Emma Rie's Dress Sculpture Exhibition THE DRESS - A sculpture that comes to life, in pursuit of ultimate artistic beauty

Designer Emma Rie
Graduated from Musashino Art University Junior College and studied fine arts in the art department from high school. The brand name is Emalee.
Focusing on the relationship between nature and humans, and between clothing and humans, he continues to explore the essence of clothing that is not mass-produced, and presents clothing and designs in collaboration with domestic and international researchers in science and mathematics.
From 05 to 07, he was the Space Wear Development Unit Leader (JAXA Aerospace Exploration Agency). He is a former professor at Tokyo Zokei University. He has collaborated with researchers in neuroscience, mathematical engineering, chronobiology, etc., and participated in international conferences such as the Sleep Society, the Society of Graphics, and Data Science. In 2019, he pioneered the design of a dress in collaboration with the AI ​​of the RIKEN AIP and the University of Tokyo IRCN. His work has been featured in the British scientific journal Nature, the American mathematics journal Math-Horizons, the American newspaper The New York Times, and the British newspaper The Guardian.

Designer Emma Rie, who began creating clothing as sculptures woven from the female body and fabric, and has presented collections of clothing and sculptures in collaboration with scientists and mathematicians both in Japan and abroad, continues to explore thought and sensation. A media preview of her first exhibition, "Emma Rie's Dress Sculpture Exhibition: THE DRESS - Sculptures with Life, In Search of Ultimate Sculptural Beauty," was held at Spiral Garden (5-6-23 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo) on June 11, 2025. The exhibition featured an AI dress created in collaboration with the RIKEN Institute, a fractal dress created in collaboration with visual recognition researchers, a beautiful logarithmic spiral dress, and wedding dresses worn in the TV drama "Yamato Nadeshiko" and the film "Boys Over Flowers: The Final." We asked Emma Rie for a message for university students.

I consistently pursue aesthetic beauty and feminine beauty. When a woman wears a dress, it becomes a part of her body. That's why understanding the complex aspects of the female body is essential to my work. I relentlessly pursue aesthetic beauty, while being conscious of connections with the natural world, neuroscience, and mathematics, as I create dresses that allow each and every woman to shine. It is a great pleasure to see women wearing the dresses I've made and looking at themselves in the mirror, and it is what makes my job worthwhile and rewarding.
I think that people who have clear goals should live the way they want, but for those who are still unsure or searching, I encourage them to try out a variety of things and absorb as much as they can. Life is trial and error, and you will likely fail many times, but there are many wonderful things packed into those failures, so I encourage you to keep challenging yourself. If your brain thinks you can do something, it will find a way to do it, so it's important to think "you can do it" first, rather than making excuses.

Student Newspaper Online June 11, 2025 Komazawa University 2nd year student Kosuke Maeda

Kosuke Maeda, second-year student at Komazawa University / Fuuka Ota, fourth-year student at Toyo University