FASHION FRONTIER PROGRAM -Visit to Seiko Epson Corporation-

Visit to Seiko Epson Corporation

With the generous support of Seiko Epson Corporation, this year’s nine semi-finalists and two of last year’s winners visited the Solution Center Fujimi in Nagano Prefecture.

At the facility, they experienced the entire digital textile printing process, from the basics to pre- and post-treatment. This hands-on experience demonstrated how digital printing technology can help reduce the textile industry’s environmental impact, which includes the heavy use of water resources.
Some participants brought fabric samples they were considering for their work. They consulted with staff of Seiko Epson to explore what kind of expressions were possible through printing, expanding their creative concepts.

They also learned about Seiko Epson’s “Dry Fiber Technology,” a new sustainable technology that goes beyond printing. This technology uses a dry-process to defibrate, bind and form fibrous materials without using water. By transforming waste and raw materials into a wide range of products, it can create new value while significantly reducing environmental impact.

After the tour, a lecture was held where participants learned how digital textile printing technology contributes to water conservation, on-demand production, and a cleaner manufacturing process through real-world examples. This gave them a firsthand understanding of Seiko Epson’s commitment to sustainability and their significant contributions.

Following this, designer Yuima Nakazato, FFP’s founder, gave a lecture on how his brand, YUIMA NAKAZATO, utilizes Seiko Epson’s printing technology. He shared how he and Seiko Epson have combined their expertise to leverage the power of cutting-edge printing technology to expand creative possibilities. For example, he showcased his attempts to create delicate gradients on extremely thin silk organza, sharing his deep understanding of how to use fabric characteristics to create expressive designs and his ongoing pursuit of evolving costume design.

The knowledge and experiences gained during this day provided the participants with new perspectives for their creations, offering inspiration and enriching their future options in fashion.

What is the Printing Facility “Fujimi Solution Center”?

In addition to conducting research and development of digital textile printing, the center offers test printing using customers’ designs, a clean and compact on-site environment, which is a feature of digital textile printing, and an opportunity to experience the optimal workflow.
In this program, designers collaborate directly with our technicians to bring their passion to life by delivering exceptional print quality and turning creative visions into reality.

What they learned and gained from this program

We asked the participants about what they learned and gained from the program.

– Tell us about your best impressions from the facility tour

“Witnessing firsthand how cutting-edge technology is evolving to address environmental and labor issues made me more aware of my responsibility when choosing materials and techniques. I was also deeply inspired by the sincerity of the researchers, and it made me realize the importance of considering what kind of future a particular technology is contributing to when I’m creating something.”

“It was an invaluable experience to see the beautiful printing technology that significantly reduces industrial water use while preserving the original texture of the fabric. I gained a concrete understanding for the first time of how traditional analog printing, while supporting mass production, involves multi-stage processes like ink blending and plate cleaning, which create a huge time and environmental burden.”

“Seeing the state-of-the-art equipment and technology in person was very inspiring. Learning about processes and systems that I don’t normally encounter in my own creative work gave me a great opportunity to expand my range of expression.”

– What Was the Most Impressive Point?

“The facility also had equipment like sewing machines, and it was impressive to see that they had a complete environment where they could develop things while testing them. I have a lot of respect for the researchers’ sincere attitude toward their work and their desire to create new things.”

“The diverse expressive possibilities of digital printing technology left a strong impression on me. Learning that it can delicately represent fabric textures and colors made me feel like there’s potential to combine it with the knit and woven pieces I’ve made in the past. In particular, it was very interesting to see that they can create fabrics with different looks on the front and back by using technologies.“

“During the lecture, I learned that there are also micro-level issues, such as the potential health damage to factory workers in analog textile printing factories.

I was deeply struck by the fact that the reality of externalized manufacturing sites being polluted and people being forced to sacrifice their health for their livelihood is not unrelated to me as a creator in Japan.”

In addition, specific ideas for future work were born, such as “I want to do vintage processing (intentionally fade colors) by leveraging the characteristics of digital printing,” and “I got an idea from the example of printing on materials

after they were pressed; it would be good to print while creating texture.”