Bringing Inclusive Design Processes to the World: SOLIT Co-Authors Chapter in International Academic Handbook

An International Academic Handbook Featuring a Chapter Co-Authored by SOLIT Members

We are pleased to share that a chapter co-authored by members of PROJECT SOLIT has been published in the『De Gruyter Handbook of Fashion Marketing』, an international academic handbook bringing together contemporary research and practice in the field of fashion marketing. Published in 2026 by De Gruyter, a leading academic publisher based in Germany, the handbook explores a wide range of topics shaping the future of fashion marketing.

OLIT contributed a chapter titled: “Harmonized Design: Redesigning the Process Itself for Inclusive Collaboration” which appears in Section 2: Fashion Marketing in a Diverse World.

The chapter was co-authored by Misaki Tanaka, Natsumi Wada, Itsuo Mihara, Rina Yanome, and Kazuki Mori.

While the first four authors are members of PROJECT SOLIT, Kazuki Mori has long supported SOLIT’s work and is currently a Lecturer in the Department of Community Design at Tohoku University of Art and Design.

Designing Systems Where Diverse People Can Make Decisions Together

The chapter explores issues of privilege and structural barriers that arise when working with people from diverse backgrounds, including disability, refugee experiences, religion and spirituality, sexuality, age, and different career paths. Rather than simply inviting diverse individuals to participate, the chapter argues that inclusion requires designing processes from the outset with plurality and intersectionality in mind. It proposes creating structures in which responsibility and decision-making are shared throughout the entire project.

At SOLIT, we believe that

inclusive design is not about inviting diverse people into an existing process.
It is about designing systems in which diverse people can participate
in making decisions together.

The chapter examines this idea through the case study of Diverse Runway by PROJECT SOLIT, a year-long collaborative initiative that explored how people with different lived experiences can co-create fashion and cultural experiences.

From Case Study to Co-Authorship

The editor of the handbook, Professor Olga Mitterfellner, is a fashion marketing scholar at the University of Westminster in London. In 2024, SOLIT was featured as a case study in Professor Mitterfellner’s book Fashion Marketing and Communications: Theory and Practice Across the Fashion Industry.

Read more about Professor Mitterfellner's previous book here.

Since 2025, SOLIT has also collaborated with the University of Westminster as an industry partner, contributing to postgraduate education and student projects. Through these ongoing exchanges, Professor Mitterfellner became interested in the insights generated through Diverse Runway while seeking contributors for a section on diversity and inclusion. This ultimately led to the opportunity to co-author a chapter for the handbook.

Participating in the Book Launch Event in London

To celebrate the publication of the handbook, several book launch events were held in London.

On 4 June, a public talk featuring several of the handbook’s contributors took place at the Royal Society of Arts (RSA). The event brought together academics, industry professionals, students, and members of the public. Following the discussion, attendees had the opportunity to network and exchange ideas on the themes explored throughout the handbook.

A second official book launch event was held on 19 June at the University of Westminster, bringing together researchers, industry practitioners, and contributors to the handbook. The event featured a panel discussion exploring the future of fashion marketing and how the industry can become more inclusive, ethical, and accessible. Representing SOLIT, Natsumi Wada joined the panel discussion and shared insights from the chapter, including the concept of “Harmonized Design” and key learnings from the Diverse Runway project.