Relay Column: On the 'Eve of the Future' – The Foresight of a Pattern Maker – (Satoko Shinya)

Clothing is an 'object' that has existed since ancient times.
Since the moment Adam and Eve gained wisdom in paradise and applied fig leaves to their bodies, we have always been thinking about what to wear.
In the past few decades, technological innovations have permeated our lives, and we can live comfortably without relying on our own bodies, and fashion has come to show us various expressions more than ever before.
In 2023, the fact that Bernard Arnault, a Frenchman, became the world's richest person as CEO of LVMH on the Forbes list of richest people is a symbol of success not belonging to the technology industry in today's society.
Generally speaking, among the world's wealthy, there are many who have succeeded in technology-related businesses, but Arnault's success is rooted in the retail industry. What's interesting here is that despite not belonging to the technology industry, he has built the world's highest wealth through the traditional business sector of retail. His success shows that there is great potential in traditional industries and retail, which are often thought to depend on technology.
Fashion is not consumed by technology.
Even if you collect customer data to understand needs, showcase shocking designs on social media, if it is not embodied in the real world, it is as if it does not exist. Fashion arises from people's desires and designers' creative desires, but desire and creativity alone are not enough for its growth. In fact, it is the clothes that are created over time and with the help of many talents that are brought into the world as products and supported by people, making fashion a reality.