On a rainy Tuesday afternoon, FashionNetwork.com met up at the bar of a trendy hotel on Paris’s right bank with Paris Fashion Week calendar newcomer and creative director of Japanese brand CFCL, Yusuke Takahashi, to discuss single-thread technology, his love for Paris and the importance of sustainable clothing.
CFCL stands for « Clothes For Contemporary Life », and within that refreshingly unpretentious moniker, one can discern Takahashi’s philosophy when it comes to his sartorial mission: to create simple, eco-conscious clothes, meant for comfort but designed with sophistication. After spearheading the men’s collections at Issey Miyake for seven years, from 2013 to 2020, the Tokyo-born designer created CFCL. The timing was finally right: his daughter was just born, and he felt he needed to simultaneously parent a marque worthy – ecologically and therefore ethically – of generations to come.
Since launching his first collection (entitled VOL.1) in 2021, the designer has gained momentum amongst the fashion sphere through his lack of ornementation and focus on high quality materials, which include mesh made out of recycled polyester and other state of the art, single-thread knits — all generated with the help of technology.
FashionNetwork.com: What is the technology behind clothing production at CFCL?
Yusuke Takahashi: At CFCL, we use a computer-developed knitting machine that also works as a 3D printer to produce our clothes. More than 50% of our clothing is therefore made by this machine, which bears the name “Wholegarment” and was created by Shima Seiki. The process starts with a programmer at the factory, who creates data by looking at designs I’ve drawn and analyzing the instructions I’ve written on a tablet. That same programmer then enters that information into the machine, before placing the yarn inside of it. The machine knits only one garment at a time, feeding off the data it was given. Each design takes approximately one to two hours to be finalized through this machine. The result is a stretchy, transparent yarn, that provides optimal comfort.
FashionNetwork.com: How is this computer-driven process eco friendly?
Y.T: We mainly use recycled fibers from plastic bottles. Since we do not cut or sew the fabric during the production process, we minimize waste as there is little to no fabric scrap. 80% of our knitwear comes from recycled polyester yarns.
FashionNetwork.com: Why polyester and not some other eco-friendly materials?
Y.T: I developed most of my knowledge on recycled polyester after working at Issey Miyake, as the brand is famous for its technique whilst working with this fabric. Polyester is easily washable, is quick-drying, and resistant. It is very convenient in that sense.
FashionNetwork.com: Why the name “Clothes For Contemporary Life”?
Y.T: I think a lot of designers in the fashion industry make clothes that you never actually end up wearing. There are too many garments in the world. We should be making clothing that has conscious meaning. I want to design clothes that are beneficial for today’s society, and that are reflective of ecological values that we must stand by. The name of my brand is therefore a direct representation of the important notion of sustainability in today’s fashion industry.
FashionNetwork.com: You recently collaborated on a line of sunglasses with Japanese brand 999.9 (Four Nines). Could you tell us a little more about that?
Y.T: It’s important to always have new products accompany a clothing brand, such as shoes or jewelry, for instance. That’s part of the progression of the CFCL brand, to implement accessories. And in this case, to add sunglasses to our lineage. I wanted to do glasses because when I designed at Issey Miyake, I was also responsible for the eyewear. In Japan, the city of Sabae is very well-known for its eyewear craftsmanship, especially through the use of high-end titanium. Their titanium glasses are the best in the world. They’re stretchy and flexible, yet very strong. And that’s where 999.9 makes their glasses. So it just made sense to collaborate with them on the first line of CFCL sunglasses, that we’ve named “CFCL Eyewear”.
FashionNetwork.com: Do you have any other upcoming collaborations in the works?
Y.T: As of now, it’s difficult to generate samples of other pieces because our factories have limited capacity of creation, especially because of our unique threading methods, which require a lot of time. We’d rather focus, right now, on creating our own strong, new pieces before we add in any newcomers in the equation.
FashionNetwork.com: What inspires you?
Y.T: Art and design, mostly. Ever since I was a child, I’ve always admired design and marveled at interiors. I especially loved the Bauhaus movement, as well as modern designs that are also deemed to be practical. For clothing, it’s important to make universal clothing whilst still channeling one’s individual identity, so I try to seek inspiration through designs that combine both.
FashionNetwork.com: Currently, CFCL has four stores in Japan, and is present online on multi-brand retailers such as SSENSE. Do you plan on physically expanding internationally?
Y.T: Slowly but surely! We already sell in France at Bon Marché, but our biggest market as of now is South Korea, and we will be introducing at the end of April of this year a big pop-up at the Seoul branch of multi brand store 10 Corso Como. We are also working on building a physical store in Seoul in a couple of years.
FashionNetwork.com: Why did you decide to show for the first time in Paris?
Y.T: We’re planning on opening an office next year for CFCL in Paris. For me, Paris is the most important city when it comes to fashion. Paris Fashion Week is the biggest creative platform in the industry. That’s why I chose to show here, and that’s why it’s crucial for me to link with French press, for instance. Also, when I was at the helm of Issey Miyake Men, I was based in Paris and therefore “grew up” there as a designer. I’m very happy to have shown in Paris because of its heritage and history.
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