"HaaT" started in 2000 with a new perspective of "creating ideas from text." Makiko Minagawa, who serves as the total director, develops a new worldview by fusing her clothes with beautiful textiles using traditional materials and techniques from Japan and India.

Story: Makiko Minagawa

I first met Issey Miyake in the 1970s. At that time, I wanted to study textiles in London. I happened to be invited to the Toray Knit Exhibition. Among the world-famous designers participating, the one who created the coolest designs was Issey Miyake. When I said hello there, he asked me, ``If you can design textiles, would you be interested in working with me?'' This led to me joining Miyake Design Office.

After joining Miyake Design Office, I was in charge of developing materials for Issey Miyake's first Paris collection. While being sensitive to the needs of society, Miyake's expectations of always pursuing ``continuing to provide small surprises'' are reflected in his dedication to selecting and developing new materials, and to discovering and thinking about new things every day. I spent my days working hard.

If you just protect tradition, it will be weeded out.
By evolving it, it becomes a new trend.

Textile development technology is constantly evolving, and the needs of the times are also changing. Issey Miyake started making pleated clothing in the 1990s. Gradually, more and more synthetic fibers were being handled, but I made sure to maintain ties with the weavers, traditional Japanese techniques, and craftsmen with whom I had long relationships. This is because I have always had a strong desire to convey and feel the warmth that comes from traditional techniques and handiwork to as many people as possible.

Even in Japan, the number of people engaged in traditional manufacturing is decreasing. That's why we need to continue working with them. Tradition is like a stream of water; if it just flows, it will one day be weeded out. I believe that new trends are sometimes born in the flow, and that what is newly born will build the future era. I think that's why I continue to create things by collaborating with craftsmen. I hope that by doing so, the tradition will be passed on.

The textiles used in ``HaaT'' are mainly ``HEART'', which uses Japanese materials and techniques, and ``HAATH'', which uses Indian materials and techniques. Both are of high quality and have been designed using HaaT's ideas to evolve traditional techniques that have been cultivated over a long period of time. For example, with Japanese techniques, yarn dyeing, which at first glance seems simple, can be made into a three-dimensional finish by adding air using wool's shukuju process, or traditional embroidery motifs can be created using sewing machine shibori techniques. Further processing is done by hand-cutting the area around the dyed or embroidered pattern. You could say that the past and future become one, as if the material transcends time and space.

One such technique is surihagashi, which has appeared this season. Using a hand-printing machine, the glue and colors are printed one by one onto the fabric using a brush, and the pattern is transferred onto the fabric one by one, like a manuscript, and then peeled off. We have created a new textile. This is a very time-consuming and difficult job that leaves the workbench dirty. However, because each piece is finished by hand, each piece is so valuable that it can be called a one-of-a-kind item.

The same goes for Khadi, a textile made using traditional Indian techniques. It is a material that has been used for a long time since the days of Issey Miyake, and is also a traditional technique that has supported the lives of people in India. The process of spinning the yarn requires laborious manual work, and there are fewer people who can do this handicraft these days. Materials made using traditional techniques have a unique appeal because they take a lot of cost, effort, and time to make, but there are also voices of concern as to whether it will be possible to make a business out of spending so much time and effort. Still, the reason I have been able to achieve this to this day is probably because of my many years of experience working as a textile designer, the ideas I have based on that experience, and the connections I have with people. My passion for textiles is endless, and I am still pursuing new things every day.

“Khadi: Indian Craftmanship” will be held at ISSEY MIYAKE/NEW YORK until August 8nd.

→Next time is Asha Sarabhai (designer).
(Titles omitted)

HaaT／ISSEY MIYAKE INC.
https://www.isseymiyake.com/haat/ja