The 10th International Shibori Symposium was held in November last year.
An international conference was held in Oaxaca, Mexico.
I received an invitation from the organizer, Mr. Yoshiko Wada, a famous dyeing and weaving researcher living in the United States, and participated in the conference for the first time as a Kurume Kasuri manufacturer.
The theme this time is "Shibori, Ikat, and Sustainability: Land, Culture, and People
Kasuri and Sustainability: Climate, Culture, and People.” "Ikat" means kasuri,
Our participation is also included in the theme.
By the way, the word "Shibori" seems to be a common word in this industry.
I wonder if the day will come when kasuri will become a common word around the world as "Kasuri"?
The center of the city of Oaxaca is the historic district,
The old church is lined with colorful houses and is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It's a very nice town.
At the conference, scholars, enthusiasts, craftsmen, sellers, etc. gathered from all over the world,
It was a lot of content, such as presentations and demonstrations of various contents.
In it, I talked about "Efforts between Kurume Kasuri and Okamoto Shoten".
I gave a presentation.
We talked about the history of our company, the relationship with weavers, the brand, exchanges with the local community, etc.
All the visitors listened with great interest.
Various events were held at the conference.
This is the national costume of Mexico. It is a costume that has different characteristics for each tribe.
By the way, Kasuri also exists in Mexico. It is produced in a village called Tenancingo near Mexico City.
Unlike Kurume, which is woven with a loom that is installed, it is called a back strap (waist loom weaving).
I used my body to weave it while stretching the tension with my waist.
Also, in this region, as far as I can see, it is woven with tatekasuri,
The fabric width is about 70 cm wider than Kurume Kasuri, and it is a high-density and glossy material.
In addition, the characteristic of this Haspe is not only the weave, but also the artistic tassel.
By the way, it seems that weaving is a man's job, and making the tassels at the tip is a woman's job.
This special project, the Haspe Kurume Kasuri collaboration project by Mexican fashion designer Carla Fernandez, has come true.
Originally by Carla, who has been making things based on Mexican tradition,
It was a wonderful collection that captures the characteristics of Kurume Kasuri.
We did a test sale of our products at a gallery called Manomahika.
Kurume Kasuri has been purchased by many people, and Monpan is especially highly rated.
Everyone wore it after purchasing it. We also had a hands-on experience.
Participate in conferences, interact with various people,
In addition, I learned new things, and it was a very fulfilling overseas business trip.
Someday, we will collaborate with Kurume Kasuri and Mexican Kasuri,
I am on my way back to Japan in hopes of realizing international exchange through kasuri.
That was the report from Oaxaca, Mexico.
Hideki Noguchi