"Glitch" is a word that can describe the destruction of machines or data, or the state in which they are destroyed but can be restored due to an error. The TOKYO Kaihoku, located on the second floor of the Isetan Shinjuku Main Building, will be hosting "Glitch @ TOKYO Kaihoku" until July 1st, an event that explores glitch as an expressive technique and proposes new possibilities for fashion. The store will be focusing on glitch, which has recently been featured in the media as a fashion expression technique. The glitch technique is characterized by intentionally visualizing part of the complex computation behind data playback through damage to digital data or playback devices. The venue will feature glitch items by artists from Japan and abroad, including Nukeme, a pioneering artist in the field, and program artist Ucnv. The venue will also host a pre-order sales event for glitched items. At the sales event, computers will be available on-site, allowing customers to see the process of printing on items (T-shirts, tote bags, drawstring bags) on the spot and purchase their own original items.
During the event, the store will also collaborate with Sanrio to sell limited-edition Isetan items featuring glitched versions of the company's characters. The event will feature characters and their logos that have been dimmed or altered in color, intentionally creating "characters with data arrangements" that are not normally seen. The characters collaborating with the store this time are Hello Kitty, My Melody, Little Twin Stars, Kerokeroppi, and Patty & Jimmy.
A product representative said, "As technical skills develop, the methods of expression also evolve. Glitch is one example, and we want more people to know about the artists who embody it. Nukeme started creating glitch pieces after a machine broke down unintentionally, and he unexpectedly felt that it had potential for fashion. Through this event, we hope to spread a new form of fashion."
Nukeme was born in 1986 and began his brand activities under the name "Nukeme" in 2008. His "Glitch Embroidery," which glitches the operating data of the needles in a computerized embroidery machine, was selected as a recommended work by the jury in the Entertainment Division of the 16th Japan Media Arts Festival, held by the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
