Harmonize

“Eventually, each and every garment will be unique and different.” This is what Yuima Nakazato envisions as the future of mankind. Based on this vision, Nakazato has developed an innovative method to manufacture clothes without sewing.

The System

Assembling clothes with originally developed parts called “Units” makes it possible to freely combine and rearrange their design, size, and materials, leading to garments that harmonize with everyone who wears them.

The Unit Constructed Textile system is a technology to develop more sustainable fashion. The principle of the technique was in common with methods found in areas ranging from traditional Japanese “Boro” textiles repair techniques to the outer structure of spacecraft. Through discussions with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), the team learned that in space, everything must use a circular system—whether it’s air or materials used in garments, everything must be based on a circular philosophy.

Space-Inspired Vision

The “HARMONIZE” collection debuted at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week in January 2018. The term “Harmonize” illustrates the state in which two very different entities—the human body and the garment—continue to develop and complement one another. This delicate balance, a harmony of entities themselves, is the way YUIMA NAKAZATO envisions the future of humanity and clothing.

The collection draws inspiration from the aesthetics of space travel, symbolized by Neil Armstrong’s first footprints on the moon and Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey.” More than half a century has passed since the 1960s when humans had grown in enthusiasm and adoration for the universe. With the endless advancement of technology, space is no longer an unreachable aspiration far away from us.

The HARMONIZE Collection

The full Spring/Summer 2018 Haute Couture collection as presented at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week — twenty-six looks built entirely from modular Units, with detail studies of the Unit Constructed Textile system.

Sustainable Materials

This exhibition features Nakazato’s latest collection along with its proprietary manufacturing system of innovative clothes, featuring new products using Ultrasuede®PX—an environmentally friendly suede-texture fabric invented by Toray.

Ultrasuede®PX represents Toray’s commitment to sustainability:

Made from ultra-fine fibers with a soft touch and luxurious texture
Uses 30% plant-based polyester derived from sugarcane waste (non-edible molasses)
Produced using recycled polyester and plant-based polymers
Chemical recycling system helps achieve carbon-neutral goals
Machine washable and resistant to pilling, sagging, shrinking, and fading
Non-animal vegan material with superior durability compared to natural leather

The Designer

Yuima Nakazato graduated from Antwerp Royal Academy of Fine Arts as the youngest among Japanese students and established his own fashion label in 2009. In July 2016, he was selected as one of the official Guest Members for Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week, becoming only the second Japanese designer to receive this honor.

Nakazato’s vision is “To each individual, his own design”—delivering ultimate one-of-a-kind garments to each and every person in the world. He has long worked at the intersection of fashion and technology, employing 3D printing, digital fabrication, and laser cutting techniques to create forward-facing clothes unique to individual wearers.