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Why "Digital Apparel" Now? The Aim Behind the Design Contest by Kotobukiya and Booklista
The Digital Apparel Design Contest, hosted by Kotobukiya Co., Ltd. (hereafter Kotobukiya) and Booklista Co., Ltd., recently took place. More than a simple hunt for new creators, it was an ambitious initiative aiming to redefine the role of "fashion" in the booming metaverse market and to bridge the divide between different industries with technology.
We sat down with Mizuki Iijima from Kotobukiya's New Business Model Development Team and Yuta Nakaya from Booklista's New Business Development Office to dive into the digital fashion hurdles facing hobby manufacturers, the evolution of avatar culture, and how the 3D modeling tool "CLO" could potentially fuse the apparel and gaming industries.
PROFILE
Mizuki Iijima
Kotobukiya Co., Ltd.
Graduated from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Kisarazu National College of Technology and completed a master's program at the Institute of Technologists. At Kotobukiya Co., Ltd., he leverages his expertise in 3D data-based design and modeling to drive product and business development focused on the "commercial sale of 3D data." He currently oversees the planning and development of avatar products for VRChat users and the development of the "自在視点マンガ素材集-ジザイテン-" web service for creators.
PROFILE
Yuta Nakaya
Booklista Co., Ltd. (Producer, New Business Development Office)
After leading new business development and corporate planning at companies like Yahoo Japan Corporation and REALITY, Inc., he joined Booklista Co., Ltd. in March 2024. As a producer for new, creator-focused businesses, he heads up projects such as "YOMcoma." He launched the "ENRAI" matching portfolio in October 2024, managing its operations and business development. On the side, he also writes original manga stories and scripts.
The 'Fashion Wall' a Hobby Manufacturer Ran Up Against
Kotobukiya, renowned for planning and selling plastic models and figures, has doubled down on creating its own IP (Intellectual Property) since going public in 2017. As part of this drive, the company sought to leverage the 3D data accumulated during product development, planning an avatar sales business in 2018 and launching its products in 2020. This was a time when social VR platforms like VRChat were starting to capture the spotlight, alongside the advent of the VTuber boom.However, from 2021 to 2022, the market saw a major shift. According to Iijima, user focus pivoted from 'the avatars themselves' to 'the clothes the avatars wear.'
'Even when we released an avatar, we’d get feedback from customers like, 'I’m not buying it because there aren’t enough clothes for it.' We even saw a complete reversal, where people would say, 'I'm buying this avatar *because* it's compatible with so many outfits.''
Here, Kotobukiya ran into a disconnect between its sculpting prowess as a hobby manufacturer and the market's demand for designs with a fashion-forward perspective. Witnessing the high-caliber fashion sense of individual creators making avatar clothing, Iijima realized they urgently needed to bring in external technology and expertise, facing the challenge that 'we have to tackle the fashion and apparel domain, but we don't have that know-how in-house.'
The Evolution of Avatar Culture and the Explosion in 'Dress-Up' Demand
The explosive demand for digital fashion is rooted in the evolution of Japan's unique 3D creation culture. One of its origins is the 'MMD (MikuMikuDance)' culture that flourished on platforms like Niconico. The practice of creating videos using character models and motion data made by volunteer creators laid the groundwork, fostering a community for sharing and accumulating technical information on 3D modeling. From there, following the VTuber boom in late 2017, these skills and technologies migrated to platforms like VRChat.Around 2019, the movement to express individuality with original avatars, rather than existing characters, gained momentum. In 2020, avatar artists rose to prominence, and users began to enjoy a 'customization' culture of changing hair colors or swapping out parts. Then, around 2021, creators skilled in garment design began to make serious inroads into fashion, shaping the avatar fashion market as we know it today.
Amid this trend, VRChat users chased ever more high-definition and beautiful forms of expression, even if it put a heavy strain on their PCs. Nakatani describes this change as follows:
'Even with data so resource-intensive it would be unforgivable from a game industry standpoint, users embrace it to pursue 'their own sense of beauty.' What the market was demanding was breathtaking quality and expressive power.'
This psychological shift among users signaled that fashion in digital spaces had evolved beyond mere game skins to become a core tenet of self-expression.
'CLO': Bridging the Gap Between Pattern Makers and 3D
To overcome the 'fashion wall,' Kotobukiya set its sights on the 3D modeling tool 'CLO.' CLO is software originally developed for the apparel industry, which boasts the ability to simulate and create 3D garments from 2D pattern data.Iijima elaborates on why they chose to adopt CLO:
'CLO is a tool that's challenging to master without a background in fashion. But on the flip side, when someone who understands clothing construction, like a pattern maker, uses it, they can create fashion-industry standard, high-quality garments. It was the perfect solution for acquiring the 'garment creation capabilities' we were missing.'
This opened the door for fashion students and apparel technicians to leverage their skills directly in the digital domain. This year's contest saw participation from many vocational fashion school students, a demographic that is not only digitally native but also equipped with specialized fashion expertise.
'This cycle—where young students can output their skills as digital data and receive immediate feedback—is bound to expand their skill sets and pave the way for new career paths.'
CLO is now serving as a common language, connecting the once-disparate worlds of 'apparel industry technology' and the 'game and metaverse industry.'
Award-Winning Work That Blurs the Line Between Real and Virtual
Against this backdrop, the first Digital Apparel Design Contest was held, sponsored by Kotobukiya and Booklista—a company championing the fusion of entertainment and tech. The theme was "A Cocktail Dress That Shines in the VR World." The judging criteria didn't just focus on eccentric designs unique to VR, but on "credibility as fashion."
"Just because it’s for VR doesn’t mean it can be completely detached from reality. In VR, just as in the real world, fashion’s role is to express who you are and foster communication. We judged whether the silhouette was beautiful and the structure was sound. Beyond that, the key factor was whether it had a visual hook unique to VR."
One of the award-winning pieces, "Han’yaku Romance," was highly praised for this balance. A physical version of the dress, created from the CLO 3D data, was also on display at the venue, demonstrating a level of fidelity that blurred the lines between the digital and real worlds.
Currently, the only places to experience "wearing" 3D-created clothes are social VR platforms like VRChat. However, the true value of digital apparel lies in the immersive experience of feeling fashion through your own virtual body.
A Future Where Apparel Technicians Shine in the Game Industry
This interview highlighted the deep divide between the apparel and game industries, and the business opportunities that could emerge from bridging that gap.
Currently, forays into the digital space by apparel brands are often part of promotional efforts for their physical products. Meanwhile, in the gaming industry, selling character skins has already become a massive revenue stream. Yet, collaboration between these two sectors is far from easy.
"When we talk to apparel companies, we often hear them say they don’t know how to collaborate with game development teams. A brand can lend its logos and designs for a game company to replicate, but that fails to utilize the 'garment-making techniques' that apparel professionals possess."
Iijima envisions a future where the widespread adoption of tools like CLO will allow apparel technicians to participate in creating digital fashion without having to learn the intricacies of game development from scratch.
"I want to build an ecosystem where people with the technical skills to make clothes can thrive in the game and anime industries. Until now, it’s been a world where only those with both game production skills and a flair for fashion could succeed. But if tools allow data to be exchanged seamlessly, people with pure garment-making expertise will be able to unleash their talents in the digital realm."
The apparel industry's expertise in "pattern making" and "sewing specifications" could be crucial for enhancing realism in the digital space. At the same time, the game industry is seeking outside expertise to meet the increasingly diverse fashion demands of its users. Nakatani noted that a major issue is the lack of shared awareness about this mutual need.
This contest was more than just a competition; it was an experimental playground for cultivating new creators who can bridge different industries. With a second event already in consideration, this project is poised to set a new benchmark for the digital transformation (DX) of the apparel industry. Real and digital, apparel and games—where these boundaries melt away, the next generation of business opportunities awaits.
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