Select Shop by Students to Debut This Autumn

For this collaborative project, students from Vantan Design Institute are planning an original shop by selecting items from 16 companies and 20 brands, primarily stationery, interior goods, and apparel, available through the online select shop HIGHTIDE.

The student work chosen as the final top proposal will be developed into a shop with support from HIGHTIDE. This select shop will be featured within "VANTAN CUTTING EDGE 2015," Vantan Design Institute's debut collection event scheduled for mid-October, one of the largest of its kind for design schools in Japan.

Creating Opportunities for Aspiring Young Talent in Partnership with Private Companies

HIGHTIDE, based in Fukuoka, Kyushu, develops original stationery and general goods that emphasize functionality, design, and materials. In addition to product planning and distribution, they also manage retail operations and mail order. For this collaboration, the project is proceeding with support from "Alpha," a creative collective led by Takayuki Minami, who has successfully guided numerous select shops.

Vantan Design Institute views this project as "experiential design education." The initiative stems from a shared vision: HIGHTIDE and Alpha aim to provide an opportunity for young people, Vantan's students and their peers, to understand the dedication behind product creation by proposing lifestyles from a student's perspective. Vantan seeks to foster immediately employable talent by offering students practical, professional-level environments even while they are still enrolled.