Tokyo Knit Fashion Industry Association Gathering the talents of young creators. A collaborative workshop between “Artists with Disabilities x Student Designers x TOKYO KNIT” will be held in preparation for the presentation on Sunday, February 16

[Tokyo Knit Fashion Industry Association] Gathering the talents of young creators. A collaborative workshop between “Artists with Disabilities x Student Designers x TOKYO KNIT” will be held in preparation for the presentation on Sunday, February 16, 2025. ​ Tokyo Knit Fashion Industry Association Press release: January 29, 2025 Bringing together the talents of young creators. A collaborative workshop between “Artists with Disabilities x Student Designers x TOKYO KNIT” will be held in preparation for the presentation on Sunday, February 16, 2025. Date and time: Saturday, November 30, 2024, Venue: Tokyu Plaza Harakado 7th floor “Shibuya Font Lab” (Harajuku)
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/113335/11/113335-11-0d4523240db7e32327f0639ec7a194c5-1200×790.png The Tokyo Knit Fashion Industry Association (Sumida-ku, Tokyo, Chairman: Takao Fukasawa, hereinafter referred to as TKF) *1 will hold a press conference on Saturday, November 30, 2024 at “Shibuya Font Lab” on the 7th floor of Tokyu Plaza Harakado. We held a workshop featuring “Artists with Disabilities x Student Designers x TOKYO KNIT”. The workshop was attended by young artists with disabilities, student fashion designers from Bunka Fashion College, and TKF certified companies*2. In preparation for the work presentation on Sunday, February 16, 2025 (venue: Shibuya Font Lab, 7th floor of Tokyu Plaza Harakado, viewing and interviews limited to media and related parties), brain streaming, sketch drawings, etc. were held. . Image
URL: https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/113335/11/113335-11-862b8f7d907b8febf64ee5eeefffd6b1-766×279.png The collaboration project between “Artists with Disabilities x TOKYO KNIT” that started in 2023 aims to create a future for the fashion industry and children with disabilities. In FY2023, a fashion show was held in collaboration with an established artist with a disability and a “super teen.” In 2024, we will launch the “Next Generation Creator Development Project” in which the works of young artists with disabilities will be incorporated into clothing designs by young designers who will be responsible for the future of the fashion industry, and top domestic factories will make full use of their craftsmanship. Fukufuku Plus Co., Ltd. (co-representatives Ayumu Isomura, Osamu Fukushima, Kei Takahashi) *3, which has a proven track record in the field of art for people with disabilities and was in charge of artist management last year, will plan and manage the entire workshop and presentation event this year. Furthermore, we plan to commercialize the works created in this project and deliver them to the world.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/113335/11/113335-11-f5a1384c71af91a260ca4d03fb90e216-768×275.png Participating in this project are autistic youth artists supported by the general incorporated association AOAart*4, students in the knit design department of the Bunka Fashion College, and TKF certified companies. By bringing together young talents and the wisdom of knitting professionals, we aim to create more attractive and diverse works.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/113335/11/113335-11-9fe9dc1306fc7af2009769ae2aaee2ee-767×275.png The participating youth creators with disabilities are 7 people with autism, aged 6 to 16, supported by AOAart, a general incorporated association. Their works are full of energy, colorful, innocent, yet delicate. We will translate these artworks into knit products. Image
URL: https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/113335/11/113335-11-1c35b3706e12aed937f572cead4a07c5-763×275.png The participating young designers are five students from the knit design department of Bunka Fashion College. The reason for
participating was, “Knits are stretchy and can be flexibly adapted to body shapes and personalities, and can show a variety of expressions depending on the knitted fabric.Working with artists, we came up with designs from a new perspective. Many expressed their excitement and expectations for the mutual chemical reaction, with comments such as, “I want to do this!” and “The idea of ​​creating a design based on art drawn by artists with disabilities seems interesting.” They will be responsible for the future of the fashion industry, and although they are still students, they are learning about knitting every day, making them a very reliable team.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/113335/11/113335-11-e4e407d540fedece154d3c032c6bbd0f-767×278.png TKF certified companies “Kawashima Knitting Co., Ltd.”, “Momose Textile Co., Ltd.”, “Ito Knitting Industries Co., Ltd.”, and “Needle Co., Ltd.” participated in the workshop on the day. As Japan’s top knitting factory, we provided generous advice and communication from the perspective of craftsmen.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/113335/11/113335-11-1c23b1a1a2ed0d8d10558016592bbd65-768×542.png The workshop started with the sharing of artists’ works and designers’ preliminary assignments, and proceeded with a brain-streaming style conversation among all participants, asking questions about design and identifying issues in commercialization. At first, everyone looked nervous, but as the conversation continued, they gradually became more comfortable asking questions and having fun. I was amazed at how quickly he was able to visualize ideas and inspiration, such as creating art and drawings on the spot. In this workshop, the works that were refined based on the ideas of the participants will be presented at the “Shibuya Font Lab” on the 7th floor of Tokyu Plaza Harakado on Sunday, February 16, 2025. (Viewing and interviews are limited to media and related parties). We are also preparing actions to commercialize the work and deliver it to general consumers. You can still buy it! You can wear it! Please look forward to the products of “Disabled Artist x Student Designer x TOKYO KNIT”. [Participant list] *Ages are at the time of the workshop ◆AOAart creator ・YAMATO Murata (12 years old) ・HIMAWARI (16 years old) ・KAN (11 years old) ・SENTO (12 years old) ◆Student designer ・School Corporation Bunka Fashion College Knit Design Department Ayumi Sasame (23 years old) ・School Corporation Bunka Fashion College Knit Design Department Nozomi Sato (20 years old) ・School Corporation Bunka Fashion College Knit Design Department Hanshokusei (25 years old) ・Bunka Fashion College Knit Design Department Nana Takeuchi (19 years old) ・Bunka Fashion College Knit Design Department Kohei Miyamoto (20 years old) ◆TKF certified company ・Kawashima Knitting Co., Ltd. Representative Kazuyoshi Kawashima (flat knitting) ・Momose Textile Co., Ltd. Representative Yuichi Momose (cut and sew) ・Ito Meriyasu Kogyo Co., Ltd. Representative Toshiaki Ito (cut and sew) ・Needle Co., Ltd. Representative Hitomi Kishi (flat knitting) ■ Overview of “Art Collaboration Project for People with Disabilities” We will further move into full swing with the
collaboration project “Artists with Disabilities x TOKYO KNIT” that started in 2023. In recent years, the activities of artists with disabilities have attracted attention, and they have come to be recognized as a genre of art. When you meet a rich and pure talent, you are moved and want to know more about the artist. Through dialogue with them, you learn about their disabilities, learn about their humanity, and even become their fans. Disabilities are not something special, they are a part of everyday life, and we want to create an “inclusive society” where everyone can be themselves and be enjoyed and taken care of by society as a whole. With this in mind, this collaboration started. The products, which are created through the collaboration of certified companies with high technical capabilities and artists full of imagination, are unique in their quality and materials. This year, we will launch the “Next Generation Creator Development Project,” in which young designers learning fashion and children with disabilities will create works together through workshops. *This project will be implemented by the Tokyo Metropolitan Federation of Small and Medium Enterprise Associations in 2024 [Special support related to new strategic support projects for small and medium enterprise associations, etc.] “Project to strengthen sales capabilities using digital technology” This project is being undertaken by a consortium of TKF and JR East Planning Co., Ltd. as part of the project. ■About TOKYO KNIT Our mission is to share with the world the future of knitwear that can only be created in Tokyo. TOKYO KNIT is a new manufacturing platform for knitted fashion manufacturers operating mainly in the Honjo area of ​​Sumida Ward in eastern Tokyo, aiming for the next generation of fashion industry. The history of Tokyo’s knitting industry dates back to the Edo period. Japan, which was in a state of isolation, had to rely on domestic production for many of its necessary supplies, and during the period of peace that came with the end of the Sengoku period, samurai were forced to throw away their swords and take up new jobs. I did. The samurai who lived in the eastern part of Edo began to make stockinette products such as socks and underwear by hand, and this gradually evolved, and with the Meiji era’s industrial promotion policy, this area became the birthplace of the knitting industry. is. After the war, Tokyo became the center of fashion culture, with many designers setting up ateliers and the number of distributors and retailers rapidly increasing. Furthermore, from the 1970s onwards, designs originating in Tokyo began to be highly acclaimed around the world, and Tokyo’s knitwear makers became involved in a wide range of creations, from casual to high fashion. Tokyo’s knitting industry is rooted in reliable technical capabilities based on history and experience, as well as a flexible philosophy that supports the unique creativity of Tokyo fashion, which continues to inspire the world. ■Tokyo Knit Fashion Industry Association (*1) It was established in 1944 as an organization with formal corporate status under the Small and Medium Enterprise Cooperative Association Act, with the aim of improving, developing, stabilizing, and rationalizing the management of small and medium-sized enterprises engaged in the manufacturing of knitted fabrics and products. In 1986, the organization was renamed the Tokyo Knit Fashion Industry Association (TKF), and currently has approximately 170 member companies. (https://www.tkf.or.jp/) ■TOKYO KNIT brand certification system (*2) The Tokyo Knit Fashion Industry Association (TKF), with the theme of “branding technology,” selects companies among its member companies that meet certain certification standards by a certification review committee made up of experts (chaired by Seiichi Mizuno). After a review, we were certified as a “TOKYO KNIT” brand certified company. Currently, 35 companies are certified. Furthermore, from last year, we started a product system that certifies products produced and sold by certified companies that meet certain standards. For more information, please visit the brand site (https://www.tokyoknit.jp/). ■General Incorporated Association AOAart (*3) An organization whose representative director is Japanese painter Daisen Fujishima, which supports art activities for autistic children through workshops and other activities. While receiving support from the Marubeni Foundation, the Kinoshita Foundation, and the Nippon Foundation, he is promoting the sale of his works and the use of product packaging. We encourage autistic people to gain the personality, dignity, and healthy lives they deserve through art, and participate in society, and we also carry out activities to convey to society the dignity and creativity of autistic people. The aim is to contribute to building a society where people with autism can live together. Official website: https://aoaart.or.jp/ ■Fukufuku Plus Co., Ltd. (*4) A CSV-type company that transforms the power of art for people with disabilities into the power of everyone through the power of design. We aim to create a society where everyone, regardless of whether they have a disability or not, accepts each other’s
differences and can fulfill their potential. In order to bring the art of people with disabilities to society, we are involved in a variety of activities such as art rentals for companies, art appreciation training, and art events. This workshop was held at the event space of Shibuya Font, a general incorporated association run by Ayumu Isomura, co-representative of the company. Official website:
https://fukufukuplus.jp/