I feel it is urgently necessary to train people who are capable of tackling the various problems we face today in regards to environmental turmoil and the relevancy of clothing.

Most of us feel some kind of uncertainty, with the population increasing and resources decreasing. We have to face these issues.

Design is a vital component to the enrichment of our everyday lives. Japan has a very rich history and culture of design, and I feel it is a very important dialogue to open and keep evolving.

All of my work stems from the simplest of ideas that go back to the earliest civilizations: making clothing from one piece of cloth. It is my touchstone.

My touchstone started out being - and is still - exploring the ways by which to make clothing from a single piece of cloth.

In the past, art was admired and revered from afar. Today, there is more of an interactive relationship between the art and the person who admires it.