Takehiko Suzuki／General Manager of Men’s & Sportswear, Isetan Mitsuksohi
I am in charge of menswear, but this competition was a really good experience for me as I got to judge both the menswear and womenswear. Wool creations are the theme for the IWP, and I was able to see various interpretations, from designers who focused on the material to those who came out with unique designs. At the same time, I felt the passion of each designer to transmit the identities and culture of their own country. I felt the strong intent of many designers to use the Asian preliminary competition as a stepping stool to spread their brand throughout the world. From a retailer’s perspective, I feel a sense of responsibility to support these young talents through such opportunities and to boost the entire industry.

Hajime Nakagawa／General Manager of Ladies, Jewellery & Watches
Being able to judge a unique competition with the theme of wool was an extremely productive experience for me. Since there were designers participating in the competition from various countries, the designers not only expressed the strengths of their brands but also seemed to be vividly aware of their own identities. As a retail partner, my judging criteria was based on whether or not consumers would buy the product, but I felt that all the judges shared the vision of developing people who would be able to do business on the world stage. In recent years, there are more and more opportunities to introduce new talent to the world and to support them, and I think that this is a great trend.

Each designer presented their work in a way that conveyed their feelings for the culture of their respective countries, and as a whole, there was a unique Asia-ness. It seemed that the contest made the designers think deeply about who they were, and I felt that their creations were of a different dimension from the global fashion trends. In the current age, where clothing is losing its systematic significance, there is a shift from clothes-making that called attention to the gender differences between men and women and physical beauty, which used to be mainstream in Western countries, to what can be called “one-gender” clothes-making, where there is little awareness of gender differences. This is something that was originally done by Japanese people, but I feel that this concept which is based in Asia is gradually becoming standard throughout the Western world.