Continued on 1/2.
--Tell us about the product development process.
--Tell us about the product development process.
--Typically, major sportswear manufacturers have a development cycle of 18 months, but H&M Sport's is about 6 months. We sometimes launch new products every two months. I joined the company in July last year, and in November, products I was involved in designing were on the shelves. Our workflow involves checking global sales every Monday and using that information to plan our next projects. Being able to immediately receive feedback on our output is a benefit of operating directly managed stores. This isn't possible with wholesale. We reflect fashion and technical trends in our products, and for the Olympic uniforms, we actively incorporated athletes' opinions.
--What are technical trends?
Technology is constantly evolving. Recent trends include seamless garments that reduce friction against the skin and mesh with graphics. H&M Sport uses high-quality materials and advanced technology that rival major manufacturers, but by operating its own stores and sourcing materials in large quantities, it reduces costs and offers products at affordable prices. It also has a strong environmental awareness and actively incorporates recycled materials.

--Are sales growing steadily?

Overall sales have been growing steadily, with particular momentum in women's wear. The global health trend is also a driving force. In health-conscious cities like New York, London, and Northern Europe, where people run regularly, running enthusiasts are now increasing in southern Europe, including Spain, Portugal, and Italy. The running boom in Japan has also taken root. I feel that the market is growing daily.

--Are there many sports enthusiasts among the people at H&M Sport?

Yes, I do. I play sports in my private time as well. For the 2014 Spring/Summer collection, we came up with the idea of having our own running uniform, so we created a jogging jacket with the "Stockholm Running Club" logo. Every Tuesday morning, we all run in it (laughs). In addition to running, I also do Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

--I heard you're working on a project with Bunka Fashion Graduate University that incorporates H&M's product development process.

We're currently working on a collaborative project with the school called the "Street Outdoor Project." It's a contest we're directing, and it was started with the aim of giving students a hands-on experience of how designers work at H&M. We've done similar initiatives with schools like Central Saint Martins in London, but this is our first time with an Asian school. The theme of the project is "functional outdoor wear for urban men aged 20 to 40." Participants will create a design during a three-part lecture. The finalist selected for the final lecture in July will receive an internship opportunity at our Swedish headquarters. I was in charge of the second lecture, providing feedback on the presentations of each of the 10 semi-finalists and talking to them about their plans, production, and time management.

Many of the design proposals were elaborate and Asian-inspired. I believe there is no other city with as wide a range of fashion as Tokyo. My impression is that the students were able to extract the most eccentric or aggressive elements from that and incorporate them into their designs. I am looking forward to seeing who will be selected as finalists. From an international perspective, fashionable sportswear and outdoor wear are Japan's specialties. I hope that this project will inspire more young designers to take advantage of this strength and become active on the world stage.