Hand-drawn works will always reflect a person's individuality. If the work contains a private message, then even more so. Now imagine a piece of clothing that exists solely for you, the only one in the world.
During the 1930's-40's in America, it was common for someone who graduated college, switched jobs, or was discharged from the military to be presented with a hand-drawn, customized shirt or jacket full of personalized messages as a parting gift from his or her friends. Considered extremely precious by vintage collectors, these items are referred to as 'conversational pieces.'
These pieces often include names, graffiti-style illustrations, and personalized messages to the friend who is going away.
It's hard not to get a warm feeling when reading these messages and imagining the thoughts behind these drawings. Each message shows the peculiarities of the writer, making these pieces really fun and expressive. We took inspiration from these pieces, and worked together with a hand-drawing artisan to create products in the same spirit as the traditional Kyo-yuzen kimono painting technique.
Among these items is a t-shirt with an illustration of my face. This design was actually based on a sketch done by my wife. In exploring how to show one's tender side, I thought that it would be interesting to put a design with a very personal meaning onto a commercial product like a t-shirt. That was the catalyst behind this experiment. Ultimately, I feel that a pure message has the power to touch the human heart.
Kyo-yuzen is a traditional Japanese craft used to paint designs on kimono. I've been to the atelier in Kyoto many times, and am still awed by how much hand work is involved in the Kyo-yuzen process. There are over 20 steps that all require some form of handpainting, including pattern design, rough sketch, glue application, priming, coloring, steaming, resist dyeing, and background dyeing.
I wanted to see what the result would be like if we took this extremely time-consuming method and applied it to items other than a kimono. The shirt and robe that we made this season are the product of this idea. Each item was made in extremely limited quantities with prices to match, but they are the ultimate manifestation of product experimentation and are two items we proudly invite you to come see for yourself.
Embroidery has become largely automated, but designs that are made one stitch at a time by real human beings reflect the thoughts and emotions of the person who performed the embroidery in a way that can't be replicated by machines. If a person sews with a gentle disposition this will be reflected in the end product, and the converse is also true. I find this quite fascinating.
The sashiko embroidery technique from the Tohoku region in Japan is appealing for precisely this reason. The coverall and t-shirt you see here were inspired by the 'conversation pieces' mentioned earlier. We hope you can enjoy and appreciate the unique nature of each individual piece.
Visvim
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