Uniform Design for the Nisseki Serviceman : Kuwasawa Yoko's Activities as Designer

Abstract

Before the Second World War, Kuwasawa Yoko was educated at "Shin-kenchiku-Kougei-Gakuin" in mehods of designing and later became a reporter and editor. After the war, Kuwasawa devoted herself to the design of work cluthes and was evaluated highly as a disign the "Nisseki serviceman uniform" in 1969. Comparing the uniforms designed in 1969 and those designed in 1973 reveals that fashion in Japan has changed significantly. In design history, the value of the "Nisseki serviceman uniform" is recognized for the following five reasons: 1)the uniform was designed to reflect the corporate identity, 2)the industrial design method based on a design survey was used, 3)overalls were used as a prototype in preparing the uniform for service engineers, 4)the "coordinate method" of design was used, and 5)the uniform of denim and striped overalls became representative of the Japanese work uniform.