I Became a Clothing Designer in Another World - Chapter 134

"Hah."

While looking at the half-full moon visible through the window, I lightly shook the glass containing the light brown liquid and ice, and said with a smirk.

"It's awful..."

I was subtly tempted by my father's advice that a light drink could help organize my thoughts, so I received a glass of whiskey that he enjoys, but it tasted terrible.

The aroma wasn't bad, but it was fiery, bitter, and spicy.

My tongue and throat were burning, and the alcohol scent suddenly rose...

It might have been a misjudgment since it was my first time, so I bravely took another sip, but the result was the same.

Taste and smell are different for everyone, so it might just not be to my taste.

And I especially dislike alcohol.

But as he poured it into the glass, my father said things like it was aged for 60 years at a brewery in Hwangdo, that only thirty bottles exist in the empire and he had difficulty obtaining it, that he wouldn't give it even to His Imperial Majesty, but he was taking it out especially for me, so I felt so sorry that this pathetic son was giving it such a poor review.

"Haa..."

I sighed and pushed the glass aside, not even a third empty.

Thankfully, it was incredibly strong, so I only managed about two sips, but I already felt a slight buzz.

If it tasted bad and didn't even give me a buzz, it would have been awkward for both me and my father in many ways.

"......"

Having put aside the glass, I sank deep into the chair and gently closed my eyes.

The chirping insects had almost disappeared due to the cold, making it eerily quiet.

In an environment perfect for falling into reverie, I first posed a question to myself.

A very fundamental, universal, and comprehensive question.

Why.

Why did I start this whole thing?

Why did I try to make clothes and build recognition?

On a small scale, it was because I disliked hourglass-shaped corsets, and on a slightly larger scale, it was because I wanted people to wear a wider variety of clothes.

I want to see some people covering themselves up tightly, embarrassed to reveal their skin, while others confidently showing off their beauty with their arms and legs exposed.

I want to see calm and simple maid outfits, but also maid outfits with shortened skirts and excessive frills, emphasizing sexiness.

I want to see women elegantly strolling through banquet halls in dresses, but also women dressed smartly in suits, exuding a sophisticated and intellectual charm.

A girl with a slightly rebellious vibe, wearing a tank top with an oversized jacket draped precariously over her arms.

A lighthearted atmosphere with short shorts that cover half of the thighs and black stockings.

A gentleman with a Deerstalker hat and an Inverness coat with a cape but no sleeves, smoking a pipe.

I want to see a girl with a red nose, wearing an Ushanka and buried in a scarf.

So, is what I'm doing now helping to move towards that future?

I can't say it's not helping.

Because it's true that I'm putting out clothes that feel different from the existing ones.

But I think it's a bit different to ask if it's the most optimal, the best, and the most ideal.

Because even though I said I wanted people to wear a wider variety of clothes, I'm still clinging to our own style.

It's like a guy who wants to make a solid profit using knowledge that only he knows.

Making clothes diverse is not just about increasing the number of types.

Even with just stockings, preferences vary depending on the color, how much they cover, the thickness, the material or texture, whether there are patterns or not, and so on.

Diversity is satisfied when each person implements the stockings they want.

What about panties?

Many people prefer panties with a mature charm, featuring see-through fabrics with elegant embroidery or patterns.

But similarly, there are many people who simply prefer plain white cotton or blue striped cotton panties.

Just as there are people who love splendor and maturity, there are also people who love innocence and freshness.

I believe that humans don't bother to change unless they feel lacking or dissatisfied.

That's why the backlash against the oppression brought about by corsets led to the popularity of clothes with loose and neutral silhouettes.

The shortage of supplies caused by the war became the starting point for allowing women to wear pants.

The backlash against the simple and rough clothes that were inevitably worn during the war led to the popularity of clothes that reinterpreted the glamorous dresses of the 19th century after the war.

It goes without saying that countless geniuses rampaged and showed off their aesthetic sense in the process.

The important thing is that the activities of countless geniuses were needed to fill human deficiencies.

So, can I alone satisfy these deficiencies?

Can I alone implement ways to enhance the physiques that many people imagine?

No.

The moment my subjectivity strongly influences things, a variety of clothes cannot be seen.

Only when there are clothes that I dislike can I desire the clothes that I like more intensely, and see them as more beautiful.

So, I can't satisfy diversity by clinging to it alone.

But I wanted diversity, yet I was insisting on monopoly.

There couldn't be a greater contradiction.

I can't do it alone.

For diversity, more people's actions, thoughts, and desires are needed.

So, how do I evoke that?

How do I gather other people's thoughts?

I know the method well.

But I can't readily make up my mind.

I'm also human, so even though I live a prosperous life, I can't stop the greed from rising.

More money, more fame, more recognition.

While rejecting troublesome things, I was secretly hoping for such things.

"......"

I picked up the glass of alcohol that I had pushed aside.

Even though the ice had slightly melted and it had become diluted, the aroma still pleasantly stimulated my sense of smell.

Without hesitation, I poured it into my mouth.

The cold but hot, contradictory sensation stimulates the mucous membranes and flows down the throat into the stomach.

"... Keuh-"

Along with a groan bursting out from the pain and bitterness, a breath full of whiskey scent spread outward from the chest.

But the stimulation was like a cool hole being drilled into my complex and stuffy head, resolving the tangled worries.

Fame and financial abundance are all important to nobles.

But.

Are they important to me?

Fame?

Even if I don't struggle, His Imperial Majesty will fill it in for me.

Money?

The money earned with an atelier is nothing compared to the wealth I will have in the future.

If I work myself to death until I die, I might earn 10%.

It wasn't really necessary even at the atelier level.

Now, more and more customers are coming to see 'the atelier' rather than 'me', and the reputation of those customers is also increasing.

No.

Just one word is enough.

We dressed the Imperial Princess of the Empire in a dress made by our atelier.

What more explanation is needed here?

So, the time has come for me to appeal in a different way.

The余裕 (yoyu - composure, leeway) of someone who has become a leader, not a follower.

The graceful attitude of a strong person, not the struggles of a weak person.

The confident demeanor of a unique being with nothing to fear or feel inferior about.

_

Having organized my mind and thoughts, I wanted to immediately implement a way to reduce our burden while realizing my ideals.

But I couldn't ignore the opinions of the employees who were running in the same direction together, so I took a step back for now.

"I have something I want to ask everyone, so please gather in the center."

So, as soon as I arrived at work, I called the employees together in one place.

Such gatherings were common, so the employees gathered in the center with light hearts, but as soon as they saw me sitting with a serious expression and scanning the employees, they cautiously looked around and sat down at the table one by one with nervous expressions.

"So... what's the matter this time?"

As always, Duke Herbert cautiously opened the conversation.

I glanced at Duke Herbert, tapped the table with my fingers, and opened my mouth.

"As you all must be feeling, we've been living too busy lately, haven't we?"

"That's right."

"Having a lot of work is a good thing, but it's not good to continue taking on such an excessive amount of work for too long."

"Well... it means we're getting a lot of attention, so isn't it good even if it's hard?"

"That's right, it's better than having flies buzzing around."

"But we can't accept all the customers who come to us like this forever, and people's physical and mental strength have limits, so we can't just stand still."

"But, there's no real way, is there? It's not easy to be selective about customers..."

"That's also true."

"...?"

The employees' expressions slightly hardened as they saw me expressing negative opinions while agreeing with everything they said.

Still, perhaps because I had built up a lot of trust with the employees so far, despite my annoying behavior, the employees only looked at me with a feeling of 'What does that guy want to do?', and calmly waited for my words.

"I thought so too until yesterday, but after hearing various stories, I realized I was thinking wrong, so I gathered everyone because I wanted to know if my realization was correct."

I slightly turned my head and looked at Fani, who was sitting demurely next to Elizabeth.

"Fani."

"Yes?"

"Why did you come to our atelier?"

"As I said before, I came because I wanted to improve clothing that excessively oppresses the body."

"Herbert, what about you?"

"I empathized with Duke Howard's thoughts and came to realize them together."

"Adelheid, what about you?"

"I came because I thought you would make a lot of interesting clothes."

"Katerina?"

"I'm similar to Adelheid."

"Marie?"

"I came because the job looked good!"

"Walter and Elin?"

"Mo, money..."

Except for a few who had realistic reasons, everyone came to the atelier in search of ideal dreams.

And although the nuances were slightly different, it was because they wanted to change the current clothes and spread new clothes.

That's why we were able to come together, why I was able to choose them, and why we weren't able to disperse even amidst the various unsettling events that were happening.

"Do you think our atelier is a place where you can achieve what you wanted?"

"That's..."

The employees, who were about to say something, uttered a single word close to a sob and then froze.

Probably because everyone had been feeling it vaguely.

That our steps were subtle.

"It's hard to say for sure, isn't it?"

"Yes..."

We are definitely causing change.

But it wasn't dramatic.

Even with His Imperial Majesty backing us.

Even with the Imperial Princess being directly affiliated here.

Even with excellent skills and unique designs, the change is slow.

We succeeded in eliminating corsets and creating alternatives to corsets, but it was more sluggish than expected to completely push out the position of corsets.

That's because we are a minority.

Let's take Princess Fani's goal as an example.

Even if we work ourselves to death for a whole month, the girdles don't go to more than thirty people.

But if you combine all the noble women and wealthy women in the empire, it's almost tens of thousands.

To eliminate all corsets, we would have to work at a similar pace for more than ten years.

Of course, other ateliers may eventually make alternatives such as girdles and bras, but that doesn't mean that the princess's goal has been completed.

Girdles are still clothes with side effects, although they are less so than corsets.

Even if we succeed with girdles, we need the next step.

But in what time?

In what time will we proceed with that?

Even if we increase the number of people and expand the household, it doesn't change that it will take decades.

"Recently, I've been thinking about what we want and how to realize it, and after much deliberation, I've come to one answer."

"What is that answer...?"

"Our goal is not to become the best atelier, nor is it to gain tremendous money and fame. What we want is to lead fashion and bring about changes in clothing, so it means that our role is sufficient even if we only present the direction."

"Isn't fame and recognition important for that?"

"The time to cling to that has passed. We have the Imperial Princess and the protection of His Imperial Majesty, so why bother caring about fame and recognition? The whole empire knows what we're doing."

"Then what is the method that Duke Howard has thought of?"

"Equal access opportunity for everyone."

"Yes?"

I narrowed my eyes and smiled.

"I'm thinking of disclosing all the production methods and patterns of the clothes that our atelier has designed so far, and will design in the future, to the public without hiding anything."

"... Yes?"

"Allowing modifications and redistribution as well."

"Hah...?"