Next Gen Fashion Designer: Sayo Watanabe

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Name of your collection: Six Needs

What is the inspiration or concept behind it?

I started by wanting to use trash, which is essentially what people need to get rid of in life, as the basis of this endeavor. This developed a curiosity of what humans actually need along with what they need to get rid of.

Research showed that most people are not desperate to get rid of just tangible trash. Instead, my people expressed the need to rid themselves of emotional baggage – which the world is not addressing. After surveying my people about what they need and don’t need in life, it became clear that each of the answers directly correlated with content introduced in theories of human needs such as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Upon studying various human need theories, I resonated best with the 6 Human Needs introduced by Tony Robbins as it represented humans as a contradiction of themselves in organized and understandable words.

The Six Needs system works to fulfill the 6 Human Needs of 01. Certainty, 02. Uncertainty & Variety, 03. Significance, 04. Love & Connection, 05. Growth, and 06. Contribution by rescuing trash from landfills as materials to create products and garments as solutions. I adjusted my objective to reimagine solutions for emotional baggage and fulfill metaphysical human needs through repurposing trash as a cause.

The system will not use a good cause to create more waste as a byproduct as many of the existing brands do, but instead will rid people of their emotional baggage and fulfill metaphysical human needs with the byproduct of removing waste from landfills.

How is sustainability part of your ethos?
I initially learned about sustainability my first semester in college. But, I quickly realized that my frugal and resourceful lifestyle was a facet sustainability with limited waste.

This naturally translated into my practice as an artist. As I was limited in funding my projects, I learned to be resourceful with materials and began to create using waste. Instead of heading to the local art supply store, I would keep an eye out for materials found in the “trash”, leftover bins, and donation boxes to create my assigned projects. Recently, I collected food waste from local grocers and evolved bioplastic and bio-foam textiles out of these materials. I experimented with biodegradable products using the food waste that would otherwise decompose in a landfill and emit CO2. I currently create garments and products with waste to rid people of their emotional baggage and fulfill metaphysical human needs with the byproduct of removing waste from landfills.

My hopes are that my practices would spark an inspiration in others to live resourcefully – to create a community that embraces and finds joy in sustaining, reusing, and reclaiming instead of perceiving the lifestyle as lowly or cheap.

“Research showed that most people are not desperate to get rid of just tangible trash. Instead, my people expressed the need to rid themselves of emotional baggage …”

How do you see the current situation changing your expectations/path?
To build and engage communities, I was initially connecting individuals through in person events and workshops. This current reality calls for action to redesign the previously physical interactions to those of digitally emulated experiences. To continue to engage and build communities to fulfill each other’s human needs by creating with sustainably rescued materials, a digital transition became necessary.

Where do you hope to be in 3 years?
In 3 years, I will be debt free from college tuitions, have secured a stable passive income, and most importantly, will be building a platform to teach, learn, share, create and sell designs with like-minded sustainable creators.

Three things keeping you sane right now
Right now I attempt to stay sane by sticking with a decent sleep schedule, chatting with my people online, and continuing to create on a daily basis.

Find Sayo at @needstheory | @sigh_oh | needs theory website