ENVISIONING THE FUTURE WITH SMART MATERIALS
CIID is a company engaged in design education and consulting to initiate innovation. ZOZO NEXT and CIID together executed a co-creation project to explore the future concerning sustainability and the potential of new areas in the field of fashion tech.
ZOZO NEXT's MATRIX division is committed to medium to long-term research and development concerning textile materials indispensable to the fashion industry and the creation of new businesses.
Fashion has various aspects, but its environmental impact ranks second amongst all industries, making the sustainability of the fashion industry one of the most critical issues. CIID advocates a 'Life-Centered' approach and is an official partner of the United Nations, leading innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals. ZOZO NEXT shared themes related to smart materials, where research and development have been conducted, and issues in existing applications with members of CIID, who have diverse expertise. Together, they participated in a series of activities from concept creation to prototyping at the eco-rich CIID Costa Rica Studio.
The design target was set on a long timeline of 30 years and proposed possible future forms of textiles for the following four categories:
・Live Performance
・Automotive
・Living Spaces
・Sports & Fitness
This project was carried out over two weeks by members of CIID and ZOZO NEXT along with experts in sustainable fashion and design engineering as lecturers.
LIVE PERFORMANCES - TesseLive
TesseLive is a smart-textile set that allows you to experience a live performance as if you were there, from the comfort of your home or other remote locations. It is a concept that attempts to bridge the gap between digital and physical spaces.
The Live Performances team conducted research into various historical theater lineages, directors, and enthusiasts. While focusing on the elements of various contrivances used to attract people historically, we contemplated the experiences that future technology might enable us to have. Furthermore, we analyzed issues such as the movement of people and things and the waste of resources that accompany it.
Among several insights, we proposed a scenario about transforming future Live Performance by filling the gap between digitally delivered content and the experiences in the remote spaces where it is enjoyed through the functionalities of textiles. For prototyping, we created a demo of the textiles that appealed not just to the sense of sound but also sight and touch.
AUTOMOBILE - AMINO
AMNIO is a transport-style concept clothing that transforms into various forms. It adapts to various contexts such as walking, cycling, public transportation, and vehicle sharing, and conceptually aims to provide a safe, comfortable, and stylish means of transport.
The team focused their research around the keyword 'Automobile'. From there, thinking about sustainability and technological advancements, they foresaw a future where the concept of sharing is expanded. They believed this wouldn't limit itself to cars but would extend to various forms of mobility like public transportation and bicycles. In that future, they envisioned a scenario where the value lies in seamlessly connecting safety, comfort, and convenience, and clothing serves as a medium of change.
Living Space - NATURE NETTING
NATURE NETTING is a blanket (textile) that converts sunlight and wind into electricity and filters rainwater into drinking water. It has a modular structure that is easy to repair and is conceptualized to provide shelter for people living a nomadic life without permanent settlement.
The Living Space team was the only team in this project composed of remote participants. An attempt was also made to carry out prototyping and design research remotely by mailing tools for smart textiles and other materials to the participants in advance by the facilitation team. Among the broad scope of 'Living Space', the team focused on people leading nomadic lives (including refugees) - a population that is likely to increase with changes in social environments, and advanced their concept proposal.
Sports and Fitness - COMPANION
'COMPANION' is a bandage that 'automatically moves', functions as an extension of the human immune system when worn on the body, and alleviates pain. As medical expenses become increasingly high, it envisions a future where diseases and injuries are prevented and mitigated in a more personalized manner on the spot.
The Sports and Fitness team gained insights into contexts such as training and rehabilitation through expert interviews. In desk research, by focusing not only on human research but also on the mechanisms and functions of living things, they expanded their ideas and proposed a future where textiles in Sports and Fitness in 2050 would act more as a companion (partner) that provides more interactive care to the user. For the prototype, they examined techniques to express this behavior and made the implementation image more concrete by testing, such as wearing it on users.
In the co-creation project, over two weeks, results from over 30 user interviews and more than five insights and about three concepts proposed for each theme. In the latter half of the project, presentations and videos illustrating scenarios were created, digging deeper into one of these concepts, and demos were conducted locally. These achievements and insights are actively being used in current R&D and new business creation activities.
ZOZO NEXT will continue striving to expand the future of fashion, involving fashion tech and various adjacent industries, designers, and artists. If you are interested in the concepts proposed in this project or future insights into fashion tech, please contact us at info-zozonext@zozo.com.