Tango Crimen Collection, a skirt that wears Kyoto's traditional craft "Tango Chirimen"

renacnatta's "Tango Crimen Collection" is a wrap skirt that uses Tango chirimen, a traditional craft used for kimono fabrics .

In collaboration with Hayato Usui, the 3rd generation owner of Usui Orimono, we have created items that allow you to enjoy the different expressions and textures of chirimen, while designing chirimen, which has a strong image of "wa", to blend in with modern life. increase.

The background behind this item was the desire to expand the possibilities of chirimen . Mr. Usui talks about the “Tango Crimen Collection” as follows.

“I think that chirimen is a fabric that should be more widely used. I think that a new wind will blow in the production area by giving us.”

This time, we will introduce the charm and lineup of the “Tango Crimen Collection”, which expands the new possibilities of chirimen, the first item in the collection, “ Tango Mermaid Wrap Skirt” , and the history of Tango chirimen.

“Tango Mermaid Wrap Skirt” that changes the impression of conventional chirimen

When you hear the word “chirimen,” you may imagine Japanese patterns. However, in order to bring out the beauty of the chirimen to the fullest, the skirt this time is dyed in a dull color, making it a completely different item from what we have seen so far.

This skirt was created in collaboration with Mr. Usui, the 3rd generation owner of Usui Orimono, the origin of Tango Chirimen. , aiming for a new tradition.

One of the major features of this skirt is that it uses polyester as the material.

Chirimen is made by shrinking the fabric during the manufacturing process, resulting in unevenness called shibo. The silk that was traditionally used for chirimen was a material that would shrink again when it was washed even if it was spread out after this shrinking process. However, in the case of polyester, once it has shrunk, it can be unfolded and its shape can be remembered, so it is possible to realize the unique expression of a fabric that has undergone the procedure of extremely shrinking and expanding.

In addition, polyester is a material that does not wrinkle easily and does not lose its shape. It can be washed at home, making it easy to care for and perfect for everyday use .

Furthermore, the shape of the skirt revived the mermaid style that was very popular in Banshu-ori. The mermaid overall has a sharp impression, but when you walk, only the hem sways and sways, making it a more elegant skirt .

The skirt this time is also made with a wrap skirt like the Renakunatta skirt so far, so it can be worn by those with a waist size of 49 to 80 cm. As for the silhouette, the waist is tight, and the buttocks are naturally covered, while the waist line looks beautiful, so even those who are concerned about the lower body can wear it neatly.

What is Tango Chirimen? "Shibo" produced by skilled technology

The Tango crepe used in this skirt is a fabric produced mainly in the Tango region of Kyoto Prefecture, and is characterized by its fine unevenness called shibo on its surface . Many of them were sent to production areas such as Kyoto, and have supported the production of kimonos in Japan.

Chirimen is made by alternately weaving warp threads and weft threads that are strongly twisted raw silk. After that, the yarn shrinks in a process called scouring, and the force that tries to untwist the weft yarn creates a fine texture on the surface.

On YouTube, we have released a video showing the production process so that you can understand the process of making chirimen.

This texture makes the fabric soft and comfortable to the touch, and the uneven reflection of the light creates a rich and deep color of the fabric. Craftsmen have created a wide variety of expressions by adjusting the way the threads are matched and the number of twists, etc., with their skilled skills.

In addition, the fabric shrinks by about 20-30% during the embossing process. This extravagant use of fabric is one of the reasons why Tango Chirimen is said to be of high quality.

Tango Chirimen, a textile nurtured by the history and climate of the land

The Tango region has a long history, having prospered as a production area for silk fabrics since the Nara period more than 1,300 years ago. In 739, the silk fabric "Ashiginu" woven in the province of Tango was presented to Emperor Shomu, and even now it remains as a Shosoin treasure.

On the other hand, it was in 1720, in the middle of the Edo period, that Tango Chirimen began to be made.

The chirimen technique was originally introduced from China, and during the Momoyama period, it was popularly called "Sakai crepe" by weavers in Sakai. After that, it was introduced to Nishijin in Kyoto and developed as “Nishijin crepe”.

Meanwhile, four people, including Saheiji Kinuya of the Tango Mineyama clan, who wanted to learn the technique of chirimen somehow, stood up and learned the technique of Nishijin in Kyoto, which was considered a secret technique. They took it home and spread it throughout the Tango region.

Chirimen spread in this way, but the climate and natural features of Tango were also suitable for this textile. Tango is a land where mountains, rivers, and the sea are densely compacted and where good quality water flows. This rich natural environment provided a large amount of water for making textiles and scouring to create grain.

Tango is also an area where a lot of humid rain falls due to the seasonal wind called "Uranishi" that blows from autumn to winter. This rain also played a role in preventing dryness, the worst enemy of raw silk.

As a result of this history and climate that nurtured Tango chirimen, Tango was exhibited at the 5th Paris World Exposition in 1900 and won a bronze medal as Japan's number one silk textile production area. It has reached the point where it has a national share of about 70% in production.

The challenge of exploring new possibilities for Tango Chirimen

Mr. Usui, who created the “Tango Crimen Collection” with us this time, talks about the fun of chirimen.

“With other fabrics, you can imagine the finished product from the weaving stage. But with chirimen, you can’t know what it will look like until you shrink it after weaving it. I like that kind of manufacturing process.”

Usui Textile Co., Ltd. was founded in 1952 in Tango. Currently, it is rare in Tango, where the division of labor is progressing, and we are engaged in both twisting (twisting) threads and weaving (seishoku), which finishes the threads into fabric.

Mr. Usui, the 3rd generation owner of Usui Textile Co., Ltd., used to work in another industry in the Kanto region without intending to take over the family business, but he returned to Tango when his son was born. And while I was involved in making Tango chirimen, I came to have a certain thought.

“I think that chirimen is a fabric that should be more widely used. I feel that we are too ahead of the curve. ”

In order to increase the number of "entrances" for chirimen to be known, Usui started exploring possibilities other than kimono.

Chirimen is generally soft, but Usui Orimono can make hard crepe by twisting polyester strongly. Polyester shrinks more tightly than silk, so the fun of chirimen is well conveyed .

Furthermore, with polyester, after the woven fabric has been shrunk, it can be expanded again to memorize its shape. The beauty that this process produces cannot be achieved with silk or other natural fibers. Using this technology, we manufacture fabrics specifically for curtains and tablecloths, as well as small items that are easy to pick up.

The first item in the collection, the Tango Mermaid Wrap Skirt, is also made of polyester. "Nijukoshi Chirimen", which has been improved for Renakunatta's skirt, shrinks the fabric by 70% during refining, creating a unique texture through the "shrinking and expanding" process that is possible only because it is polyester. I'm here.

The “Tango Mermaid Wrap Skirt” was created with the desire to convey the fun of chirimen and expand its possibilities. Usui's thoughts on chirimen are introduced in detail in this article.

And when you pick up the “Tango Mermaid Wrap Skirt”, what you should see is the depth of color created by the embossing. Light is diffusely reflected by the unevenness of the texture, so the appearance changes depending on the amount of light, and the impression changes depending on the time of day you wear it.

I think that you can enjoy the exquisite nuances of light through the simple fabric dyed in a dull color.

The "Tango Crimen Collection", which embraces the traditions and challenges of Tango Chirimen. Please take it in your hands and feel its beauty.

Writing and editing: Eri Yoshida

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