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"Rewriting the Rules of Wool": Unveiling 'NIKKE AXIO®,' the Miracle Material That Captivated Factelier
In modern Japan, the domestic production share for apparel has plummeted to the 1% range. As many factories disappear, unable to pass on their skills, one brand continues its mission to directly connect Japanese artisans with consumers under the philosophy of "Enriching daily life with story-worthy items." That brand is Factelier, founded in 2012.
Factelier described one material as a 'game-changer for textiles' and adopted it for its own products: the ultra-high-performance wool yarn 'NIKKE AXIO®', created by Nikke Textile Co., Ltd. Made from this exceptional material, the “NIKKE AXIO® Premium Drape T-shirt” has garnered immense support from customers seeking true quality.
Why did Factelier fall in love with this wool yarn? And what is the essence of Japanese craftsmanship woven into this single T-shirt? To uncover the secrets, we spoke with Masaki Kobayashi of Factelier.
PROFILE
Masaki Kobayashi
Factelier / Lifestyle Accent Inc.
Content and PR Manager
Born in Osaka Prefecture in 1982. After graduating from university, he studied public relations for two years at the PR training school 'EFAP JAPON' before gaining experience at two PR firms. While working at a PR company, he joined the Made-in-Japan, factory-direct fashion brand 'Factelier' as a founding member in 2012, serving as a volunteer for two and a half years before officially joining as the company's first employee. His responsibilities have spanned a wide range of duties beyond PR, including content creation, 'Factelier on the Road' (speaking engagements), factory tours, customer support, sales, shipping, and serving as the manager of the Kumamoto flagship store. Currently, as the Content and PR Manager, he continues to communicate the richness of Japanese craftsmanship through factory interviews, content and newsletter creation, public relations, and even involvement in apparel product development.
Is Japanese Craftsmanship Disappearing? The Reality of a 1% Market Share
When Factelier was founded in 2012, the domestic production ratio for apparel in Japan was already at a critically low level.
"There was a time when domestic production exceeded 50%, but due to the influx of cheap overseas products, that figure has plummeted to about 1%. We've witnessed firsthand how sewing factories with outstanding domestic technology are being forced out of business, their value unrecognized."
In response to this 'Made in Japan' crisis, Factelier was established to make the skills and value of Japanese factories visible and pass them on to future generations by directly connecting makers with users. It was the start of an endeavor not just to sell products, but to deliver the stories and philosophies behind them to consumers and to revitalize Japanese craftsmanship as a whole.
Breaking Apparel Norms by Naming the Factory
A key feature of Factelier's business model is that their product tags explicitly name the factory responsible for production, such as 'Factelier by [Factory Name].' In the apparel industry, it has long been standard practice for brands to keep their manufacturers anonymous. However, Factelier broke from this custom, choosing to bring the faces and names of the creators to the forefront."In the last 12 years, we have visited over 700 factories across Japan and now partner with about 60 of them. By collaborating with factories that possess high expertise in specific fields—like tailored jackets, coats, and knitwear in places such as Hokkaido, Niigata, and Wakayama—we develop products that leverage their unique strengths."
They established a system to deliver high-quality products to consumers at fair prices by completely cutting out intermediary markups and using the internet as their primary sales channel.
Overcoming the Weaknesses of Wool
What caught Factelier's eye was the ultra-high-performance wool yarn called "NIKKE AXIO®," developed by Nikke Textile. Why was a new wool yarn necessary? This was because the material came with its own set of challenges.
Products made from wool, a natural high-performance material, inevitably came with issues that tend to deter consumers: "shrinkage" from home washing, a "prickly" feel against the skin, and the fussy care routine that followed.
"Wool fibers have a cuticle-like structure on their surface called 'scales,' which allows them to release moisture and trap heat. While this is one of wool's strengths, it also caused the fibers to tangle easily. Depending on the fiber's thickness, the tips could also irritate the skin, creating a prickly sensation."
To get around these drawbacks, shrink-resistant wool yarns are available. Methods like chemically scraping off the scales or coating them with resin are used, but these methods had the downside of compromising wool's naturally excellent moisture-wicking properties and texture.
Maximizing the benefits of wool while only eliminating its drawbacks. To tackle this tough challenge, Nikke Textile took a completely new approach to development.
What Kind of Functionality Does the New Material "NIKKE AXIO®" Offer?
The result of this proprietary technology is the new material, "NIKKE AXIO®."By engineering a structure with a filament yarn at its core, wrapped in wool, they successfully overcame previous challenges while preserving wool's inherent functions.
Factelier used this new, high-performance wool yarn to produce the "NIKKE AXIO® Premium Drape T-shirt." It boasts a level of functionality unattainable in conventional T-shirts, successfully elevating it beyond a simple casual item.
"This product has three main features. First is its remarkable lightness. While a typical heavyweight cotton T-shirt weighs about 250g and even a wool T-shirt is around 200g, the T-shirt using 'NIKKE AXIO®' is about 120g, achieving a weight reduction of about 40%.
Second is improved durability. In an abrasion test by a third-party organization, shrink-proofed wool yarn broke after 6,000 cycles, whereas 'NIKKE AXIO®' withstood over three times that amount, enduring up to 20,000 cycles. It also maintained its appearance up to 12,000 cycles, demonstrating high durability.
And third is its high resistance to pilling. In a pilling test by a third-party institution, it earned a high rating of 4.5, far surpassing the standard benchmark of 3."
While Kobayashi highlighted these as the main features, the T-shirt boasts many other advantages. Thanks to the extremely fine 19.5-micron fibers, there is almost no prickly sensation. Quick-drying properties have been added to wool's natural moisture-wicking ability, meaning it also dries quickly after washing.
However, perhaps the most critical feature is its "washability," which allows for machine washing at home. This has made it possible to wear wool products as everyday clothing without hesitation. *The care tag recommends hand washing as a precaution, but it has been confirmed that machine washing in a laundry net poses no problems.
The Future of Fashion According to Factelier
Factelier's products are "Made in Japan" and are primarily sold online. So, is there a specific target demographic?
"A lot of our customers are in their 40s to 70s, and when we talk to them, we find many are professionals like lawyers or doctors, as well as business owners. They might have bought fast fashion in the past, but as they started appearing in public more often, they began looking for something reliable and high-quality, which led them to our products."
The company's philosophy seems to resonate strongly with a demographic that seeks items of intrinsic value—pieces that last long and aren't swayed by fleeting trends. And for good reason—while the designs are basic, they are a culmination of the technical expertise of Japanese factories and the passion of the developers.
In fact, feedback from customers includes glowing reviews like, "Even when I sweat, it doesn't stick to my skin at all. It feels smooth, and I don't notice any sweat odor. It feels cool even in the summer, with performance beyond my imagination."
The company’s dedication to telling the stories of its makers has been featured on TV programs like "Gaia no Yoake (Gaia’s Dawn)" and "Cambria Kyuden (Cambria Palace)", striking a chord with the public. It symbolizes a shift toward an era where consumers find value not just in the product itself, but also in the stories and passion of the creators behind it.
Why not get your hands on a Factelier T-shirt, which makes generous use of "NIKKE AXIO®"—the new high-performance wool yarn developed by Nikke Textile, a leader in Japan's wool industry? It’s a chance to feel for yourself the exceptional quality and functionality that Japanese companies and factories are so proud of.
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