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Residents seriously made clothes with an apparel company vol.1

2024-03-27

The "loungewear project" was started by the apparel company TARROW TOKYO and a team of Social Apartment residents, with the aim of developing and selling products from the unique perspective of Social Apartment residents. We will be bringing you a column published on the TARROW TOKYO website in several installments.

What is the "loungewear project" of TARROW TOKYO x SOCIAL APARTMENT?

We are confident in our honest craftsmanship, but we are also concerned about the extent to which we are taking the wearer's point of view into consideration, and we are also concerned about the extent to which we are creating clothes with more unique ideas. or "Is it possible to create clothes with more unique ideas? This project began when Taro was faced with such questions as "How far can we go in making clothes from the viewpoint of the wearer?

In early 2023, Taro staff learned of the existence of "Social Apartment. Social apartments are not share houses, but rather a new lifestyle of social interaction that allows residents to enjoy the exchange of ideas with each other.

How far are you willing to go from the viewpoint of the wearer?
Can we create clothes with more unique ideas?
We may get a hint to solve this issue. Above all, we came to feel that this would be a good experience for Taro.

Recruiting project members

After consulting with Global Agents, the operator of the project, about Taro's issues and initiatives, we were given the opportunity to actually communicate with the residents.

After informing the residents of the project in advance, we spoke with a number of residents who were interested in making clothes at an online MTG. Frankly speaking, we felt that no matter who we worked with, we could create something that Taro could not have imagined on its own.

Since this was Taro's first project of this kind, we wanted to proceed carefully, so we conducted several preliminary questionnaires and auditions to narrow down the number of people whose opinions could be properly reflected in the project. We have decided to start the project as a team. （We would like to thank the more than 70 people who participated and expressed interest in this project.)

Team "Neighbors Kamikitazawa

After completing auditions, the six residents of "Neighbors Kamikitazawa" were selected to work together on the project. The responses to the questionnaire we conducted prior to the project were impressive in the amount of words and enthusiasm they wrote, the questions they asked directly via e-mail, and the videos they sent us of their thoughts and feelings.

As a creator, I was very grateful for this enthusiasm, and I have a bright outlook for the project, which is why I selected these six people as project members. We asked the team leader why he decided to join the project.

Team Leader: I was just thinking about making clothes when I received the invitation to participate in the project. At first, I was really casual about it. I talked to a few of the team members who happened to be good friends of mine, and we all had a tremendous passion for clothes. (Laughs) Looking back now, I realize how important this time was. Although we all share a common love of clothes, we are all participating in this project with our own individual aspirations, such as an interest in manufacturing, a desire to empower people through clothing, and a desire to create clothing that solves the problems we face with clothing on a day-to-day basis.

Start of the project! Deciding on the clothes to be produced

This was Taro's first collaboration project of this kind, so we started the project in a state of uncertainty and uncertainty about how to proceed.

First, we exchanged opinions and compiled a list of keywords that we thought would be important.

Clothes that can be worn for a long time

Clothing that enhances the quality of life a little more than it is now

Clothes that provide an opportunity for communication

Clothes that can be washed without concern

Clothes that can be used both for outside and room wear

We also set up a common understanding so that the project would not be out of step.

We will not expand our reach too far, but will use this project as a means of achieving our goal of creating products that are within our reach.
We will create clothes that will please our neighbors living within a 3-meter radius and that they will want.
Having said all this, the outline of the project has finally begun to emerge.

In this project, we would ideally like to create clothing that addresses the unique issues faced by people living in social apartments, and that ultimately solves the issues faced by the general public as well. After much discussion, we came to the conclusion that we would create "lounge wear. There was one issue that led us to this decision. That is, "I am not sure what to wear when I go to the shared space (lounge).

The shared spaces in social apartments are also used by other tenants, so it is necessary to be somewhat public. A surprisingly large number of people go out of their way to change their clothes and use the space. If we could create such clothes that can be used in the room, in the shared space, and even for going out, it would be useful for a variety of people, including those who work remotely. With this in mind, we decided to create "lounge wear.

Washable, comfortable, and highly visible. We want to achieve these three things. What is required in each situation is different. For example, for loungewear, it is important that it is comfortable to wear, and for outside wear, we want it to have a moderate "high-visibility" feel without being too rough. Above all, since the clothes will be used more frequently, it is preferable that they are not stressful to wash.

In this issue, we have provided the background of the project's inception and the start of the project. In the next issue, we will introduce sample production.

TARROW×SOCIAL APARTMENT】LOUNGE WEAR】Official page

Neighbors Kamikitazawa Property page