Collaborations between local knitwear manufacturers and designers are expanding. At the Japan Best Knit Selection 2013, held on December 10th and 11th, 10 exhibitors showcased products created in collaboration with designers from the Council of Tokyo Fashion Designers (CFD) and designers registered with the Japan Apparel Fashion Industry Association Platform (JAFIC PLATFORM). Previous collaborations have led to contracts and even designers becoming creative directors for companies. Japan Best Knit Selection is an exhibition specializing in domestically produced knitwear and textiles. From its launch in 2009 through its fourth edition, collaborations were not implemented in order to strictly focus on showcasing the unique techniques and original products of each local knitwear manufacturer. However, at the fifth edition, 12 companies from the Tokyo Knit Fashion Industry Association, including Matsumaru and Minoru Adachi, Higuchi Seni Kogyo and Sara Arai, P-Compo and Masanori Nemoto, and Ito Meriyasu Kogyo and Chiyuki Sugimoto, conducted experimental collaborations with CFD member designers. This time, 23 brands participated from among CFD member designers, member companies seeking outsourcing projects with immediate potential, and designers registered with JAFIC PLATFORM, which provides a platform for collaboration between young and mid-career Japanese designer brands. Companies nominated designers, and 10 companies, including nine from the Tokyo Knit Fashion Industrial Association and Hayashida from Osaka, presented collaborative products. Higuchi Textile Industry, in collaboration with Amatsu Yu, proposed versatile designs that added a unique Amatsu twist to the company's cotton factory. Also exhibiting the 2014 Spring/Summer collection from the cotton and silk factories by Arai Sara, who signed a contract with the company starting with the 2014 Spring/Summer collection, were also on display. While the previous exhibition featured three designs, this time the exhibition featured 11 designs, expanding the color palette and blending of different materials. Tags and hang tags were also redesigned to include the designer's name. "I want to continue working on this project for a long time," said Arai Sara. Following on from their previous collaboration, Nakahan Sangyo showcased works created in collaboration with Daichi Shiraki. While last year's exhibit featured both men's and women's wear, this time the show focused on women's wear, utilizing the company's signature lockstitching, the combination of different materials, and masculine cuts. The show featured two-tone cut-and-sew pieces and low-gauge knitwear for both spring/summer and fall/winter. Daichi Shiraki has also been appointed creative director for the company. "The designs were created with the aim of expressing a new Nakahan Sangyo. I think the designs are easy to understand and can be displayed in select shops as is." Oishi Meriyasu, in collaboration with Hiroko Ito, added leaf and drop patterns and pastel colors, and expanded the range to include outerwear such as robes, hoodies, and pants. Minoru Adachi, who collaborated with Matsumaru again last year, commented, "I think our tastes match. This time, we could have chosen high-quality materials from the exhibiting material manufacturers, but the domestically produced knitwear is of a global standard." There were also unique collaborations between various production areas and companies, including A DEGREE FAHRENHEIT, a local brand of Niigata's Mitsuke Chamber of Commerce and Industry, MITSUKE KNIT, IN-PROCESS BY HALL OHARA, Yasutoshi Ezumi, and LAMARCK. Some collaborations have also been successful. Nobuyuki Ota, president of the Cool Japan Fund, who became chairman of the Japan Best Knit Selection Award Judging Committee this year, commented, "Japan's high level of technology is recognized worldwide. We need to do more impactful things, and I want to see more collaborations with designers, strongly promoting the fact that new things can be achieved when business and creation come together."