Prairie Dog Company is a Japanese textile goods and home-furnishing firm that has been in business for 16 years. Five years ago, the company took Japan by storm, launching "Le Patissier," a line of towels that looks good enough to eat. We caught up with the designer of Le Patissier, Tadayoshi Iwaki, at the recent HKTDC Hong Kong Gifts and Premium Fair, where the product generated plenty of interest. 

What's the idea behind towels and pastries?
Le Patissier is set up like a pastry shop. Cakes, parfaits and other types of delectable "pastries" are tantalisingly displayed in refrigerated cake units.

Every detail, from the signage to sales staff uniforms, gives the impression that we're in the business of selling cakes, not towels. 

What are people's initial reactions when they first see your product?
They think the cakes are real, so they're interested. They take a closer look because their appetites are whetted. Once they realise they've been fooled, they end up buying them as a prank on their friends. The friends on the receiving end, in turn, ask where the "cakes" came from. That's how our products have caught on – through word of mouth.

Why do you think the concept works?
It works because it's fun and functional. You can use it as an ornament or you can choose to use it as a towel. Each "pastry" is assembled by hand. For example, our Swiss jelly roll, which was the line's first product, consists of two different coloured towels – a washrag and a hand towel – rolled together. It's topped with a fruit magnet, which can be used as a paper holder.

When we first introduced the Le Patissier line, it was crazy. That first month, we sold US$1 million worth of our products, a sales record for our company. But more important, the concept works because it puts a smile on people's faces.

What kind of buyers does your product attract?
We get people from all age groups. Our customers like to buy them as gifts during holidays such as Christmas, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, when girls are supposed to give guys presents in Japan, and White Day, which is the reverse of Valentine's Day.

You started exporting Le Patissier two years ago. What has the response been?
We started out in Europe, exhibiting first in Italy, then Germany and France. We have also taken our products to cities in the United States, including New York, Los Angeles and Dallas and have opened a US subsidiary. This is our first time in Hong Kong, where the response has been the same as elsewhere: their initial surprise turns into interest in buying them as souvenirs. 

Has business been affected by the economic downturn?
It has, both in our Japan and overseas markets. But this is a good product to work with during the worldwide recession because it makes people smile. 

What other creations have you come up with since Le Patissier?
We recently launched a new "jewellery" line, where the accessory is packaged in a jewellery box, cushioned, of course, by our towel products. But it's very hard to come up with new concepts. Every day, I keep thinking of the next product. But these ideas are a way to break out of the traditional way of selling. It's how we stand out. It's how people remember us.