Expanding the Future of Fashion with New Materials
ZOZO × KMD: Development of Fashion-specialized IoT Nodes
At the KMD Real Projects “Future Crafts,” researchers study new interfaces and methods of invention with a keen eye for what makes various materials special. Junichi Yamaoka, Project Director and Senior Assistant Professor, has zeroed in on “fashion technology” as a part of his practical research on the necessities of life (food, clothing, housing, etc.). “While computers have infiltrated nearly every aspect of our lives, their implementation in fashion remains limited. I want to envision a future where ordinary people and fashion designers can create functional clothing more easily,” he says.
Their co-creation partner is ZOZO NEXT, a company which aims to change the world of fashion using AI, 3D tech, and novel materials. Utilizing connections that they have cultivated with diverse brands through e-commerce; they are conducting research on fashion technology from a design perspective. This project included workshops that used a combination of the company’s removable sensors, conductive resin, and thread to print circuits directly on fabric and embed 3D printed sensors into clothing.
Participating KMD students exchanged ideas and created prototypes of clothing that detects the wearer’s posture when sitting or whether they are hunched over, clothing that monitors body temperature, and clothing that can convey the texture of a fabric remotely. They also developed systems necessary for manufacturing smart wear, such as software for sewing and wiring conductive sequins onto fabric with computerized sewing machines.
“The vision we were going for would let the user create items with whatever functions they want on the spot, regardless of the constraints of the item itself. This generated a really positive response from others. We also hope our vision will be embraced by our brand partners. If we continue to expand and produce prototypes like what we were able to accomplish in this project, I expect our various pursuits will only ac- celerate in the future.” — Kotaro Tajima and Satoshi Nakamaru, ZOZO NEXT.
Perhaps in the future, individuals with backgrounds outside of fashion such as robot designers will even become involved. Future Crafts will continue to forge the new fashions of tomorrow.
(This article was written in March 2022.)
