Hello again!  Today we have the most fashionable MS blog post yet!  Today we’ll be talking school uniforms.  Let’s start off with a sneak peak of what our MS students will have the option to wear in the upcoming school year:

Stylish!  Though please note that this isn’t 100% set yet.  We want our students to feel comfortable in their clothes – warm in the winter and cool in the summer.  But should they wish to show up to school in style, this is how we hope to help them.

Aside from “it looks good,” why did we decide to go with this design?  What was the process involved in coming up with this?  To answer these questions and more, I talked with Igor, Uniform Quality Enforcer and part of the MS Team.

Josh:  How did you go about designing the look?

Igor:  When I was asked to come up with the uniform design for ISN Middle School, I was presented with the idea of giving the ISN Middle School students a more “official,” polished look, in line with the characteristic middle school uniforms in Japan and around the world.

J:  What were you thinking, or what were you “going for” with the design?

I:  The way I see the Middle School program is as an interesting blend of the traditional Japanese curriculum and a more “international” program taught in English and aligned with international curricula, so I started thinking of the combination of using common elements of Japanese Middle School uniforms (muted colors, long slacks and skirts, logo stitching), and acquiring clothing pieces made for actual secondary school students in the UK, ordered from the UK.

I also had a strong wish to make them recognizably ISN, which resulted in all of the proposed designs having the iconic ISN logo stitched onto the jacket, and the only colors used, other than blacks, whites and grays, being blue, green and orange/red – the ISN colors. 

J:  You said that the one we chose was also your personal favorite.  What about it made it your favorite?

I:  Out of all the designs I suggested, I think the one chosen in the end reflects [what I was going for] the best, as the dark blue jacket and sweater bring to mind the ISN Elementary’s iconic navy polo shirt, representing that even while donning a more serious style, the Middle School students are still a part of the ISN family. And that iconic polo is actually an optional part of the summer uniform, which I am very excited about.

J:  Any special significance to the choice of any specific part?

I:  The simple, striped necktie in matching colors and without overwhelmingly complicated patterns is there to add a touch of modernity to the outfit, and the students are left with their own choice of shoes and school bag, which gives them a chance to express their  individuality.

J:  Anything else you’d like to mention?

I:  I hope the parents enjoy the outfit as much as the team did when assembling it, and I hope the students wear it with pride.

I then followed up with Ms. Rie about the decision to go with uniforms.  She had this to say:

R:  Last year we heard quite a number of students who are interested in wearing uniforms for MS.  We also want to see how we can express ourselves with identity like this, through our school uniform.  Last year the students experimented designing their desired uniform by gathering different types of ideas.  We want to try something different and fun to wear, so we listened to the community members and are giving it a shot.

She also emphasized that feedback is always welcome.  What do the students, parents, and community members think about having uniforms, and the chosen design?  Feel free to let us know your thoughts, and I’ll be back with you next month!

–Josh