Visit to GOLDWIN TECH LAB
In July 2024, the program was held at GOLDWIN TECH LAB with the cooperation of FASHION FRONTIER PROGRAM’s partner, Goldwin Inc.
The program was attended by Ms. Yu Kawajiri, Mr. Hiroto Ikebe, and FASHION FRONTIER PROGRAM founder Yuima Nakazato, who were the recipients of the 2023 award, and included a tour of the facility, presentations of the award-winning works, and discussions on future collaborations.
Ms. Julia Moser from Austria also participated in the presentation online.
They had an opportunity to discover new techniques and new perspectives that we can apply to the production of this year’s works.
What is GOLDWIN TECH LAB?
GOLDWIN TECH LAB is located in Toyama Prefecture, where Goldwin was founded.
The lab, which was renovated from a former sewing factory, has a research and development function based on Goldwin’s manufacturing technology, a mother factory function to implement and implement ideas, and an information transmission function to communicate with the world with the inspiration of those ideas. It is a facility that continues to explore the future of manufacturing.
The facility is also equipped with an information dissemination function that communicates with the world through its inspirations.
The development of uniforms for the Japanese national rugby team, which utilizes 3D scanning technology for uniform pattern design, and equipment to reproduce all kinds of weather conditions make it possible to develop products that can help protect the lives of mountain climbers, adventurers, and other sportsmen.
We can also test for colorfastness from all angles, including color fading, friction, and washing, which is a very important factor in materials research.
In this way, GOLDWIN’s TECH LAB integrates a wide variety of elements that are indispensable for serious clothing production.
What they learned and gained from this program
We asked Ms. Kawajiri and Mr. Ikebe, who participated in the program, about what they learned and gained from the program.
We first asked them about their impressions of the facility as a whole.
“I had visited a sewing factory, a fabric fastness testing laboratory, and a design studio before, but the fact that they were all integrated into a single organization was very appealing and made me long to visit the TECH LAB as a place for manufacturing.’ ‘I feel that new things and an open environment are created through the interaction of people with various skills and backgrounds, and through the exchange of diverse communication and technologies.” One was impressed by the environment where new ideas and discoveries are created.
“It was very interesting to see how clothing is made from a different perspective than ordinary apparel brands, and how athletes’ bodies are treated. It was very interesting to see how garments are made for athletes’ bodies from a different point of view than that of ordinary apparel brands,” said one participant, who was impressed by the opportunity to observe a process that meets specific needs.
Next, we asked about the most interesting part of the tour.
Focusing on the connection with the local community, one said, “I heard that many people in the sewing and repair department are from Toyama Prefecture, and I found it very interesting that the work there is not limited to general sewing techniques, but is quite specific, and that there is an environment that allows them to try many new challenges. I thought it would be stimulating to create local employment and create a new trend in the garment industry. These were some of the interesting comments from the participants.
As for the interaction between the characteristics of the facility and the quality of the products, the participants seemed to find it interesting that “it is very reasonable to be able to do everything from production to property testing and repair in one facility, which leads to the quality of the products” and one was also interested in “the technology used to make clothes that fit the bodies of athletes.
After this visit, the two participants made concrete plans to “proceed with trial production by this summer with the cooperation of Goldwin,” and were enthusiastic about new ideas and reconstructing concepts using Goldwin’s technology.
This kind of support gives us an opportunity to think from a different perspective from our usual production, and we believe it will help us to brush up our works.
Ms.Kawajiri, Mr.Ikebe, and Ms.Julia will be presenting their new works at the award presentation event this winter, so please stay tuned.
What is FASHION FRONTIER LABORATORY?
The FASHION FRONTIER LABORATORY is a voluntary laboratory for finalists selected by a panel of judges each year.
It is a place for continuous learning and practice of various projects and the development of ideas.
