" There are people who really need to make it,
We only take what we really need from nature.”
The most memorable words I received from Akiko Ishigaki are still in my mind.
Many of Japan's leading fashion creators have visited this workshop. There is no way to know the reasons for each visit. However, the origins of clothing lie in fabric making, and then thread making. On top of that, people once honed their dyeing skills. Akiko's craftsmanship embodies the meaning of "made by human hands." Her thoughts and wishes are a feeling that has been lost in the modern clothing industry. There is much to learn.
(Kuro Kobo Machinery)
The future of Bashofu and plant fibers
Currently, many textile products are made from petroleum-derived materials, such as polyester. These petroleum-derived fibers are stable, inexpensive, durable, and easy to handle, and have succeeded in providing us with convenient, colorful, and inexpensive clothing. However, this is also the main reason behind their production, which assumes that they will be disposed of in large quantities.
Excessive production and waste in the fashion industry is now recognized as a major problem in the history of mankind. In Europe, EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) has been introduced and efforts to improve the situation have begun.
This trend is drawing increasing attention to plant fibers.
Not only Bashofu, but also linen, hemp, abaca (Manila hemp), and other fibers that supported our lives before humans began using polyester fibers, all contained a lot of forgotten "richness." Perhaps we can find a lot about this tradition of "living with the natural environment" in Akiko Ishigaki and her workshop?
(Iriomote Island Koro Kobo's thread bananas)
The development of Basho thread at OIST is not aimed at mass production with the assumption that it will be disposed of. I think it is one idea that can optimize fiber production in local communities.
