Naika I had the incredible opportunity to join the “Peace de Mirai” project hosted by Mitsukoshi Isetan, focusing on sustainability. Our task was to create a design using old, unused Levi’s jeans. I chose to craft a fitting dress under the theme “Mended Soul.” I intended to highlight the beauty of perseverance and resilience—how creatures that mend broken parts, even in trying times, possess a unique beauty akin to irregular stitches, yet continue to move forward.
The entire process spanned about 10 days, as I aimed to complete it swiftly for an upcoming press event. This project marked my first time working with denim fabric, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience; denim quickly became one of my favorite materials.
The exhibition was a memorable experience, but regrettably, there were challenges in retrieving our work. Several students, myself included, lost valuable items, like my earrings, which I couldn’t recover. It’s disheartening when such incidents occur, highlighting the importance of respecting the effort and time invested in creating these works.
You can witness my journey of creating this dress here:
After our interview day with the Mitsukoshi Isetan staff, I’ll provide the links in the Read more section for you to peruse at your leisure. Following that, we assisted with the photo shoot. Interestingly, the mannequin was smaller than the ones we typically use at school, necessitating the use of tape for certain areas. Additionally, I took the opportunity to craft accessories from the leftover denim.
I had the privilege of modeling for fellow students’ creations as well:
The Press Event was quite demanding, as we had to stand all day and explain our work to attendees. However, I thoroughly enjoyed engaging in conversations and connecting with people during the event.
Firstly, I participated in an exhibition as part of the Rakuten Fashion Week TOKYO 2024 S/S SDGs event.
After that, we had an exhibition at Shinjuku Isetan.
Here, you can see photos showcasing how my dress looks on a real person:
Read more:
