On January 28, Japanese fashion brand CFCL announced the establishment of its own production facility, CFCL Knitting Factory, located in Sōka City, Saitama Prefecture.
Founded in 2020 by designer Yusuke Takahashi, CFCL takes its name from the phrase “Clothing for Contemporary Life.” The brand has consistently pursued a vision that seeks to reconcile everyday functionality with creative practice grounded in social responsibility.
Brand Background and Technical Philosophy
After graduating from Bunka Fashion Graduate University, Takahashi spent approximately a decade at ISSEY MIYAKE, and in 2013 served as a designer for ISSEY MIYAKE MEN. Drawing on this experience, he launched CFCL as a platform to explore a distinctive approach to fashion centered on 3D computer-programmed knitting.
For CFCL, knitwear is not merely a material choice. The production technology itself—based on three-dimensional programming—functions as a critical link between craftsmanship, technology, and the functional demands of contemporary life. By creating garments three-dimensionally with minimal processes, this approach reduces unnecessary waste and aligns directly with the brand’s philosophy of clothing as a practical tool for everyday living.
“CFCL Knitting Factory”: Integrating Production In-House
The newly established CFCL Knitting Factory is designed as a laboratory-style facility that integrates research, development, planning, and production under one roof. Upon completion, the facility will house 47 knitting machines within a space of approximately 960 square meters (around 290 tsubo), including 43 WHOLEGARMENT® machines.
Rather than separating design from manufacturing, the factory serves as the physical infrastructure that enables ideas to move seamlessly from conception to mass production. It represents a deliberate decision by the brand to take direct responsibility for the “place” where creativity is realized.
Rethinking Responsibility Within the Industry
While Japan’s knit industry has long supported global fashion with its high level of technical expertise, it now faces structural challenges, including limited production capacity, labor shortages, and difficulties in skill succession. These issues are compounded by an industry model in which the burden of large-scale capital investment has traditionally been placed on factories, leading to an entrenched divide between creation and production.
CFCL questions this very premise. By assuming responsibility for production, capital investment, and operational management, the brand seeks to construct a new model in which designers and makers function as a unified entity. Importantly, this initiative is not intended to replace existing partner factories, but rather to serve as a complementary hub—one in which technology, expertise, and human resources can circulate and reinforce collaborative relationships.
The establishment of CFCL Knitting Factory marks the moment when the brand’s long-held philosophy and business strategy have crystallized into a tangible production base. As a practical case study, CFCL’s approach offers one possible direction for addressing the structural challenges facing Japan’s fashion industry, while quietly pointing toward a more sustainable future for contemporary manufacturing.
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