Paris Design Week 2019 with KYOGO
Exhibition at the Town Hall of the 18th Arrondissement of Paris
During a residency at the Daigo-ji Temple in May 2019, we visited Kaji Orimono, a weaver who has been located in Kyoto for over 150 years. They use a unique technique for weaving precious threads (gold, silver, platinum, silk, etc.): the Nishijin technique that has been passed down from generation to generation for more than 1200 years. It gives the fabrics a rare fineness, with their appearances changing with changes in the angle of incidence of the light, and with unparalleled depth.
They are traditionally used to make the most beautiful kimonos and monk’s habits. But today, they see their designs transcended under the brand name KYOGO to satisfy more contemporary projects. This is how the idea came for a partnership for combining Nishijin with the craft of bag-makig.
The project came to fruition at the Paris Design Week in September 2019, with an exhibition at the Town Hall of the 18th Arrondissement of Paris showing several models combining the qualities of Nishijin with those of leather: very lightweight bags in bright and changing colours, with the fabric being shaped using a process that is exclusive to our workshop. An exchange to which there will be follow-ups…