SETAGAYA PORT (Setagaya-ku, Tokyo) Co-Hosted “The Birth of Future Designers? Children experience the work of digital fashion designers
※This article is machine translated.
The SETAGAYA PORT project held a Career Design Classroom – Digital Fashion Designer’s Work and Working Style on Saturday, August 26.
Cocone designers served as teachers and gave lectures and workshops on the new profession of digital fashion designer, encouraging the creativity of the children who will lead the next generation.
SETAGAYA PORT is an industry-government-academia collaboration operated by dot button company and Setagaya Ward. As a company headquartered in Setagaya Ward, Cocone is also participating in this initiative, and we hope that children will experience the joy of freely expressing themselves and creating, while also creating new career options for the future. →SETAGATA PORT Web site
In this issue, we will report on the event.
What is the future of digital fashion?
At the beginning of the event, I spoke about digital fashion.
Digital fashion is clothing and accessories that can be worn in the online world. It has attracted attention both at home and abroad, with well-known companies selling digital sneakers and an increasing number of companies specializing in the production and sale of such products. It is also attracting attention as a new profession, as evidenced by the establishment of virtual fashion courses in vocational schools.
For more than 10 years, Cocone has been creating not only clothing, but also hairstyles, makeup, and even the interior design of the space where the avatar resides, and has delivered more than one million different items to its customers.
Metaverse is one of the new places to be.
After the Corona Disaster, online interaction and communication using avatars may have become commonplace for children. There are various places for children to stay, such as schools, school children, and cram schools, and it will not be long before the Metaverse will be added to these places.
One of the ways to have fun in that metaverse space is through fashion.
You can enjoy various genres of fashion, regardless of gender or body type, and you can even become an animal or plant instead of a human being. You can also freely customize your own look, allowing each individual to use his or her imagination to the fullest.
Digital Fashion Designer at Work
From this point on, three Cocone designers took the stage to talk about their work, focusing on questions received in advance.
Q. Why did you decide to do this job?
A. I have loved to draw pictures since I was a child. I was impressed by the fact that people were pleased with my drawings, and I wanted to make that pleasure my career.
Q. What was the most rewarding, good or difficult part of your job?
A. I find it rewarding to work as a team to create a single view of the world. I am happy when customers are pleased.
The challenge is that “Pokecolo” is celebrating its 12th anniversary this year, and many items have been released so far, so we have to make sure that we don’t clash with them.
Q.How can I become a digital fashion designer?
A. I have been drawing a lot since I was a child.
Employees with art school or art college degrees are a large percentage of the workforce, but are not a requirement.
As a designer, you will create a variety of world views. Go out and experience different places. The strength of digital fashion is that you can be anything. Your past experiences will make what you create more compelling.
Q. How do you identify trends and needs?
A.I collect what I think is good by looking at Pinterest and other sites, and I am aware of social networking sites.
I also research what colors and accessories are in style by looking at what people are wearing as they walk down the street, and sometimes I ask friends what they like.
From idea to delivery to customers
Next, we introduced how items are created. Using an actual released item as an example, we showed the production process from the conception of an idea, concept and story setting, rough design, to finishing touches. Finally, we showed a video of an avatar wearing the finished fashion item and how it fits in and looks on the actual avatar.
Designer demonstrates
Using a projector, we showed them the drawing process in Photoshop while they watched their work on the computer in real time.
The children watched intently as the designer drew a series of ribbons that gave completely different impressions, such as shadows to create a three-dimensional effect, or transparency like organdie.
Design challenges using the same tools as the pros
And finally, it was time for the workshop.
In this one-hour workshop, designers will be given the pen tablets they actually use, one at a time, to design on the base of their avatars.
One by one, active designers are assigned to each table to assist the children.
Most of the children had never used a pen tablet or Photoshop before, and although they appeared puzzled at first, they quickly mastered the tools, surprising the designers.
The children drew more and more on their favorite themes. Questions to the designer were also highly challenging, such as “How can I make the texture look like leather?” The questions to the designers were highly challenging, such as “How can I make it look like leather?
At the end of the event, the parents were also present and each group presented their work.
They were asked to talk about the theme and points they focused on, and the designers gave them feedback. Parents were again surprised by the children’s creativity.
Finally.
A future in which fashion will play an increasingly important role in the metaverse space awaits. Digital fashion designers are expected to play an even more active role in the future. Through this event, we were able to broaden our understanding of the nature of digital fashion and the work involved in its creation.
We were also concerned about whether the children would be able to participate in the three-hour program without getting bored, but they were interested and enjoyed themselves until the very end! I was relieved to see them smiling and showing off their creations created in the workshop to their parents.
Cocone will continue its activities to nurture children’s creativity.
Comment by SETAGAYA PORT
With the cooperation of Cocone, we held a ” Career Design Classroom ” to introduce children to the work of digital fashion designers as one of the new occupations of the future. The class was a great success, as the children learned quickly and were enthusiastic about their work, thanks in part to the demonstrations by the designers and the direct contact with the designers.
After the event, we received positive messages from the parents.
We hope to continue working with you to create opportunities for children to experience the world and jobs that interest them.
This event was also supported by Wacom.
Please take a look at this as well.
Interview with designer of magazine SO-EN
https://cocone.co.jp/en/interview/soen/
Introduction of business and services
https://cocone.co.jp/en/service/
