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Discussion: Gakuto Otsubo & Kazuya Kawasaki "Exploring Sustainability in the Era of 'Good Is COOL'"
As terms like 'fashion tech' and 'sustainability' begin to permeate our current culture, what philosophies are guiding the players leading these fields? We have invited Gakuto Otsubo from Goldwin Inc./Neutral Works and Kazuya Kawasaki, CEO of Synflux Co., Ltd. and a speculative fashion designer, to discuss the characteristics of this generation, the spirit of exploration needed to achieve sustainability, the importance of prototypes, and the legacy for the next generation.
PROFILE
Gakuto Otsubo
Head of the Neutral Works Division at Goldwin Inc. Born in Ishikawa Prefecture in 1979. Joined Goldwin Inc. in 2004. As a merchandiser for The North Face's apparel division, he was in charge of material development and product planning. Until 2021, he was the director of the same brand, overseeing both planning and marketing. From April, he has been the head of the NEUTRALWORKS. brand, with the concept of "neutralizing the body and mind of those who want to spend 24 hours in a sporty lifestyle."
PROFILE
Kazuya Kawasaki
CEO of Synflux Co., Ltd. and a speculative fashion designer. Born in 1991. Graduated from the X-design program at Keio University's Graduate School of Policy and Media Studies (Design). His awards include the Special Prize at the Global Change Award hosted by the H&M Foundation, selection as a recommended artwork by the juries of the Art Division at the Media Arts Festival organized by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, longlisted for the Dezeen Design Award, and the WIRED Creative Hack Award among others. He is the editor and author of "SPECULATIONS: Beyond Human-Centered Design" (BNN新社, 2019).
An Era where "Good is COOL" is the Norm
KawasakiThe first time I met Otsubo was at an event called TOA, which originated in Berlin. His first words to me were, "I get the impression that your generation is purely doing what's right because it's cool." At first, I misunderstood this as criticism, but it turned out he was suggesting that it would be interesting if we could create a movement together! If the characteristic of current fashion is believing that "what's right is good," I would like to ask Otsubo once again what he thinks of this generation.
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