Tatehana's 3D-printed heelless shoes adorned the feet of models on the runway like glaciers piercing the cold sky. For the Fall/Winter 2015 Paris Collection, designer Iris van Herpen, who incorporates cutting-edge technology into fashion, chose Noritaka Tatehana's heelless shoes. Tatehana discusses the fusion of Japanese craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology.

--For the Fall/Winter 2015 Paris Collection, you were in charge of the runway shoes for Iris van Herpen. The structural design, which used 3D printing, incorporated elements that felt modern and futuristic. Were they made in Japan?

The shoes for Iris, which I was in charge of, were 3D printed by 3D Systems, a sponsor of this year's collection, but the rest were all made in Japan. I'm sure those shoes could only have been made in Japan. Japanese people have a culture of artisanship and an appreciation for handwork. Through this production, I realized that it's only thanks to the skill of Japanese craftsmen that we can create such high-quality products using technology that is still in its infancy.

-What was it like creating works using 3D printing?

Even before collaborating with ILLIS, the same team had always created works using 3D printing. At first, I thought that creating works with 3D printing would be easy, like submitting the data and the finished product would come out. However, when we actually started, we encountered a mountain of problems in both the modeling and printing processes... For example, because the performance of 3D printers is still low, there are lines in the layers, and it takes advanced skills for craftsmen to polish these lines. So, while 3D printing has the image of being convenient, it actually requires a tremendous amount of time and effort.

-Why do you continue to create works using 3D printing?

Current 3D printing is expensive, but I think it's an industrialization that allows you to create shapes that were previously impossible to make and shorten production time. While there's a contradiction in using industrialized materials for art, I realized that elevating 3D printing to the level of art doesn't just require a 3D printer machine; it also requires craftsmen who can model the printing data and who are adept at using computers. I think this is exactly the same as how people in the past were adept at using lacquer brushes.

--Is that why it's so meaningful to produce in Japan?

Yes. I think the key to our success is having skilled artisans in Japan, with a diverse range of fields. Japan has long been a nation of artisans, patronized by feudal lords around the country, who have developed their craftsmanship. It's a country where a wide variety of things can be made by hand. In the past, these tools were paintbrushes or brushes, but over time, they have been replaced by computers and software. However, the handicraft skills that Japanese people excel at remain, and it's precisely because we've been able to utilize these that we've been able to create our works. That's why I think it would be difficult for people overseas to do this.

--It's a somewhat paradoxical and interesting statement. It's precisely because we incorporate new technology that we need both new craftsmen to do the modeling and the refined skills of traditional artisans. What is the large stainless steel panel in the studio, with a pattern cut out all over it, used for?

It's used for embossing. The pattern is laser-cut in a workshop in Toyama. Takaoka City, Toyama Prefecture, is known for its excellent metalworking, with the Ninomiya Kinjiro statue at an elementary school a bestseller. We have these tools because we create our works by hand, rather than outsourcing the embossing process. After the sheet metal is processed, we emboss the leather by hand in our own workshop. That's why we commission unique molds that aren't typically used for embossing.

--So this work is made possible by combining traditional techniques like Takaoka's metalworking, the creativity of Mr. Tatehana's team, and technology like the laser cutter?

I've created a variety of pieces so far, and it's interesting to see that the final touches are always made by hand. With shoes, I do the finishing touches, and even with metal pieces, the craftsman polishes them by hand. Polishing is a complex process that's difficult to quantify. That's why it's difficult to leave it to a machine based on numerical values. That's why human hands are absolutely essential, and I don't think they'll ever disappear from manufacturing.

--I visit many places for interviews, and many of the people there are elderly, so I sometimes think about the future of this wonderful technology. Do you ever think about the future of Japanese culture and technology, Mr. Tatehana?

Craftsmen are engineers, aren't they? In other words, engineers aren't creators like us. That's not a problem, it's a fundamental fact. There was a time when craftsmen worked without knowing which brand or item they were making parts for. Because wholesalers were involved, their job was to deliver the parts they received orders for. However, if things continued as they were, they would feel like they were just fulfilling orders, not creators. Furthermore, unless someone brings them work, they won't be able to find work.

I want to bring these craftsmen into my team and spread the word about them. I'm not asking them to become artists, but I think it would make a difference if customers and viewers were aware that such work exists. I want people to know that so many people are involved in each piece, and I want to convey the region in which the technique is practiced. I want them to understand the environment and why it has to be in that location. For example, Toyama, a city of foundry, is an area with abundant, clean water thanks to the snowfall of the Tateyama mountain range. I feel that this is the reason for the technique, and that this is where the Japanese spirit lies.

--You say Japanese craftsmen are good at finding the best solutions within the given environment?

I think they are good at creating things that take advantage of their local advantages. To be honest, I don't know what the future holds, but the grandfather who makes my pieces is over 70 years old and has no successor. Sometimes I think that if he were to pass away, I wouldn't be able to make these pieces.

Continued in Part 2, I used to be selfish, but now I want to create a platform to pass on culture -- Artist Noritaka Tatehana 2/2