Lasting comfort.
This is the starting point, and the benchmark, of a field the world has yet to experience.
All our strengths in a single garment.
3DeFX+Ⓡ development began around 2010. For several years prior to that, down jackets had been regaining popularity. At the same time, the price of down was skyrocketing, and the idea of animal-free products that avoid using animal-derived materials altogether was gaining traction worldwide. Against this backdrop, we set out to insulation as an alternative to down.
However, there was already insulation on the market that sought to replicate the thermal insulation properties of down. If we merely followed in the footsteps of others, we would not be able to differentiate ourselves. So we decided on a strategy of developing and branding garments that integrate our core strengths in fabric, insulation, and sewing technology—in other words, focusing on the clothing itself.
Heat retention and breathability for active use.
If you take thermal performance as a standard feature of down jackets, what we've added to this is the ability to move freely and actively. Your clothing moves with you, even during intense movement. Yet it still maintains a clean and flattering silhouette, with the insulation staying firmly in place. We also rejected the idea that thermal insulation only needs to provide warmth. We aimed for it to function as a regulator by allowing excess heat to escape through high breathability, maintaining a comfortable temperature.
Through repeated prototyping and fine-tuning, we brought our uncompromising vision to life with 3DeFX+Ⓡ. It was welcomed with great fanfare. "It's a truly exciting product." We received this glowing praise in an email from a well‑known American outdoor brand. Furthermore, another well‑known brand went against its long‑held convention of sourcing only raw materials and producing finished products in‑house, choosing instead to adopt 3DeFX+Ⓡ as a finished garment because of its exceptional innovativeness. This was an unprecedented contract for the Toray Group.
Creating the right quality across the entire supply chain.
As our reputation grew, we received no shortage of inquiries asking us to sell just the insulation alone. However, we had to outright decline. This is because the superior performance of 3DeFX+Ⓡ is only fully realized when the fabric, insulation, and construction are all integrated at a high level within a single garment. Since the release of 3DeFX+Ⓡ, the term "active insulation"—referring to garments that balance heat retention and breathability—has emerged in the outdoor industry and has become an established category. A succession of products similar products to ours has now entered the market. Nevertheless, we are confident in saying that 3DeFX+Ⓡ is the gold standard, thanks to our uncompromising commitment to developing it as a complete garment.
In addition, 3DeFX+Ⓡ even prompted a complete overhaul of the supply chain in pursuit of higher quality. When 3DeFX+Ⓡ was first released, each of Toray's overseas sites around the world placed orders independently and managed their own production. However, this risked causing inconsistencies in quality. To address this, we limited the number of production sites and established a system for centralized management. This change not only allowed us to maintain high quality, but also yielded a number of additional benefits, including reduced production waste and lower CO2 emissions through more streamlined logistics. This system has since been extended to products beyond 3DeFX+Ⓡ, contributing to systematic quality improvements across Toray's product lineup.
As times change, evolution never stops.
3DeFX+Ⓡ, too, has evolved with the times. Our pursuit of sustainability is an example of this. For instance, we incorporate recycled polyester fibers into our insulation. In terms of production, the sewing factory we built in 2022 has earned LEED certification.* With this factory as our flagship, we hope to see environmental initiatives expand across our entire supply chain.
LEED certification: A certification of a building’s environmental performance, issued by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Beyond this, we believe that sustainability also lies in designing clothing that can be loved and worn for many years. However, placing too much emphasis on solely using recycled fibers may compromise performance and potentially shorten a product's lifespan. We are also turning our focus to developing products that use a higher proportion of recycled fibers while maintaining performance. With this balance, we will aim to realize a form of sustainability that is unique to 3DeFX+Ⓡ. Going forward, we will continue to innovate with 3DeFX+Ⓡ as both the originator of the category and a pioneer at its cutting edge.
