"Nishijin-ori Collection" Bringing traditional crafts and Nishijin textiles to modern fashion
"Nishijin-ori Collection" is a special collection that uses the traditional craft "Nishijin-ori" produced in the Nishijin area of Kyoto.
Nishijin-ori, which is born from more than 20 processes, is carefully woven by the hands of skilled technicians. However, it is also a reality that it is steadily declining due to the influence of kimono.
The fashion items of the “Nishijin-ori Collection” such as skirts, ties, and masks made by Renakunatta were born based on the brand’s philosophy, “Renatta”.
To prevent Nishijin-ori from being discontinued in the future. This is a collection developed in collaboration with weavers and craftsmen who have inherited the tradition.
This time, we will introduce the concept and lineup of "Nishijin-ori Collection", how to make Nishijin-ori, history, and charm.
"Nishijin-ori Collection" Nishijin textiles that live in modern times
The "Nishijin-ori Collection" uses Nishijin fabric woven with polyester thread to develop fashion items such as wedding dresses, skirts, and ties.
It is resistant to water and friction and easier to handle than silk, so it can be used for a long time as an item that is close to everyday life as well as special occasions . Please enjoy the soft texture and elegant luster that are not inferior to silk.
"Nishijin Set Up Dress with Embroidery - Bianco｜Wedding dress that you can wear for a lifetime II"
It is a setup dress made with Nishijin textile. A wedding dress is a dress that makes the bride look beautiful. This dress is named "a wedding dress that can be worn for a lifetime" with the hope that it will be worn for every important life event in life even after the wedding ceremony.
On your wedding anniversary, your child's entrance ceremony. There are many milestones in life, starting with marriage. The dress, which is a two-piece setup consisting of a top and a skirt, is a design that can be worn alone for special occasions in life.
The fabric uses Nishijin textile made by Nishijin textile Linista. You can enjoy the elegant luster that emerges depending on the light of the place on that day.
The top is a cache-coeur type designed with the image of a kimono. Free size that can be rolled up and worn, so it can accommodate changes in size.
The skirt is also a free size wrap skirt. Two types of length are available: 80cm and 90cm.
Both tops and skirts have more delicate hand embroidery on Nishijin. The design is by Daisuke Tanaka, a fashion designer and embroidery designer. For those who want to simply enjoy Nishijin weaving, you can also choose a type without embroidery.
The collection also includes the Nishijin Tie - Bianco, a necktie made from the same fabric as the dress.
Dress, tops, skirts, ties, and other items of your choice.
・Nishijin Set Up Dress with Embroidery - Bianco｜Wedding dress that you can wear for a lifetime II with embroidery / without embroidery
Dress (free size)
Tops (length: about 47.5cm, bust: 72-85cm)
Skirt 80 (Length: 80cm, Waist: 58-70cm)
Skirt 90 (Length: 90cm, Waist: 58-70cm)
"Nishijin Skirt - Primavera, Estate, Autunno, Inverno"
"Nishijin Skirt" is a skirt with the theme of the four seasons . Four items are developed with the image of spring, summer, autumn and winter. The fusion of elegant Nishijin textile and hand-made embroidery is attractive.
All items are available with or without embroidery. We also have a necktie "Nishijin Tie" made from the same fabric.
"Nishijin Skirt - Primavera" uses the Nishijin weave, which is woven with pink and blue flowers on pale pastel green. This item has hand-embroidered flowers here and there to give it a three-dimensional feel.
"Nishijin Skirt - Estate" is a skirt designed with inspiration from summer yukata. Of course, the iris flowers that bloom dignifiedly against the dark blue fabric are also hand-embroidered. The fabric is woven with dark blue and black thread, and you can enjoy the three-dimensional effect unique to Nishijin textile, where the pattern emerges as you get closer.
"Nishijin Skirt - Autunno" is inspired by autumn, and is a skirt that looks like falling nuts. The Nishijin weave of the fabric has a profound feeling reminiscent of European antiques. Woven in a grape pattern with dark brown and purple threads.
Beads, sequins, and blue beads of the same color make this piece like jewelry that shines elegantly.
The product is only the skirt.
"Nishijin Skirt - Inverno" is a warm skirt with an image of snow but with a beige color scheme. We also have " Nishijin Pouch - Inverno " made from the same fabric.
The design is a one-size-fits-all wrapped skirt for all four items introduced. The waist can be adjusted from 50 to 80 cm.
・Nishijin Skirt - Primavera, Estate, Autunno, Inverno (Length: 80cm, Waist: Free 50〜80cm)
"Nishijin Mask" that does not stop culture even in the corona disaster
"Nishijin Mask" is a mask produced as a special item at the timing when the corona began to spread. For the fabric, we use the same Nishijin weave as the setup dress and the skirt and tie with the theme of "Four Seasons".
At that time, various industries were showing a cold. The fashion industry was no exception. I don't want to stop the production of Nishijin Textile, which has received fewer orders.
Culture will not stop even during the corona crisis .
The Nishijin textile mask is an item that was born from such a thought. The production of the fabric was newly requested to the weaver and the factory just for the mask.
The Nishijin fabric woven during the period is 690m wide. The masks were passed on to many people, and we were able to make the customers, Mr. Orimoto, and the craftsmen happy.
We believe that SNS has become the perfect item for getting to know Nishijin textiles, as a result of which customers can interact with each other.
It is our wish that the items that departed from Renacnatta will become media in each customer's place. Like the "Nishijin Mask", if Nishijin textile becomes a topic around the people who wear each item, Renakunatta will become a media at that moment.
We are developing the Nishijin-ori Collection with this thought in mind, "I want more people to understand the appeal of Nishijin-ori by wearing culture."
Easy-to-handle and soft, modern Nishijin textiles are semi-ordered
Nishijin-ori is often thought of as a silk fabric, but it actually refers to yarn-dyed fabrics produced in the Nishijin area . In other words, it means the technology itself, not the material. The polyester Nishijin fabric used by Renac Natta is resistant to water and friction, making it easy to handle.
The handling is basically dry cleaning, but depending on the item, you can hand wash it at home.
A soft texture that is as good as silk and an elegant sheen. Please enjoy the charm of modern Nishijin textiles as a familiar item.
After receiving an order, the craftsmen carefully weave the fabric. After that, it is made into items such as dresses, skirts, ties, etc., and delivered to everyone.
It takes a certain amount of time for order sales, but I hope you will look forward to the finish.
From the Heian period to the present day. The history and how to make Kyoto Nishijin textile
Nishijin-ori is the name of yarn-dyed textiles produced in the Nishijin area of Kyoto .
Yakizome, as the name suggests, is the process of dyeing threads and fibers before weaving the cloth. Since the thread itself has a strong color, the fabric has a deep color and does not easily wrinkle.
Nishijin brocade has a long history, and from the Heian period to the present day, skillful techniques have been handed down by craftsmen.
The history of Nishijin-ori, which has continued from ancient times to Kyoto
The origin of Nishijin-ori is old, dating back to the Kofun period around the 5th or 6th century. It started when immigrants from the mainland moved to Uzumasa, Kyoto, and introduced the techniques of sericulture and silk weaving.
In the Heian period, the Imperial Court assigned craftsmen who inherited silk weaving techniques to government offices called "oribe no tsukasa." The production of high-quality silk fabrics spread as a government-run occupation .
Craftsmen gathered in what is now Chojamachi, Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto City, and formed a town called "Oribe Town."
After that, from the middle of the Heian period onwards, government-run textile workshops gradually declined, and craftsmen began to run the textile business themselves. In particular, many craftsmen gathered in Otoneri-cho, a town near Oribe-cho, and it developed as a production area for high-quality silk. In the Muromachi period, an organization called "Otonari-za" was born, and the range of orders expanded greatly from the Imperial Court to court nobles and samurai families.
However, the Onin War in the middle of the Muromachi period destroyed Otonori. Many craftsmen escaped the war and moved to Sakai in Izumi.
It was around the time the war had subsided that the craftsmen returned to Kyoto. They chose Shirakumo Village, which was close to the original location, and Omiya Imadegawa, which was the headquarters of the Western Army during the war. The name "Nishijin textile" was derived from the place name "Nishijin", which means that it was the headquarters of the Western army . Monori, in which colored patterns and patterns are woven from pre-dyed threads, was also born around this time.
Before long, Nishijin-ori was recognized by the Imperial Court, and further developed while incorporating the techniques of China and Ming Dynasty.
During the Meiji period, the company succeeded in modernizing it by adopting techniques such as jacquard textiles from the West. In recent years, not only traditional kimonos and obis, but also interior goods, neckties, shawls, and other products that match the times are being produced.
Co-starring with thread and thread. How to make Nishijin textile
Nishijin textiles are carefully woven through more than 20 processes. The beauty of Nishijin textiles is born when skilled craftsmen carefully work on each process .
Currently, 12 varieties such as “Tsuzure” and “Tatenishiki” are designated as traditional crafts.
What is common to most Nishijin textiles is that patterns are created with weft threads. The beautiful Nishijin textile used in the "Nishijin-ori Collection" is also born from the meeting of weft and warp threads.
The weft used to create the base texture is called jinuki, and the thread used to weave the pattern is called enuki.
In Nishijin weaving, the warp and weft yarns are used to weave the fabric. After that, it is characterized by weaving the pattern so as to cover the fabric with a double weave using the picture weft.
At this time, a thick thread with less twist is used for the weft. The voluminous and lustrous pattern like embroidery is born from the characteristics of this thread .
In the weaving process, various methods such as ``Tsuzubata'', ``Tebata'', and ``Rikishokki'' are used. These are traditional techniques that create patterns by hand weaving by craftsmen.
Among them, the "binding machine" boasts a long history, and delicate patterns are woven by the jagged edges of the craftsmen's toes. The work is very detailed, and it is said that only a few centimeters of complicated patterns can be woven in a day.
To prevent Nishijin-ori from being discontinued
As you can see from the history, Nishijin textile is a traditional industry that has greatly contributed to the Japanese silk industry. However, it is declining as people are moving away from wearing kimonos and lifestyles are changing.
If things go on like this, Nishijin-ori, which is still valuable today, may become a phantom fabric that will never be made again . In order to prevent this from happening, it can be said that training successors and raising wages are major issues.
We launched the "Nishijin-ori Collection " with the desire to "first create an opportunity for many people to know about Nishijin-ori, and to provide opportunities to wear it in a new way."
In the future, don't be "no longer made".
In the "Nishijin-ori Collection", we are developing various items in collaboration with weavers and craftsmen who have inherited the tradition of Nishijin weaving.
A collection wrapped in thoughts and culture that has been spun in Kyoto
Renac Natta's "Nishijin-ori Collection" is a special collection that uses the traditional Nishijin textile.
The fabric, which shows different expressions depending on the light and angle, is woven with the history and people's thoughts that have been passed down since ancient times.
The skirts and dresses, which are finished one by one by dyeing the thread after receiving the order, are sure to become the first piece of clothing that weaves your life over the years. By all means, please pick up the culture that has been handed down in Kyoto since ancient times, wear it, and enjoy its charm.
Written by: Shiho Nagata
Editing: Eri Yoshida
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