Kimono

Description

Fashioned in the Amami islands of Japan, Oshima Tsumugi silk has long been admired
for its understated beauty, incredible softness, and comfortable lightness suitable for all
seasons. The fabric is created through a remarkable and laborious process involving
two stages of weaving and over 100 rounds of dyeing. First, white silk threads are
woven to mark and bind patterned area with cotton threads, and then disassembled.
The wefts (horizontal threads) and the warps (vertical threads) are separately dyed with
plant juice, taken from a type of locally grown rose bush, and mud. Mud gives shimmer
and tender texture to the silk. After the cotton binds are removed, and sometimes more
colors are added (see the brown sections of some of the patterns in this kimono), the
wefts and the warps are woven into a final product. The entire process can take up to
one year. Despite the high production values and complexities, however, Oshima
Tsumugi kimono can be worn only for non-ceremonial occasions, since woven fabric is
considered to be a less elevated technique than paint-dyed fabric.