Matsuda began to develop global business ahead of others in the industry, based on the slogan of “no national boundaries for business”.
While importing tie materials from leading textile makers in Europe such as those based in Como, Italy and Lyon, France, Matsuda CO., Ltd. is ordering the production of its original design tie materials to the makers. Thus the company is promoting mutual exchanges concluded with the world-class designers, the company has been introducing top brand products to Japanese consumers, marketing Japan’s tie market more versatile.
Especially, the late Mr. Yasuhiro Matsuda built strong relationship with Mr. Valentino Rudy, an Italian designer.
Today’s success of Valentino Rudy brand is based on their collaboration.
Her late husband worked very hard to expand the business that her father-in-law, who is a pioneer of Japanese necktie trade, laid the foundations.
Now she herself is the president of the company, and tries to reform while taking over Mr. Matsuda’s will.
