YKK® is proud to announce the launch of its collaboration with Iuav University of Venice, a sign of an exciting fusion of innovation, sustainability, and creativity. As part of a partnership that lasted nearly a year, YKK® selected the university’s top students from Bachelor’s degree course in Fashion Design and Multimedia Arts and challenged them to create seven outfits that best represent YKK’s concept of circular fashion. This is a regenerative system in which garments are circulated until their maximum value is retained and then safely returned to the biosphere, breaking down the conventional linear model of “Take, Make, Waste.”
The student-designed garments were produced using fabrics destined for destruction, provided by partner companies, along with YKK® fastening accessories, including: EXCELLA® NATULON®, the brushed metal zipper with recycled polyester tape made from PET bottles and other post-consumer materials, VISLON® NATULON® made with ECONYL® Regenerated Nylon, made with ECONYL® regenerated nylon, FlexFix™ Finished with AcroPlating® Technology, snaps made with a new plating method that minimizes resources and eliminates harmful chemicals and FlexFix™ Flat made with Stainless Steel, the revolutionary press- stud system without plating designed for durability and to withstand industrial washing.
Each project tells a unique story and, thanks to meticulous 3D scanning, can be virtually explored on the YKK DIGITAL SHOWROOM® website, where interviews with students, their portfolios, and videos are also available, allowing visitors to discover the creations in a new and immersive way.
Eleven talented designers involved in the project, coordinated by Edoardo Brunello, lecturer in Fashion Design, with seven outfits are on display in the YKK DIGITAL SHOWROOM®:
Emma di Bagno & Pietro Rovetta
Federico Ongaro & Luca Benigni
Alice Manfredi
Francesco Dalla Villa & Alice Dal Molin
Anita Ferrara e Lorenzo Cau
Agnese De Fazio
Enrica Dragun
YKK®, which has always supported all forms of artistic expression and remains faithful to its role as a partner of creativity, once again finds itself accompanying and encouraging young designers on their educational and research journey.
Guided by the philosophy of “The Cycle of Goodness®” a principle conceived by founder Tadao Yoshida according to which no one prospers without benefiting others, YKK® aims to contribute to the creation of a sustainable society through its products and production activities. Constantly seeking new ways to meet the changing needs of its customers, YKK® invests in research and gives back to the communities in which it operates.
