Grassroots Innovation Drives Japan's Textiles Revival -- In the world of fashion, where people can often be heard saying that there are no new ideas anymore, the role of fabrics in the design process is growing increasingly important. As awareness of this trend spreads among major fashion houses and individual designers, so their approach to textiles has become far more focused. However, for large apparel conglomerates and designers with plenty of capital behind them, there exist circumstances whereby they cannot avoid influences peculiar to the industry. Due to the existence of monopolies, there are fabrics that one can use, and those that one cannot. Unfortunately for designers, despite the fact that some of these restrictions have loosened, textile makers who mistakenly show off their clout are hardly few and far between.

Certain industry observers have been heard to say that Japanese textiles are the most competitive in the world, but can that really be true? Besides the large synthetic fiber firms, the circumstances would suggest otherwise, especially if one takes a look at the state of Japan's fabric manufacturing regions, where many firms have been ruined by fierce competition from overseas. For them, staying afloat in an increasingly globalized marketplace is a daunting struggle.

But the fact remains that Japanese-made textiles are still held in extremely high regard all over the world. The secret to that esteem lies in original ideas. It's often said that adversity breeds innovation, and for small- and medium-sized manufacturers and the regions in which they are based, money to invest in equipment is not easy to find. Many have therefore decided to adapt old equipment: Some firms use traditional looms that have been around for decades, others re-configure existing machinery to their own specifications, a practice which requires considerable insight into its workings and plenty of patience to achieve an attractive effect in the finished product.

It is still perfectly possible to create useful textiles with outdated machinery. The key to an attractive end product lies not in the tools used to make it, but in the ideas behind it, and it is ideas that are leading the resurgence of many of Japan's smaller textiles firms. Contributing to this return to health is the role of Textiles Directors, who have a good grasp of the factories in all the producing regions across Japan and coordinate many of their activities. Thanks to these directors' efforts, the nation's fabric manufacturers are once again highly competitive companies.

Behind the Scenes

-- So what, precisely is the role of a Textiles Director? Each fabric manufacturing region and individual factories within them have their own specialties and strengths and create distinctive products. On the other hand, there is a distance between each of Japan's areas of fabric production, and there are surprisingly few organizations devoted to coordinating activities between them. In order to turn this weak point into an asset, they work towards establishing a smooth system of production and matching factories that could provide each other with complimentary services, and seek to provide a guarantee of quantity in order to match the quality of the end product. One of the principal roles of the Textiles Director, then, is to draw a line connecting the many fabric factories dotted all over Japan. These scene shifters, who travel the length and breadth of Japan, are extremely important to the increasingly complicated textiles industry, particularly in regard continuous and composite fibers. They embrace the misgivings currently pervading the Japanese fabric manufacturing industry. Like a top chef, good designers use good materials and turn around their product in quick time. But too many fashion creators seem to be ignoring the ingredients that constitute their works.

However high the quality of fabric a designer acquires, if they fail to respect it - like a chef does his ingredients - their creations will fail to impress. It would appear that some designers have lost their passion for the materials they employ.

To be frank, if a designer fails to grasp the process behind the manufacture of textiles, they are unlikely to stay in business for long. The boast that the Made in Japan label is respected around the world sounds rather hollow coming from somebody without an understanding of the expertise and quality of ideas of the people creating textiles.

Working in tandem with designers, and promoting exchanges between different textile producing regions is a difficult undertaking, but if this hurdle can be cleared, Japan's global competitiveness can be preserved. Although the Japan Creation tradeshow, the nation's largest, and the Creation Business Forum event, which presents the wares of small- and medium-sized textiles firms, are beset with problems regarding the time during which they are held and a lack of name recognition in the industry at large, it appears that they will soon achieve independence. Furthermore, the "Takumi Ten" (Artisan Showcase), run by private enterprises, also appears to be progressing on the right track. Along with acting as a showcase for a huge range of high quality textiles that are sure to surprise and delight, we hope that these events will also continue to develop as a forum for mutually rewarding business relationships to flourish.

JAPAN CREATION
http://www.japancreation.com/

--introduces creators based in Japan and also prints exhibition schedule, showroom, pressroom, and shop information around the world. This bilingual published in Japan.

CREATION BUSINESS FORUM
http://cbf.smrj.go.jp/top.html

--introduces creators based in Japan and also prints exhibition schedule, showroom, and shop information around the world. This bilingual published in Japan.

Takumi Exhibition
http://www.texstyledepots.com/

--introduces creators based in Japan and also prints exhibition schedule, showroom, and shop information around the world. This bilingual published in Japan.