A hot topic on social networking sites. We went undercover to interview a mysterious group called the "Tech Promotion Committee!
In recent years, the relationship between sports and fashion has become more and more intense. Nike Sportswear's "Tech Fleece" plays a major role as a bridge between the two. A group of people who truly love this techno-logic yet stylish item, and who seek to communicate with other enthusiasts through social networking sites such as Instagram, are known as the "Tech Promotion Committee. This is the "Tech Promotion Committee. HOUYHNHNM succeeded in contacting some of its key members. In addition to talking to them, we also infiltrated an offline meeting to get a closer look at the true identity of the "Tech Promotion Committee. Here is a report on the actual situation!
You two are key members of the Tech Promotion Committee.
Taka:I have the title of "Tech Promotion Vice-Chairman" , and I prepare for the offline meetings.
Ai:I am the "Tech Girl Director" and work with Mr. Taka to prepare and promote the "Tech Fleece" to girls.
What do you two usually do?
Taka:. I work for a company and Ai works in a restaurant. By "tech promotion committee," you mean the kind of activities we do as an extension of our hobbies.
What kind of activities does the "Tech Promotion Committee" do?
Taka:To speak briefly, we are showing each other how to coordinate using Nike Sportswear's "Tech Fleece" through social networking sites such as Instagram. The posts are uploaded with the hashtag "# Tech Promotion Committee," so you can easily find them if you search for them on the app.
Ai:If you upload your coordinates with that hashtag, you are already a member (laughs). Strictly speaking, rather than a "group," it might be more aptly described as a "gathering of tech enthusiasts.
. Currently, if you search for "# Tech Promotion Committee" on Instagram, you will find over 8,000 posts. . That's a huge number.
Ai:There was a guy called "Sneaker Idiot," who originated it. Then it caught fire nationwide, and people started uploading their photos.
What kind of person is Mr. Sneaker Idiot?
Taka:You are the one who blogs about sneaker and street brand releases. He is no longer on Instagram, but when he was, he had more than 28,000 followers, and he was very popular. He was posting coordinated "tech fleece" photos with the hashtag "tech fleece," and when me and Ai's followers found it, things just kept getting more and more exciting.
. You are an influential person, aren't you?
Taka:. before they like "tech fleece," they all like sneakers. In addition to the "Tech Promotion Committee," there are many other groups, and a kind of community has been formed around sneakers. Among them, sneakerheads are the ones who stand out from the crowd.
Ai:Because he has a large number of followers, he receives a huge number of comments, and yet he is very attentive to each and every one of them. He is very influential, but he is also very accessible.
You two each have a title because you were appointed by Mr. Sneaker Idiot, right?
Ai:Yes, that's right. When Sneaker Idiot was on Instagram, they chose 9 fashionable outfits to repost, and we were chosen among them.
Taka:Originally, we were only connected through SNS, but we actually met at an event called "AIR MAX CON" held in Harajuku in March of this year. We all hit it off there, and we decided to get the tech scene going.
The charm of "tech fleece" makes you want to collect different colors, just like sneakers.
What do you think is attractive about Techfleece?
Taka:As I mentioned earlier, we all like sneakers. The "tech fleece" simply goes great with sneakers. . It's sporty and well-designed, so it can be used for street wear as well. That's all there is to it.
Ai:They are easy to match with denim and other items, and I think the appeal is that they can easily incorporate a sports taste into fashion.
How many "tech fleece" items do you own?
Taka:Like the parka I'm wearing now, it's about 25 pairs of pants and tops.
Ai:I have about 10 pairs of pants and 5 tops .
I guess you have a lot of them.
Taka:Just like sneakers, I want to collect them in different colors (laughs). (Laughs.) I also have a sense of responsibility as vice-chairman.
Of all the items you own, do you own a lot of pants?
Taka:I have a lot of pants. I think the members are the same way. However, the tops are also very well designed and cool, so I am trying to cover them so that there is no bias.
Ai:I think that many girls are reluctant to wear pants, so I personally would like to recommend tops. They are stylish and comfortable to wear.
I want someone to meet someone and create something new.
You are holding an "Off-line meeting of the Tech Promotion Committee." Do you often hold off-line meetings?
Taka:This is the first time that the "Tech Promotion Committee" has hosted an off-line meeting. We have been invited as guests to an off-line meeting of the "Kanto Sneakers Union" before, but this is the first time that the "Tech Promotion Committee" has hosted an off-line meeting.
By the way, what do you do offline?
Ai:We talk about sneakers, "tech fleece," and other things that have nothing to do with these two things (laughs). (Laughs.) Until now, we have only talked with each other on social networking sites, but by holding off-line meetings, it is like actually meeting the person and talking with him or her.
Taka:Simply put, it's like a drinking party for sneaker and tech lovers (laughs). (Laughs). It's like a rally to get the scene going! (laughs). I hope that people will connect with each other in this way and come up with new interesting plans. Incidentally, since this is the first off-line meeting organized by the "Tech Promotion Committee," there will be special contents that have never been included in previous off-line meetings.
What do you mean by special content?
Taka:We made original goods and handed them out to participants, and since we gather mainly through Instagram, we held a voting session for the photos posted there. We also have a stylist who will be giving instructions on how to coordinate the event.
It's gorgeous to have a stylist on the show. . Finally, please tell us what kind of activities the "Tech Promotion Committee" is planning to do in the future.
Ai:I would be happy to have off-line meetings in the future all over the country.
Taka:. We also have a Kansai Chapter Chairperson and a Hokkaido Chapter Chairperson. So, with their help, it is our future goal to hold off-line meetings throughout Japan. In this way, we intend to spread the "tech fleece" even more deeply and extensively.
Stylist Takanori Akiyama also made an appearance! Report on the "Tech Promotion Committee Off-Site Meeting."
Following the interview with Taka and Ai, we went inside the "Tech Promotion Committee Off-line Meeting" held the other day at a certain place in Shibuya! The dress code was "wear tech fleece," and the participants, clad in their favorite items, gathered one after another, chatting with drinks in hand until the event started. Participants were presented with towels specially created for the event and a remote control that can be connected to a smart phone via Bluetooth to remotely press the shutter of the camera function.
The moderators for this event were Taka and Ai. When it was time for the event to begin, they gave a laconic talk with microphones in hand and led a toast.
Nice tech! After the toast, it was time to chat. I like your tech!" and "Your sneakers look good on you. and "Your sneakers look good on you," while people were exchanging Instagram IDs with their smartphones in hand. Even though the event was held in Shibuya, there were people who came from as far away as Kyoto and Nagoya.
After spending some time enjoying conversation, Takanori Akiyama, a talented stylist who works mainly for fashion magazines, began the coordination class!
. "I think the appeal of 'tech fleece' is that it can be used both off and on. The silhouette is beautiful, and unlike simple sweatshirt wear, it is well designed. It is a very fashionable item. I have a sweatshirt, a parka, and about three pairs of pants.
Mr. Akiyama told us that he himself is a "tech fleece" user. What kind of coordination is necessary for a successful outfit? To this question, he gave the following answer.
. Personally, I think it's good to match it with a beautiful item. For example, if you wear "tech fleece" as a top, you could wear slacks with pants. . . On the other hand, if you are wearing sweat pants, you might want to wear a collarless shirt. The trick is to keep in mind not to be too casual. As I am doing today, one technique is to use a combination of colors. However, it would be boring to wear only monotone, so I think it's also a good idea to use "tech fleece" in a conspicuous color once in a while.
After Mr. Akiyama's instruction on coordination was over, a "Tech Photo Contest" was held. Taka and Ai selected their favorites from among the coordinated photos uploaded on Instagram with the tag "# Tech Promotion Committee" .
The three winners were the winners of the awards. The two winners of the Excellence Award also received a pleasant surprise: they were able to pick out one of their favorite new items from the "Tech Fleece" collection to give away as a gift.
It's a basic shape, but I didn't expect to have one like this (laughs). I chose a slightly larger size. It looks easy to match with anything, so I want to wear it a lot.
I chose this parka because of the cool diagonal zipper . I want to use it according to my mood," said Satokichi.
Next, a "Nice Tech Contest" was held to vote for the best wearers of the "Tech Fleece" among the participants of this year's event. The three winners chosen by the enthusiasts will receive a coupon for the "Tech Fleece Aerofloft Bomber," which will be released around mid-October. So, take a look at the contest winners' fashions.
. and in no time at all, the event came to an end. After a commemorative photo was taken with all the participants, the "Tech Promotion Committee Off-line Meeting" came to a successful conclusion. Let's close with a comment from Mr. Akiyama, the stylist.
I was surprised to see the "tech fleece" grouping that has been created based on sneakers and beyond that," he said. Everyone here is passionate about what they do, and I hope we can continue to work together to make fashion more exciting in the future.
