The beauty of Japanese textiles.

The beauty of traditional Japanese textiles is undisputable-and so is their old heritage history. Their intricate designs and rich patterns are the product of a highly elaborate production process that combines weaving and dying with traditional Japanese methods. Quality fibers such as cotton and silk are being transformed into fabrics used for kimonos and other types of clothing as well as home decorating.

Modern Interpretations

The Western world has had a long fascination with Japan traditions and clothing extending way back the traditional kimono-in fact modern fashion creators seem to incorporate their Japanese influences into their current fashion designs with great results. French luxury brand Louis Vuitton presented their Cruise 2018 collection in a museum in Kyoto, a place considered as the 'home of the kimono' offering tailored pieces from traditional Japanese textiles but with a modern luxury feel. Avant-garde fashion designer Iris Van Herpen has been highly influenced by Japan textiles and fashions while creating her a/w 2016 collection and Thom Browne's spring-summer menswear show for 2016 was aptly titled " Geisha out of a teahouse'. There are indeed many modern designers introducing Japanese fabrics to the 21st century and below we will be focusing on three of them:

Death to Tennis

Death to Tennis is an avant-garde fashion brand that has been long experimenting with Japanese fabrics and cuts as part of their concept on modern menswear. William Watson and his British design partner Vincent Oshin make use of japanese fabrics to produce state state-of-the art jackets and shirts that are fashionable but with an elegant touch. This New York label's latest collection is a sophisticated effort to combine the ease of streetwear and the luxury of fabrics offering looks that are both stylish and versatile. Their version of the modern man comes with an emphasis in tailoring and sharp minimal designs but with a bright colored aesthetic.

Yohji Yamamoto

Yohji Yamamoto is perhaps one of the most famous and established modern Japanese designers with a long history of innovative fashion work and research. He is mostly known for his avant-garde tailoring and his use of Japanese fabrics to produce clothing that is minimal yet with a luxe finishing. He is one of the first designers to experiment with traditional Japanese textiles and his work has been a reference for many other creators that succeded him. His custom-made textiles use a variety of Japanese techniques, are tailor-made to his designs and produced exclusively in Japan. He is a designer that places emphasis on the fabric and has even commented that 'Fabric is everything' urging his pattern makers to start 'listening to the material'.

Maison Mihara Yasuhiro

Mihara Yasuhiro's philosophy is offering an anthropocentric and 'clever design', combining older apparel techniques with modern fashion innovations. His take of modern streetwear comes with a focus on deconstruction while his smart womenswear designs make use of traditional Japanese fabrics and cuts. Having initially studied Textile Design at the Tama Art University, he focuses on quality materials and design techniques influenced by the Japanese tradition of 'trompe-l'œi'. He is known of his signature urban aesthetics that have earned him a cult status' amongst his dedicated followers.

This article has been posted with permission from synzenbe.com