Although the gap between fashion and IT is narrowing, it is difficult to marry them when it comes to manufacturing. While cutting-edge ideas are required, the demand for the warmth and rarity of handmade items is growing year by year. Fashion, IT, information... This is the first in a series of interviews brought to you by Fashion Headline exploring new relationships.

Nakayama Michiko, a designer at MUVEIL, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary, and Tominaga Yusuke of AID-DCC Inc., who proposes creative communication using the internet and is active in a variety of fields, including advertising campaigns. Both have established their own unique stances and solid positions in their respective fields, and we spoke to them about the themes of fashion and IT.


--Creating works true to my own preferences--

"There's no 'tactile' quality to online works. That's why I'm seeking to provide something that is immersive and personal to the wearer."---Tominaga Yusuke (Web Planner)

Tominaga: Are there any clothes that incorporate IT or digital elements?

Nakayama: It's a little different from digital, but there are some that pursue functionality, such as heat pressing, high moisture retention, or cooling properties.

--Inkjet printing has become popular recently. Do you use it at MUVEIL?

Nakayama: I don't use inkjet printing very often. Inkjet printing is like copying, so it's convenient when you want to express a large number of colors. However, I try to print each color individually whenever possible. I'm fascinated by the slight misalignment of the printing plates and the thickness of the layered colors.

--How long does it take to create a season's collection?

Nakayama: If anything, I'm taking more time now than when I first launched the brand.

Tominaga: In the fashion world, there seems to be such a thing as fast fashion, but is that despite that?

Nakayama: That's right. I'm trying my best to make things as slowly as possible (laughs). I started preparing about six months ago, with a vague idea of the kind of thread and fabric I wanted to use, and it only started to become more concrete about three months ago.

Tominaga: After hearing what you just said, I wanted to show you something called an interactive music video, which we were involved in. It is viewed on a PC, but what makes it different from a regular music video is that there isn't just one video. To put it dramatically, there is as much video as there is for each viewer.

Nakayama: What do you mean?

Tominaga: This is a music video by a band called androp, who are signed to Warner (androp "Bell" http://www.androp.jp/bell/ ).
This video is designed like a game, and it links to Twitter, allowing you to choose the person you want to send a message to and write the message. Depending on the number of characters you enter, one of several pre-prepared characters will appear and run off to deliver your message to the other person. However, many challenges await you along the way, such as monsters and obstacles that get in your way. The game is about whether you can skillfully overcome these challenges and deliver your message to the other person safely.

(Game commentary website: http://award.aid-dcc.com/androp_bell/ja/)

Nakayama: (The game starts, and a horse character appears) Is this horse running towards the person who sent the message?

Tominaga: That's right. In this day and age, it's very easy to send messages not only via email, but also through social media like Twitter and Facebook. But I think it's actually quite difficult to get a message across. That's why this game symbolically expresses that. The character runs desperately with a message in hand, but if they take damage, the letters that make up the message get swapped, and often the message doesn't get across properly.

Nakayama: Can't they turn back? Tominaga: There's no turning back. (The game is over...) The message hasn't been conveyed at all. When I tweet it, the other person receives the message along with a URL that shows the trajectory of the game I just played. The other person will see three things: my struggle to send the message, the garbled message that ultimately makes no sense, and the message I really wanted to send. Nakayama: That's nice. I'd be touched if it said something like, "Will you marry me?" (laughs). Tominaga: This is a program, but when I heard you say earlier that you aim to make clothes that are made with care, using every thread, every piece of fabric, and being handmade, I realized that we also value that kind of "touch." Online works don't have that "touch." That's why I'm committed to providing experiences that people can relate to.

Nakayama: This game is played on a PC screen, but in a good way, it leaves a lingering feeling of texture and tactility.

Tominaga: Thank you. That's right. Even if you don't think about it, clothes definitely have a tactile feel, but what we're doing has no tactile feel at all. That's why we're so conscious of the tactile aspect, and we aim to make it feel like you can empathize with it even a little, that you can touch it, that it feels like you've had a physical experience. I guess it means that even though it's on PC, it leaves a lasting impression after reading.

(Continued in Vol. 02)