Introduction
MUJI takes the idea of “seek and find” very seriously. We look closely at the way people live to keep making products in tune with today's lifestyles. From 2003, this stance led in the direction of Found MUJI, and we set off in search of things that have enjoyed long, tirelessly useful lives. This Found MUJI project has given us fresh new perspectives on many areas of vernacular design across different cultures,and allowed us to tailor our finds to our own present-day needs.
As someone who has always been involved with textiles, I longed to take the Found MUJI approach to Japanese textiles. If only we could get a feel for how our traditions of weaving and dyeing have influenced today's fashions, might that suggest a new way forward in fabrics?So began this Japanese textiles project, sending our MUJI fabric design team on a journey of discovery to countless textile mills and workshops from the southernmost islands of Okinawa to the far northern reaches of Yamagata, getting to know local artisans and technicians along the way.
The diversity of Japan's textile work is truly amazing.The sheer number of production centers making so many different types of fabric could fill these books many time over. Different weaves and colors to meet the demands of the day, often featuring patterns that depict the natural surroundings. Each piece of cloth a distillation of the ingenuity of the artisans from a particular environment,which is precisely why they have, over generations,continued to use it so faithfully, and why their clothes and household items have become a part of their daily life.
Yet Japanese now wear kimono only for special occasions. We have less and less contact with traditional crafts in general, let alone opportunities to touch and see how our Japanese textiles are created. Weaving and dyeing centers throughout the country are facing very difficult times, yet the profound wisdom and beauty of Japanese textile creation have not been lost. There are still towns where they spin and weave and dye and sew.
It has been a long-cherished wish to visit these traditional production centers to survey and assess the present landscape of Japanese textiles. Each locale has its individual character. Some places are receptive to new ideas, other places have clung hard and true to the old ways of weaving and dyeing. Among the “three great kasuri”centers of Kurume, Bingo, and Iyo, for instance, Bingo has transformed into a world-famous designer source of Okayama denim, while Iyo on the island of Shikoku has seen Imabari become a major maker of towels. Yet Kurume remains steadfast in its dedication to the kasuri dye-pattern weave kimono fabrics. Such places where traditions and skills are still alive- if not exactly thriving, perhaps-have been my dream destinations, places I wanted to go and create something together with the local community. The results of our trip to Kurume and collaboration with the artisans there are recorded in volume one of this series.
Our travels continue, as does our mission to make young designers aware of Japan's very special textile towns. Actually being in these places steeped in textile traditions, seeing the techniques they employ and the machines they use, meeting the people behind the fabrics- all this has been incredibly exciting. The stories we hear and the experiences they share are unforgettable.
Designers who make the effort to go to these places and see with their own eyes how these textiles are created will always be rewarded with ideas that can be turned into new products. And the production side will reflect those ideas with fresh energy, as the Found MUJI project itself has learned, spurred by the knowledge that a new generation will get to touch and feel the special qualities of these fabrics. Happy encounters come full circle.
In short, it's all about making connections between people. Visitors and locals meet, get to talking, take on a project, engage their feelings and hands. Then what we've made together gets shown, reaches consumer hands, gets used and appreciated. From person to person, from hand to hand.
In addition to our Japanese textiles exhibitions for Found MUJI, we've held many workshops. In April 2018 in Singapore, we introduced foreign participants to the fascinating appeal of Japanese fabrics. May our Found MUJI fabric search and textile creativity go on and on.There's a whole world out there!
Reiko Sudo
Textile Designer
Member, MUJI Advisory Board
