Apparel Strides into the Future

The Signs profiles emerging trends that are shaping society.

Today we'll see how innovation is transforming the way clothing is made.

The apparel industry has long been known for its negative impact on the environment.

But youthful imagination is bringing the winds of change to an industry steeped in tradition.

The city of Kurashiki, in Okayama.

This apparel industry powerhouse has a reputation for producing some of the best jeans in the world.

Shops in the Kojima district offer an unmatched selection of hand-crafted denim.

I've been to Kojima before.

Japanese denim is the best quality.

Factories weave premium denim fabric.

Garments are sewn, embellished, and processed.

Nearly every step of the manufacturing process happens right here in Kojima.

But creative techniques for distressing and aging are what really put Kojima on the global jeans map.

Sanding imparts a lived-in look.

Bleaching dials back denim hues in exciting ways.

Chemical washing creates local effects.

There are more than a hundred ways to distress and age jeans.

Stone washing techniques developed in Kojima - using pumice or manmade rock to age the surface of the denim -

are used by garment manufacturers across the globe.

We've spent years developing
ways to distress and age jeans.

Kojima is a small town.

We have to manufacture responsibly
to protect the environment.

The main priority is to reduce
our environmental footprint.

The finishing processes used to age jeans require repeated washing.

This consumes enormous amounts of water and releases chemicals into the environment.

But one homegrown jeans specialist is making major contributions to solving this problem.

His name is Okamoto Kyohei.

Born and raised in Kojima, he joined the apparel industry after earning a degree in chemistry.

For nearly two decades, he's been developing better ways to manufacture Kojima jeans.

Okamoto's signature talent is outside the box thinking.

Through a hands-on approach and borrowing of technology from other industries, he has spawned more than 20 new processing methods.

I don't compromise.

I'll try again and again
until I get the results I'm looking for.

Okamoto understands how important it is to shrink the industry's environmental footprint.

The subtle fading on these jeans is a work of denim art.

Okamoto calls this mist ozone processing, for which he's currently applying for a patent.

Jeans go into a specially-designed processor.

Water vapor is injected into the chamber.

Ozone is used to bleach the fabric.

Here's how the process works.

A fine mist of water adheres to the fabric, which contains pigment particles.

When ozone is added to the mix, the pigment particles are oxidized.

As they decompose, the fabric takes on a faded effect.

The moisture from the mist promotes the oxidation process.

Oxidation converts ozone to oxygen, which is released to the atmosphere.

The process is chemical-free.

Better yet, it uses just one percent of the water required by conventional bleaching.

There is virtually no negative impact on the environment.

Ozone mixed with water
has a powerful fading effect.

I wondered if reducing the amount of water
would calibrate the effect.

So I tried it,
and the results were excellent.

This shop offers jeans developed by Okamoto's company.

Customers like the fact that the product is produced in an eco-friendly way.

Customers really like to get information
about how the product is made.

Over a hundred processing techniques got their start in the Kojima district.

But for Okamoto, that's just more reason to keep exploring.

There's always something new waiting to be discovered.

We're always looking for ways
to create unique new effects.

We think about this every day.

The goal is to find aging effects
that will please our customers.

Let's move now to an area known as Bishu, straddling the Kiso river in Gifu and Aichi.

Bishu also has a long history of textile production, and it's woolen fabrics are especially sought after.

But did you know that wool is also at the head of the class when it comes to sustainability?

Wool is completely organic, durable and 100% recyclable.

As a natural material, it carries almost no negative environmental baggage.

The Bishu region brings together everything wool, from sheep farming and factories that process the raw material and weave it into fabric,

to garment makers and wool recycling factories.

This recycled wool factory is filled with bales of waste thread, a byproduct of the fabric production process.

The waste thread is carefully screened by type, sorted by color, and processed into wool rag.

Rag is sent to the weaving factory to become thread and ultimately fabric.

Decades before the UN proclaimed the importance of sustainability, the wool industry in Bishu was already practicing it.

We didn't start doing this recently.

We've been operating sustainably
for generations.

But today, the wool industry in Bishu faces a challenge.

The price of wool garments, and the trend toward commoditized "fast" fashion, have combined to depress sales.

The number of companies in the industry is one-tenth what it used to be.

A new generation of wool professionals is stepping up to revitalize the industry in Bishu.

Iwata Shingo is the fifth-generation head of a wool fabric producer with 130 years of history.

He's working hard to better communicate the material's virtues, by deepening cooperation within the production chain.

Everyone knows wool, but almost no one
really understands its advantages.

I think that's a tremendous opportunity.

I may be exaggerating if I say
we're hacking people's image of wool.

But we're working to position wool
as a sustainable, comfortable material.

That's what I'm aiming for now.

Iwata wants to educate consumers about the distinctly modern value of wool and wool garments.

He holds "Sheep Summit" events where wool producers and consumers can interact.

At dozens of gatherings across Japan, Iwata is telling everyone who will listen about the advantages of this 100% recyclable material.

His passion and enthusiasm is inspiring others of his generation who are involved in different aspects of the wool industry.

Ban Masahiro is an expert dyer.

Miyata Takashi manufactures wool knit fabrics.

They are united by a determination to preserve wool culture for future generations.

We don't want a future
where everything is fast fashion.

We want more people to know and
appreciate the value of craftsmanship.

A garment is made by many hands.

If you know that, you'll become
attached to it and keep it a long time.

Experiences like this
create opportunities for us.

Iwata devised the concept for an event that was held in July 2022.

He called it the Rebirth Wool Project.

The goal was to give consumers hands-on experience of how wool is recycled.

The tables are piled high with used garments donated from all over Japan.

All are destined to be recycled into new items of clothing.

We divide fabrics into woven and knitted.

Why is this important, you may ask?

Woven fabrics are usually made
of multiple fiber types, like these suits.

First the participants sort the garments into woven and knit fabrics.

Then by color, and by the proportion of wool content.

This is cashmere.

The label says 100% Japanese wool.
Please take it to that table.

Next, they cut the garments into small pieces.

Cutting the garments up into their original patterns makes it easier for the factory to turn them into thread.

What was the takeaway from this experience for members of the fast fashion generation?

It's surprisingly time-consuming.
But you can see the fabric structure.

My clothes are mostly for everyday use.

If I get tired of them,
I can discard or sell them.

Now I want to take care of my clothes.
I see them in a different way.

Three months from now, these cuttings will be reborn as new wool garments.

One of the participants live-streams the event.

Ishida Romi is a university student and aspiring apparel influencer.

She's betting that others of her generation will be just as interested as she is in sustainable apparel.

Her live stream racks up nearly 3,000 views.

The idea is to spark people's curiosity.

By turning young people into fans of wool, Iwata is working to ensure the future of this ancient industry.

The apparel industry is accused of
being a sustainability problem child...

or not being commercially attractive.

But once you dive into it, it's fascinating.

Fashion is part of people's dreams.

It's an industry that brings joy
to them every day.

It's important to keep that joy
at the center of what we do.

In Kojima, innovation has found a way to thrive amid tradition.

From Bishu, the word goes out that it's time to rediscover the value of wool.

The younger generation's spirit of community is creating encouraging new signs pointing toward a brighter future.