A joint project by Onward Corporate Design Co., Ltd. and Work Studio Co., Ltd. has transformed used uniforms from Toyoko Inn Co., Ltd. into upcycled original watches. This initiative, under the philosophy of “creating hotels with the future of the planet in mind,” aims for sustainable development by repurposing uniforms that would otherwise be discarded.
In December 2022, the uniforms of the front staff were renewed, leading to the repurposing of the old uniforms as material. These uniforms were finely ground and converted into cotton-like material, and then transformed into a fiber-recycled board known as “PANECO,” which is used as the watch face. This board is a mix of black fabric from pants and culottes and pink and yellow fabric from women’s jackets, giving each watch a unique color and pattern.
These watches will be placed in the lobbies, front desks, breakfast venues, and lounges of Toyoko Inns across the country. Ms. Yoshimi Matsuoka, an executive of Toyoko Inn, hopes this project will use discarded uniforms to share sustainable ideas with hotel guests. Meanwhile, Mr. Taiki Honda of Onward Corporate Design hopes that these upcycled watches, with their story and design, will become a new symbol in the lobbies and breakfast venues.
