Fujifilm Finepix X100
Tokyo XL
Tokyo.
*무단전재 및 재배포금지
10.31.2016
Supreme X Araki
This fall, Supreme has worked with Araki on a Hooded Sweatshirt, Long Sleeve T-Shirt, Short Sleeve T-Shirt and a Zine featuring original photography.
Product Introspection: Harris Tweed
There is an official definition for what is considered to be genuine Harris Tweed. Harris Tweed is defined as, "a tweed which has been hand woven by the islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides, finished in the islands of Harris, Lewis, North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist and Barra and their several purtenances (the Outer Hebrides) and made from pure virgin wool dyed and spun tin the Outer Hebrides."
Only tweed that has passed the standards set by the Harries Tweed Authority, an independent statutory public body, is recognized as authentic Harris Tweed.
The history of Harris Tweed can be traced all the way back to the 18th century. The job of the women who lived in the Outer Hebrides was to make yarn from the lamb's wool obtained on the island, while fishing was the primary job for the men. However, whenever the men couldn't go out to sea due to stormy weather or other reasons, they wove the yarn made by hand and used it to make workwear for when they went out fishing. It is believed that this is where the roots of Harris Tweed stemmed from. Today, the name is known all over the world, but up until the mid-19th century, the tweed was only produced to be used locally inside the home or to sell at local markets.
In 1846, Lady Catherine Herbert, who inherited the North Harris Estate from her late husband, Alexander 6th Earl of Dunmore on his heath bed, became impressed by the techniques used to make the cloth and its quality, and spent time and effort to improve the efficiency of the production process before promoting it among the aristocracy and Victorian royals.
The tough and thermal properties of the functional fabric also made it a popular choice among members of the upper class for hunting and sporting wear.
As the fabric became widespread, cheaper versions of tweed started to appear under the name of the Harris Tweed brand, and to help keep Harris Tweed authentic and distinguish it from other imitations, Mary Stewart Mackenzie of Seaforth helped to establish the Harris Tweed Association in 1909. The various types of tweed, which were commonly named after the islands that they were produced on, were collectively unified as Harris Tweed.
At the same time, as a way to praise the achievements of Lady Dunmore, the association established the 'Orb Mark' with the Maltese cross based on the Dunmore family crest. This certification mark was granted the following year (the oldest registered trademark in the UK) and was stamped onto the labels of each garment to prove that the tweed was indeed manufactured in the Outer Hebrides and to promote and maintain its authenticity and quality.
Visvim
10.27.2016
10.26.2016
10.24.2016
Sidewalk Stand
2016년 10월 18일 Tokyo
Fujifilm Finepix X100
Sidewalk Stand
Sidewalk Stand.
*무단전재 및 재배포금지
Little Nap Coffee Stand
2016년 10월 20일 Tokyo
iPhone5 (Top)
Fujifilm Finepix X100 (Bottom)
Little Nap Coffee Stand
Little Nap Coffee Stand.
*무단전재 및 재배포금지
10.12.2016
10.08.2016
Old Visvim Never Dies Vol.2
Whenever I get a new pair of shoes, I immediately break them in by stepping on the left shoe with my right foot, and the right shoe with my left foot.
It's similar to getting a hair cut, and wanting to get over that odd, uncomfortable feeling.
I wear them on rainy days, while washing the car, an in any situation in a carefree manner and even when they get dirty it's not a big deal to me. I'll brush the uppers from time to time or change up the laces, and before long the leather begins to soften, and naturally mold to my feet.
The more you use something, the more you see it becoming a reflection of your own character, and you begin to feel an inexplicable fondness for the object. The fact you own something like this brings you happiness, and I am drawn to these kind of objects.
When I design products, I consider what is necessary to make something long-lasting, or what kind of things can be enjoyed for a long time. As I ponder those things I also think which materials, dyeing methods, and constructions will aid in that pursuit.
For example, the color in denim will fade over time, but the way in which it fades is dependent upon the wearer's environment and the way the denim is worn. It's the same with vegetable-tanned leather. These materials are highly affected by climates, temperature, sunlight, and the wearer's environment, which is precisely why human character is reflected so well. That metamorphosis is beautiful.
Personally, I enjoy watching this change, and as a creator, it truly brings me joy.
Visvim
Product Introspection: Mawata
Although it is often mistaken for a type of cotton, mawata is categorized as a type of silk, and is made from fibers taken from the cocoon of a silkworm. while silk is a fabric that is made from fibroin, a sticky liquid protein, secreted from silkworms, mawata is manufactured by taking boiled cocoons, stretching the fibers across a frame, and finally layering them on top of each other and dried until they become a solid silk fabric. Like silk, mawata is extremely light and durable and possesses high insulating properties. For many years, it has been used to make outfits to protect against the cold. Mawata was commonly used to make undershirts and worn under kimonos to keep warm.
In Japan, the development of sericulture technology made progress especially during the Edo period. After the opening of the country to the rest of the world, raw silk became one of Japan's major export items. Many villages started to grow silkworms domestically, which led to increased mawata production. However, mawata production eventually went into decline with the development and emergence of new materials after World War II. Cocoons that have been simmered for hours are individually disentangled, then stretched out thinly and uniformly and stacked on top of each other to form a multi-layer of insulation. This work requires a high level of skill, but nowadays, the numbers of artisans capable of this skill in Japan are extremely limited.
We brainstormed whether we could utilize mawata, which has the ability to retain heat in the layers of air created from piles of thin fibers, into modern clothing, and eventually ended up using the fabric to create some outerwear for the Fall/Winter collection. We were pleasantly surprised about how warm these pieces were. The fabric itself is very lightweight and isn't bulky like down material, which also results in outerwear that drapes beautifully.
Mawata is made from single strands of silk secreted from the mouth of silkworms, and because the silk is spun into long, whole-length pieces, it is extremely strong yet soft. From a long time ago, people have utilized the phenomenal abilities that creatures in the natural world possess, and we have always believed that we should reconsider and reexamine by taking a closer look into cultures and techniques from the past.
Irikin Mawata
The history of irikin mawata spans over 400 years. The name 'irikin' is said to have been derived from its resemblance, in shape and size, to a purse for holding 'oban'(large-sized Japanese gold coins) and 'koban'(small-sized coins). However, from ancient times, 'mawata'(silk) was considered to be a valuable commodity and was used for payment advances or even in lieu of cash in fiscal transactions. Hence, the name may have come from this reference to gold. In the ancient Silk Road routes that ran between Europe and Asia, mawata was considered to have equal, or in some cases, even more trade value than gold.
Even today, the quality of domestically produced irikin mawata is extremely high and can clearly differentiate itself from mawata produced overseas. The density of mawata is constant, with no irregularities, and its textiles are characterized by their luster. The culturing of silkworms was a good match for Japanese culture, and craftsmen created and passed down these traditional textile-producing techniques from generation to generation.
Mawata Production Process
Selection of cocoons
Only domestically grown cocoons are used to produce irikin mawata.
Damaged cocoons that have been soiled or deformed in shape are carefully removed, and only the highest quality ones are selected to be used.
Cocoon boiling
The cocoons are placed into a mesh bag and soaked in warm water for approximately one hour. Baking soda is then poured and dissolved into a separate bowl filled with simmering water, and the cocoons are boiled for several hours until they become soft. The mesh bags are flipped upside down during the process in order to boil them evenly, as the balking soda removes the sericin, or silk gum, that holds the cocoons together.
Rinsing
The boiled cocoons are then cooled in cold water. After they are cleaned and dried, each individual cocoon is separated so that they do not tangle together.
Streching out the bag-shaped mawata
Warm water is then poured into a tub, where the cocoons are stretched out. Each cocoon is lightly pressed under water using two fingers and stretched into approximately 5 cm-sized balls. The thin cocoon shells are opened and stretched out, a the dead pupa and pieces of caterpillar skin found inside the cocoon are removed. Approximately five cocoon-shaped bags are layered on top of each other to create a single bag-shaped mawata.
Hand spinning
Bag-shaped cocoons that have been dried overnight are carefully spun by hand, one by one. Because they are stacked into layers, they contain a considerable amount of air and are very limber. The finished silk threads are highly uniform with regard to entangling, thickness, and feel, allowing very fine threads to be pulled out. These threads comprise the main material for Yuki Tsumugi silk products, which have been designated as an important and intangible cultural relic.
Visvim
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