"Would you design the uniforms for Japan's delegation to the 2004 Athens Olympics?"
The person calling to ask me this was Chikara Sasaki, a friend of mine and the common-law husband of actress Hisako Manda. Sasaki would later become president of American women's clothing company Theory as well as an executive at Fast Retailing, which is known for its Uniqlo stores. Our conversation took place in early 2003.
