ISKO I-SKOOL Winner Wants to Revamp Responsible Innovation
When it comes to innovation, much of what’s in store for denim lies in the hands of the next generation, and these up-and-coming designers have their sights on taking denim to the next level.
Earlier this month, ISKO I-SKOOL and its style and design think tank Creative Room, honored these future creators with Denim Design Awards at an event held at BASE in Milan, Italy. Industry sponsors of the event included Haikure, Itema, Lenzing, Menabo Group, Mustang, Reca Group, Replay, Swarovski, and Tonello.
Led by denim product and textile innovation leader ISKO, a jury of denim savants including Adriano Goldschmied and Tricia Carey, director of business development for denim at Lenzing, helped pick contestants to win in several categories.
When it came to the Responsible Innovation Award, the win went to Morine Uramoto, a Japanese student from Bunka Fashion College. Her trend-right jacket, pants and showpiece designs were made using ISKO EARTH FIT® fabrics, recycled cotton, organic cotton and Lenzing Modal® branded fibers.
Carved in Blue caught up with Morine to get the story behind her designs and to find out what innovations she’ll be introducing to the denim space in the years to come.
Carved in Blue: Why did you start studying design? What made you want to become a designer?
Morine: I liked to create things since I was little. I feel the most alive when I’m making something—that’s why I wanted to have a career in design. Not only do I love clothing but also I believe that clothing is the closest to us both physically and mentally out of the three necessities of life (clothing, food and shelter).
Carved in Blue: Tell us more about your university. What’s it like to go there?
Morine: I go to Bunka Fashion College. As you may know, they have a long history of teaching fashion design and often rank near the top for studying fashion. I am learning everything related to fashion, from making clothes to marketing.
Carved in Blue: Tell us more your winning design concept. How does it fit “Genderful?”
Morine: I apprehend “Genderful” as a flexible human identity that can be both masculine and feminine. I find that a person who has both masculine and feminine aspects is very attractive regardless of their sex. Inspired by this theme, I came up with designs that can be worn by anybody.
Carved in Blue: How long did it take you to make the outfit?
Morine: I don’t know how long the production took because I outsourced it to ISKO Creative Room, but the patternmaking took me about a month. I sent the patterns to Creative Room in April and they finished production in July.
Carved in Blue: Why is sustainability important to you?
Morine: There are many issues such as labor conditions in this era where fast fashion has become the mainstream and people can easily purchase affordable clothes. Clothing is an absolute necessity in life but also needs to be sold, unlike art. As such, we need to consider not only looks and price but also the producers, retailers and ultimate consumers. I believe that we always need to think about sustainability to keep providing good clothes.
Carved in Blue: Why did you select PJ Soft using Lenzing Modal® fibers for your designs?
Morine: I used stretchable denim so that my designs would be wearable for everybody. I picked up indigo blue denim to mimic the denim look I like.
Carved in Blue: What are your thoughts about TENCEL® in denim?
Morine: I love TENCEL® fibers in denim. It’s light, breathable and perfect for summer! Denim with TENCEL® fibers is amazing and popular in Japan.
Carved in Blue: What other ways do you integrate sustainability into your designs?
Morine: I used specific traditional details in denim, which have been well loved and will be in the future, for pockets, stitching and rivets.
Carved in Blue: What did you like most about the ISKOOL program?
Morine: I liked that I was able to present my designs to the judges in person in Italy. It was my first time going abroad. Also, I was really excited to choose from an amazing fabric selection and see my design come alive by excellent factory production.
Carved in Blue: What do you aspire to be? What type of job do you want?
Morine: I want to be a fashion designer. I want to create real clothes that can be worn by everybody. At this moment, I’d want to be a part of a company and learn from them rather than launching my own brand for now.
Carved in Blue: Where do you get your inspiration?
Morine: Since I like going to museums and exhibitions, I often get inspired by art. I am open to absorb anything new.
Carved in Blue: Who is your favorite designer?
Morine: Jonathan William Anderson (LOEWE), Chitose Abe (SACAI), Naoto Fukazawa (an industrial designer).
Carved in Blue: What does Carved in Blue mean to you?
Morine: It was very interesting and informative. I learned a lot about my favorite fabric, denim—especially denim with TENCEL® fibers.