Story of the Material – Kansai Noguchi -
UNDECORATED's concept is embodied in the meaning of its brand name: "unadorned." To allow the wearer to appreciate the beauty of the materials, the brand takes an approach of "first selecting the material, then designing for that material," striving for meaningful material creation and garment production. This journal is a series that introduces key brand stories, from material creation to design philosophy. This time, we will introduce the "Kansai Noguchi Series," which incorporates potter Kansai Noguchi's drawing "Reincarnation" into textiles.
Printing screens divided into fine meshes.
What we pursued with this series was "expressing the delicate touch unique to hand-drawn work." For this, we commissioned a hand-printing factory in Yokohama, which boasts one of Japan's leading hand-printing techniques.
As mentioned earlier, to express the delicate brushstrokes and depth of a handwritten piece, even though it's a single color, the plate-making process was divided into three screens.
This is quite labor-intensive, and the number of artisans who can achieve the desired finish is limited, so extremely high skill is required to produce such subtle gradations.
The photo above shows the screens being washed after printing. After this, the screens are sun-dried.
As shown in the photo, the artisan carefully applies the print from top to bottom with a consistent speed and pressure.
Although automatic printing by machines has become mainstream recently, for patterns that prioritize the delicate texture of hand-drawn work like this one, the expression would be significantly different. Therefore, all printing is done by hand, and the resulting natural blend with the fabric is one of the key characteristics of this textile.
The hand-printing process may seem simple at first glance, but quickly and evenly applying the dye to the fabric and then swiftly moving to the next panel is a highly difficult skill that requires many years of experience. We feel the impressiveness of the artisan in how they make something truly difficult look easy.
The photo above shows the fabric from a "test print" to check the finish of the hand printing. As you can see, the gradation of the paint and the dynamism of the brushstrokes are faithfully reproduced.
To express these vivid patterns, including gradations and fading, we used a fine-mesh, high-density 100% cotton typewriter fabric. During the post-printing process, we aimed for a washed-out feel that puts as little strain on the fabric as possible, without excessively setting it.
The following three items offer a soft and comfortable fit, thanks to the cotton typewriter material that the designer meticulously finished to preserve the fabric's texture. They are sure to be a great asset, especially in the upcoming warm seasons.
"KANSAI NOGUCHI" S/S Shirt ¥31,900
"KANSAI NOGUCHI" Pants ¥40,700
"KANSAI NOGUCHI" Dress ¥46,200
Printing screens divided into fine meshes.
What we pursued with this series was "expressing the delicate touch unique to hand-drawn work." For this, we commissioned a hand-printing factory in Yokohama, which boasts one of Japan's leading hand-printing techniques.
As mentioned earlier, to express the delicate brushstrokes and depth of a handwritten piece, even though it's a single color, the plate-making process was divided into three screens.
This is quite labor-intensive, and the number of artisans who can achieve the desired finish is limited, so extremely high skill is required to produce such subtle gradations.
The photo above shows the screens being washed after printing. After this, the screens are sun-dried.
As shown in the photo, the artisan carefully applies the print from top to bottom with a consistent speed and pressure.
Although automatic printing by machines has become mainstream recently, for patterns that prioritize the delicate texture of hand-drawn work like this one, the expression would be significantly different. Therefore, all printing is done by hand, and the resulting natural blend with the fabric is one of the key characteristics of this textile.
The hand-printing process may seem simple at first glance, but quickly and evenly applying the dye to the fabric and then swiftly moving to the next panel is a highly difficult skill that requires many years of experience. We feel the impressiveness of the artisan in how they make something truly difficult look easy.
The photo above shows the fabric from a "test print" to check the finish of the hand printing. As you can see, the gradation of the paint and the dynamism of the brushstrokes are faithfully reproduced.
To express these vivid patterns, including gradations and fading, we used a fine-mesh, high-density 100% cotton typewriter fabric. During the post-printing process, we aimed for a washed-out feel that puts as little strain on the fabric as possible, without excessively setting it.
The following three items offer a soft and comfortable fit, thanks to the cotton typewriter material that the designer meticulously finished to preserve the fabric's texture. They are sure to be a great asset, especially in the upcoming warm seasons.
"KANSAI NOGUCHI" S/S Shirt ¥31,900
"KANSAI NOGUCHI" Pants ¥40,700
"KANSAI NOGUCHI" Dress ¥46,200
