YKK Corporation has developed a concept version of its premium EXCELLA® zipper series made from nonwoven fabric sheets created by fiberizing used clothing and other textile materials.
Based on a proposal by fashion designer Yuima Nakazato, this item was created as a result of collaboration between Nakazato, Seiko Epson Corporation (Headquarters: Suwa City, Nagano; President: Junkichi Yoshida; hereafter, “Epson”), and YKK. The concept zipper was incorporated as a material component for pieces in the newest YUIMA NAKAZATO Couture Collection, “INFERNO,” which was unveiled in Paris, France on July 8, 2026.
This development project took sheets of non-woven fabric, which had been regenerated using Epson’s Dry Fiber Technology (DFT)1, and used them as zipper tape for the first time. Since conventional methods were difficult to apply, the team conducted extensive studies to ensure the quality of element attachment. The concept item was brought to life after a series of further studies, including selecting a slider with a structure suited to the rigidity of the non-woven tape and improving the zipper’s ease of use.
YKK will leverage the insights gained from this development to further enhance the value of EXCELLA® zippers to meet the diverse needs of customers in the luxury sector.
- 1Dry Fiber Technology (DFT) is Epson’s proprietary technology for converting diverse materials into fibers and enhancing their performance.