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Tokyo Weekender
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Tokyo Weekender
Sashiko Gals: The Touching Story Behind Japan's Most Unexpected Fashion Icons
A series of thick, stitched trails run across the ordinary suede of a New Balance sneaker like wandering footprints on a map, tracing and veering away from the shoe's original contours. Beneath them, scattered across the shoe's surface, is a web of indigo-dyed patches. The design is unpolished yet artful and distinctly joyful, turning the iconic shoe into something truly original. This is a classic Sashiko Gals design. The collective specializes in the traditional Japanese needlework technique of sashiko , which uses bold running stitches for reparative and decorative purposes. The women of the collective offer a bespoke customization service: For prices starting at around $1,600 USD, they will painstakingly embroider a pair of sneakers, provided by the customer — a process that takes an experienced artisan about 30 hours of work. The design is left to the gals' discretion, and the service is currently so popular that prospective clients have to apply via a lottery system. The collective is perhaps best known for its highly coveted limited-release collaborations with legendary brands: Veja, Maison Margiela and Isetan Men's, to name a few. Given Sashiko Gals' fashion bonafides and cult following, one might expect its members to be insiders or formally trained designers — but in fact, it's a group of 15 women between their 40s and 80s based in Otsuchi, a sleepy seaside town in Iwate Prefecture. The first iteration of the project that would eventually become Sashiko Gals began in 2011, the year of the Great East Japan Earthquake. Its initial members had lost their homes and jobs in the ensuing devastation, and several were living in evacuation centers. For them, sashiko was a means of recovery: stitching a future while honoring the past. List of Contents: A Community in Tatters The Spirit of Girlhood From Otsuchi to the World Related Posts A Community in Tatters As one of the areas that suffered extensive damage following the earthquake and tsunami, Otsuchi underwent a long period of reconstruction. Sashiko Gals' original name was the Otsuchi Recovery Sashiko Project, brought to life by women who were unable to help with rebuilding efforts that involved heavy lifting. Wanting to do something productive to fill their days, they began stitching. Keeping busy with sashiko became their lifeline. 'At the time of the disaster, it may have been a way to create a sense of purpose in life,' Arata Fujiwara, a longtime collaborator and the current business manager of the project, told Tokyo Weekender . 'When they were facing many hardships, focusing on a hands-on craft every day allowed them — if only temporarily — to put everything else aside.' Tokyo-based media outlet Houyhnhnm recently produced a short documentary on the Sashiko Gals members, in which they all recount their stories. In it, Mieko Osawa, 74, recalls the shock and devastation of March 11. Though she and her husband were able to flee safely, they returned to a home in ruins. 'The place was completely covered in mud. It was unrecognizable. All of our framed family photos, our photo albums, were soaked. Pictures from weddings, my grandchild's shichi-go-san ceremony (a childhood rite-of-passage) — all ruined.' When Osawa joined the sashiko community in December of the same year, she was immediately hooked by the craft's meditative capacity. 'When I was stitching, I didn't have to think about anything else, or worry about the future,' she reflects. 'I could just focus on the needle and thread.' Fellow 'Sashiko Gal' Tomiko Goto, 77, echoes the sentiment: 'Sashiko embroidery has been my greatest source of mental and emotional support. It saved me. I think everyone who loves sashiko feels the same way.' The Spirit of Girlhood Widely believed to have originated in Japan between 200 and 500 years ago, sashiko has been a symbol of strength, resourcefulness and sustainability for centuries. The needlework technique was created to mend and preserve items made of cotton, which was a precious commodity at the time. But rather than being purely utilitarian, the traditional art enhances while repairing — turning worn-out garments into a canvas and breathing new life into them. While the Sashiko Gals' creations have now amassed a global fanbase, the group's journey was not without difficulties. Membership decreased over the years due to people moving away from the town, and the pandemic caused many in-person sales opportunities at department stores and commissions from various companies to be canceled. Wanting to keep the project alive, the women approached Fujiwara, founder of a craft-first Japanese label called Kuon. Sashiko Gals, as it exists today, was formally launched in March 2024. It was Fujiwara who coined the project's iconic name. 'In Japan, the word 'gal' ( gyaru ) is often used to describe energetic young women,' he explains. 'The members are women in their 40s to 80s, but when they get together, they look just like high school students enjoying a chat after school in a classroom or family restaurant.' In the documentary, when she's asked how she feels about the moniker, the 77-year-old Goto laughs. 'I wasn't sure about the name at first. But then I thought, we were all gyaru back in the day! We may not look like gals anymore, but we can still call ourselves that if the spirit of girlhood remains in us.' She now wears the title with pride. From Otsuchi to the World With the support of Moonshot Inc., the company behind Kuon, and the power of social media, the gals have reached an audience beyond their wildest dreams. Their designs often go viral online, catching the attention of fashion enthusiasts and insiders around the world. ('On Instagram, I see lots of stylish foreign people wearing our shoes,' Osawa gushes in the doc. 'I'm amazed when I tap 'See Translation' and read all the comments of people saying they love our pieces.') The collective ultimately hopes to achieve something more enduring than fashion world success: The members' aim is to inspire a love of sashiko in the next generation. 'Many heritage crafts in Japan are disappearing due to a lack of successors,' Fujiwara says. 'We hope the younger generation will understand the value of these traditions and carry them on.' Once born out of necessity — for routine, refuge and community — Sashiko Gals has evolved into a beacon of love and creativity. For many of its members, sashiko has ignited a passion for art and design they never knew existed within them. As Goto puts it: 'I never really thought of myself as creative, but I love coming up with ideas and designing things now. It makes me want to experiment with wearing new styles myself. Daisuki — I love it so much!' More Information Sashiko Gals' custom pieces are available for order on a limited basis. Follow the collective on Instagram @ sashiko_gals for regular updates. Check out the Sashiko Gals documentary short on Houyhnhnm's Youtube channel. Related Posts How Japanese Construction Uniforms Went High Fashion Sumire Morino Is Carving a New Path for Japanese Crafts How Mogi Folk Art Sparked Tokyo's Mingei Renaissance
Yomiuri Shimbun
2 days ago
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Southwest Japan's Challenges / Signs of Growth: Japan Firms Aim to Revive Industry Through Evolution of Traditional Crafts; Utilizing Traditional Craft in Non-Traditional Ways
This is the second installment in a series of articles taking an in-depth look at industries with growth potential in Kyushu as well as Yamaguchi and Okinawa prefectures. ARITA, Saga — 'These products are known to be hard to break if they are dropped,' said Norihide Nishiyama, president of a company that makes Arita ware porcelain products. 'We are receiving more and more orders.' The town of Arita, Saga Prefecture, is traditionally known for creating products called Arita ware. Nishiyama, 74, president of Takumi Co. in Arita, spoke on May 19 about some of his company's products that are dubbed 'the strongest porcelain in the world.' In the company's workshop, artisans were quietly shaping tableware products. To see if the products could live up to their name, I dropped an item from a height of about 70 centimeters onto the floor. It did not break. The porcelain's strength is about 330 megapascals, which is four times stronger than ordinary porcelain. The porcelain was developed by the Saga Ceramics Research Laboratory in the town. It was released and advertised as the strongest in the world in 2016, the 400th anniversary of when Arita ware was first developed. The company also patented the porcelain. To achieve this strength, Nobuaki Kamochi, 54, and other researchers at the laboratory conducted about 600 experiments to determine the optimum ratio of clay, glass components and artificially produced alumina, which are the ingredients to make porcelain. The group largely succeeded in reducing the size of the bubbles formed in porcelain firing. The bubbles are the cause of breakage. Manufacturers in the prefecture are permitted to use this technology, and the production process remains the same when using the specialized porcelain. 'Even thin products retain their strength,' Kamochi said. 'Our technology has expanded the range of design possibilities.' Takumi commercialized the specialized porcelain in 2022. Since then, orders have been steadily coming in, mainly from izakaya Japanese-style pubs in the Kanto and Kansai regions. The company shipped about 200 orders to restaurants in fiscal 2024, three times more than before its commercialization. 'We want to revive Arita ceramics, which have been overshadowed by plastic and import products,' Nishiyama said. Utilizing modern technologyA numerical control (NC) cutting machine, which is used in the industry to automatically create molds from plaster, has been improved by the laboratory and others, allowing for micrometer-level precision to create intricate designs. Shingama, a local ceramics manufacturer founded in 1830, uses an NC cutting machine and the specialized porcelain to produce dials for the luxury watch 'Presage' by Tokyo-based Seiko Watch Corp. While watch dials are typically made of metal, the Arita ware dial model, which was released in 2019, is both thin and durable. Eight models have been sold so far, priced between ¥200,000-¥270,000. 'The products, which combine the skills of seasoned craftspeople with modern technology, have been well-received not only in Japan but also overseas,' said a Shingama representative. Hiroyuki Hashiguchi, 60, senior managing director of Shingama, said, 'We've demonstrated the potential to expand the porcelain market to components for industrial products and precision machinery.' Seven ceramics manufacturers in Arita established a joint venture company called ARITA PLUS Co. in 2017 and began using NC cutting machines. The company hires designers and accepts custom orders from customers in Japan and overseas.'We can quickly create prototypes based on ideas and images exchanged on social media,' said Shinji Terauchi, 63, the head of ARITA PLUS. 'It streamlines our transactions.' First-class chefs Terauchi met at trade shows in France and Italy are among his customers, and his company now supplies tableware to luxury hotels and top-tier restaurants in Europe and Asia. 'Potential for growth' Following the signing of the 1985 Plaza Accord, which led to a strong yen, there was a sharp decline in exports of Japanese ceramics. After the bubble economy collapsed in early 1990s, domestic demand shifted toward inexpensive imported products, and sales to department stores and ryotei traditional Japanese restaurants also decreased. However, according to trade statistics of Japan, exports have grown again in recent years, reaching ¥26 billion in 2024, a threefold increase compared to 10 years ago. 'No other advanced nation has as many traditional crafts still in existence as Japan does,' said Kenji Kuramoto, a senior researcher at the Japan Economic Research Institute Inc.'s Industrial Research and Planning Department who is knowledgeable about crafts. 'Many of these crafts are high quality and functional. If their designs are refined and their cultural backgrounds are recognized, new sales channels will open up.' Kuramoto added: 'There is significant potential for growth in exports and sales to foreign tourists in Japan. The Kyushu region has enormous untapped potential, as it has many essential everyday crafts such as tableware and textiles.' Craft tourismIn addition to Arita ware, Kurume kasuri, an ikat textile produced in the Chikugo region of Fukuoka Prefecture, has become more popular for its monpe work pants, which were worn by female farmworkers until around the 1940s. Kurume kasuri monpe was commercialized by Takahiro Shiramizu, 39, who founded Unagino Nedoko, a company selling crafts and other items, in Yame, Fukuoka Prefecture, in 2012. As the pants are 'breathable, water-absorbent and comfortable,' Shiramizu thought they would still be popular today. The product has sold well, and its production has spread to local companies. Shiramizu's company now has seven shops, including in Fukuoka City and Tokyo. Shiramizu is from Saga Prefecture and moved to Yame after getting married. 'The charm of an area is often discovered by people who moved there,' he said. Shimogawa Orimono, a Yame-based company that manufactures Kurume kasuri, offers factory tours to popularize the fabric. Kyozo Shimogawa, 54, the third-generation president of the family operating the company, started giving the tours around 2016. The tours have attracted more than 1,000 visitors annually. The company has also started accepting interns from overseas. About 20 people, mostly from Europe, have learned traditional Japanese techniques before returning home. Shimogawa has been giving lectures on kasuri in France and other countries in Europe since 2017. His company's kasuri has been used by high-end fashion brands as well. 'I want to convey to young people in Japan that kasuri is highly valued worldwide,' Shimogawa said. Tomohiro Haraoka, a director of the Nihon Kogei Sanchi Kyokai (Association of production areas of Japanese crafts), has promoted craft tourism, which focuses on visiting areas where crafts are produced. 'Making production areas more open and accessible, and fostering exchanges with domestic and international consumers, peers and other industries, can lead to reevaluating production areas,' Haraoka said. Reviving traditional crafts has the potential to become a pillar of regional growth strategies.
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
Boss of car brand ‘facing crisis' reveals ‘comeback plan' in ‘stormy' meeting after 20,000 jobs axed & factories shut
The manufacturer has put losses down to costs of carrying out new CEO's strategy SHIFTING GEAR Boss of car brand 'facing crisis' reveals 'comeback plan' in 'stormy' meeting after 20,000 jobs axed & factories shut Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE boss of a reportedly struggling major car firm has laid out plans for the company's 'comeback' during a "stormy" meeting. On Tuesday, Nissan's annual general meeting was held in Tokyo, Japan, weeks after announcing it will be axing 20,000 jobs. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Ivan Espinosa took over as CEO of Nissan in April this year Credit: EPA 5 Nissan shares have fallen by 36% in the last year Credit: Reuters 5 Espinosa plans to make big cuts in a bid to revive the company Credit: David Shepherd Photographer shep@ It marked the first for new boss Ivan Espinosa who hopes to halt the Japanese company's decline through his plans for big cuts. These cuts also include closing seven plants and cutting a total of around 25% of Nissan's workforce. One shareholder reportedly accused the board of trying to 'shift its responsibility to frontline workers' by cutting jobs while retaining their own positions. Espinosa, who replaced Makoto Uchida as CEO in April, is a Nissan veteran, and all eyes are currently on him to revive the company. This comes after shares have fallen some 36% over the last year and dividend payments have been suspended, according to Reuters. Reuters also claim that shareholders vented their frustrations over the automaker's poor performance at the annual meeting, with some allegedly demanding greater management accountability for the deepening crisis at Japan's third largest company. Nissan reported a $4.5billion net loss in the last financial year, with there being no guarantee it will return to profit this year. In fact, so far, it has reportedly declined to give a full-year earnings forecast, and has estimated a first-quarter loss of $1.36billion. The firm also told MPs earlier this year that it is due to round up 2025 with debts of £10billion. All the same, Reuters reported that shareholders voted down a number of proposals that the company had opposed, including an activist-shareholder proposal that would have forced Nissan to take action on listed subsidiary Nissan Shatai. Luxury automaker to convert once-beloved sports bar left abandoned for years into an 'exclusive' motorcycle dealership The manufacturer has put losses down to costs to carry out a strategy planned by Espinosa. Earlier this year, he made way for a £2.6billion decrease in the value of production and forked out £316million in restructuring costs. The restructuring included moves to axe 9,000 jobs internationally and the scrapping of a factory in Sunderland. Tokyo-based activist shareholder, Strategic Capital, allegedly pressed Nissan to take action on its listed subsidiary as part of its overhaul. While the proposal was defeated, the breakdown of the vote won't be known until next year. According to Reuters, Japanese companies are under increasing pressure from the Tokyo Stock Exchange and regulators to clear up so-called 'parent-child listings,' as they are seen as unfair to minority shareholders and a drag on governance. Strategic Capital had proposed that Nissan change its articles of incorporation so that it would be required to annually examine its relationship with listed subsidiaries and disclose what action it plans to take. Nissan's board have reportedly opposed this proposition, saying changing its articles of incorporation would hinder its flexibility. This follows Nissan announcing they were on the brink of collapse at the beginning of the year, as it entered a make-or-break 12 months. In addition to the new plans to cut back, bosses also have already announced that the management team will transition to a single-layer, non-officer framework, which means a 20 percent reduction in top positions. A spokesperson said in March, the move will create a 'streamlined and borderless organisation.' These changes were implemented on April 1 this year. The Sun has reached out to Nissan for comment. 5 Shareholders are demanding greater management accountability Credit: Reuters
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
Boss of car brand ‘facing crisis' reveals ‘comeback plan' in ‘stormy' meeting after 20,000 jobs axed & factories shut
THE boss of a reportedly struggling major car firm has laid out plans for the company's 'comeback' during a "stormy" meeting. On Tuesday, Nissan's annual general meeting was held in 5 Ivan Espinosa took over as CEO of Nissan in April this year Credit: EPA 5 Nissan shares have fallen by 36% in the last year Credit: Reuters 5 Espinosa plans to make big cuts in a bid to revive the company Credit: David Shepherd Photographer shep@ It marked the first for new boss Ivan Espinosa who hopes to halt the These cuts also include closing seven plants and cutting a total of around 25% of Nissan's workforce. One shareholder reportedly accused the board of trying to 'shift its responsibility to frontline workers' by cutting jobs while retaining their own positions. Espinosa, who Motors News This comes after Reuters also claim that shareholders vented their frustrations over the automaker's poor performance at the annual meeting, with some allegedly demanding greater management accountability for the deepening crisis at Japan's third largest company. Nissan reported a $4.5billion net loss in the last financial year, with there being no guarantee it will return to profit this year. In fact, so far, it has reportedly declined to give a full-year earnings forecast, and has estimated a first-quarter loss of $1.36billion. Most read in Motors The firm also All the same, Reuters reported that shareholders voted down a number of proposals that the company had opposed, including an activist-shareholder proposal that would have forced Nissan to take action on listed subsidiary Nissan Shatai. Luxury automaker to convert once-beloved sports bar left abandoned for years into an 'exclusive' motorcycle dealership The manufacturer has put losses down to costs to carry out a strategy planned by Espinosa. Earlier this year, he made way for a £2.6billion decrease in the value of production and forked out £316million in restructuring costs. The restructuring included moves to axe 9,000 jobs internationally and the scrapping of a factory in Sunderland. Tokyo-based activist shareholder, Strategic Capital, allegedly pressed Nissan to take action on its listed subsidiary as part of its overhaul. While the proposal was defeated, the breakdown of the vote won't be known until next year. According to Reuters, Japanese companies are under increasing pressure from the Tokyo Stock Exchange and regulators to clear up so-called 'parent-child listings,' as they are seen as unfair to minority shareholders and a drag on governance. Strategic Capital had proposed that Nissan change its articles of incorporation so that it would be required to annually examine its relationship with listed subsidiaries and disclose what action it plans to take. Nissan's board have reportedly opposed this proposition, saying changing its articles of incorporation would hinder its flexibility. This follows Nissan announcing they were In addition to the new plans to cut back, bosses also have already announced that the management team will transition to a single-layer, non-officer framework, which means a 20 percent reduction in top positions. A spokesperson said in March, the move will create a 'streamlined and borderless organisation.' These changes were implemented on April 1 this year. The Sun has reached out to Nissan for comment. 5 Shareholders are demanding greater management accountability Credit: Reuters 5 Nissan announced that they were facing severe troubles earlier this year Credit: David Shepherd Photographer shep@
Observer
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Observer
Saint Laurent, Vuitton kick off Paris men's fashion week
Saint Laurent and Vuitton opened Paris Men's Fashion Week on Tuesday with collections tinged with retro influences, as the industry reels from the revolving door of creative directors and a diminished appetite for luxury goods. Saint Laurent kicked things off with a playful, spring-summer 2026 collection mixing shorts with strong shoulder pads, and rolled-up darted trousers with loose trench coats nonchalantly tied at the waist. Shorts, evoking those worn by the label's founder, Yves Saint Laurent, in his youth, were paired with bright and loose long-sleeved shirts and finished off with oversized sunglasses. The show marked Saint Laurent's official return to the fashion week fold after a two-and-a-half-year absence from the Paris men's fashion official calendar. Heads have been rolling across much of the luxury industry as bumper profits have evaporated, with brands grappling with a reduced appetite for luxury products. Saint Laurent's parent group Kering is no exception, with falling sales last year wiping 28 percent off its share price since the turn of the year. But shares shot back up 12 percent last week after former Renault boss Luca de Meo was named as Kering's new chief executive. Fashion buyer Alice Feillard of Galeries Lafayette, Europe's biggest department store chain, said the return of Saint Laurent creative director Anthony Vaccarello to men's fashion week was "rather a good thing", and would help reinforce the label's men's line. Saint Laurent, Vuitton kick off Paris men's fashion week - VIP-studded show - Festivities continued Tuesday night in front of the Pompidou Centre modern art museum with Louis Vuitton artistic director Pharrell Williams hosting a VIP-studded event before the architectural icon closes for a major overhaul. The US singer and producer who got the world dancing to his infectious hit "Happy", unveiled a quieter palette of earth tones, dusky pinks and rich browns, under the watchful eyes of US superstar Beyonce, music producer Jay-Z and film director Spike Lee. In a nod to the past, models wore shorts, and flared or cargo pants, paired with short-sleeved, unbuttoned shirts layered over retro white t-shirts. Models pushed large leather trunks adorned with a cartoonish safari print down the catwalk, echoing the fashion house's roots in luxury travel. Also at the show were US basketball legend LeBron James and San Antonio Spurs star Victor "Wemby" Wembanyama from France, both ambassadors for the brand. - Beachwear twist - Founded in 2015 by Ryota Iwai, the Tokyo-based clothing brand -- known for its meticulously crafted fabrics -- revisited its traditional urban roots with a summery, beachwear twist. In the courtyard of Paris's Archives National, swimsuits, bucket hats and flip flops sat alongside light cashmere poplin suits, soft leather and light calf hair garments. "There's a term in Japanese which means the winds of spring," Iwai said after the show, describing the mixture of blue skies and strong winds that inspired this collection. "In the same scene you'll have someone ready to go to the beach but then you'll have someone in a down jacket. That kind of odd balance is interesting," he said. Saint Laurent, Vuitton kick off Paris men's fashion week - Anderson's Dior debut - The packed six days of Paris shows are in stark contrast to London -- which cancelled its men's shows completely -- and the rather thinned-out line-up in Milan last week. The French capital will see a "rather dense programme with big headliners including Jonathan Anderson", who will be making his highly anticipated debut at Dior on Friday, said Adrien Communier of French GQ magazine. The Northern Irish designer is the first to oversee the men's, women's and haute couture lines at the fabled French house since its founder, Christian Dior. In all, some 70 brands will unveil their latest looks across 40 runway shows and 30 presentations that end late Sunday with the French label Jacquemus. Anderson, the son of former Irish rugby captain Willie Anderson, had previously turned around the rather fusty Spanish house Loewe. He was named as the head of Dior's women's collection earlier this month, replacing the Italian Maria Grazia Chiuri. —AFP
