F
ast Retailing Co., Ltd. has established a Denim Innovation Center in Los Angeles, California (U.S.).
The group’s first facility to focus on the research and development of denim fabrics, the center aims to bring together specialists in jeans development from premium denim brand J Brand and other Fast Retailing group companies to develop jeans utilizing innovative technologies and materials, based on the established tradition of jeans. The first project for the center will be research on jeans for UNIQLO and J Brand. Products for both brands developed at the center will be available from the fall/winter 2017 season.
By establishing the center in Los Angeles, the global hub for information on denim, Fast Retailing will be able to quickly incorporate the essence of current trends in its designs. Focusing on the “3Fs” (Fabric, Fit, and Finish), the key elements in making jeans, the center will develop fabrics with world’s leading fabric makers, as well as conducting R&D on the latest production technologies, to make jeans that look exceptional and are comfortable to wear.
With the center, Fast Retailing is now able to manage the entire process in-house. Using the latest equipment, the center can quickly create and evaluate sample products, considerably enhancing the speed and quality of product development.
The center can also be used by contracted producers as a research center, which will increase the integrity of the finished product during actual production. In addition, the facility will focus on environment-friendly processing and production methods, conducting R&D on chemicals and techniques used for the fading and distressing of jeans.