ZOZO NEXT, a company that was quick to notice societal changes and behavioral shifts due to digital technologies, has been working on a project called 'Project Drip' since around 2020. This project aims to use technologies such as 3D and AI to create new products and services, and to provide customers with new fashion experiences. So far, they have conducted R&D and PoC related to virtual humans and digital fashion.
This time, we had the opportunity to hear all about REVINAL from Yudai Tamamura, who is in charge of the project. Where did REVINAL, a cutting-edge digital fashion brand, come from and where is it going? We asked about the prospects of digital fashion, including their activities so far.
PROFILE
Yudai Tamamura
After working in the video production and 3DCG fields of IT mega ventures for game-related businesses, he joined ZOZO Technologies, the predecessor of ZOZO NEXT, in 2020. He has been in his current position since May 2023, mainly promoting digital fashion projects in the XR/AI department.
Delivering New Digital Fashion Experiences
What was the background to the initiation of the REVINAL project?
In the XR/AI department where I belong, we aim to use technologies such as 3D-based XR and AI, including machine learning, to provide customers with new experiences through our products and services. In the field of digital fashion, we are conducting R&D (Research and Development) and PoC (Proof of Concept) as represented by the virtual human 'Drip' and virtual fitting.We started our research during the era of ZOZO Technologies and we are now at the phase of considering monetization and business expansion, where clothes are sold digitally. We had accumulated enough research data and were able to amass a wealth of asset data, so we announced 'REVINAL' as an experiment to explore the possibilities of digital fashion.
Could you tell us about REVINAL's concept?
The brand name 'REVINAL' is a combination of Real (the real world), Virtual (the virtual world), Liminal (indicating a boundary), and Revival.The concept is to coexist traditional clothing and new values, deviate from the constraints of fashion in the real world, intertwine and blend the real and virtual, and provide new ways to enjoy fashion. We want to create a new future where everyone can freely enjoy fashion and self-expression.
Our in-house team is primarily responsible for planning and design, with some production outsourced. The process is similar to regular garment production, with the designer and pattern maker working on the design direction and translating it into 3DCG.
If there's anything different, it's that the entire process is completed digitally, meaning we don't need to create physical products. In a typical environment, prototypes are adjusted for design and size while being worn by a model, but in our team, an avatar fulfills this role.
The design gives off a futuristic impression. Any particular details you paid attention to?
We fully utilize the digital production aspect. In a way, we create items while disregarding the constraints and costs of conventional clothing.
For instance, with sneakers, if you were to manufacture this physical sneaker, you would need to consider the strength of the material and the balance of the load. With such considerations, manufacturing such a design might not be feasible. In the digital world, however, there are no such constraints, so the design integrity isn’t compromised.
Because the design freedom increases, it’s possible to create bold designs for clothes and shoes. Even if the design is difficult to wear or embarrasses you in real life, I think it can provoke a sense of curiosity in the digital realm, making you wonder if you should give it a try.
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