Dyeing with plants that grow in this area
We perform indigo dyeing and plant dyeing,
starting from growing the plants
or foraging them.
It's about expressing the nature of the land through "color."
And we aim to make environmentally conscious manufacturing
the norm
for a better future.
Itoshiro Seihin-ten aims to create products that are unique to this land.
For both indigo dyeing and plant dyeing, we value using plants that grow in this area.
Indigo dyeing starts from tilling the soil and sowing seeds.
Plant dyeing starts from foraging plants in fields and mountains.
Feeling the change of seasons and being grateful for nature's bounty,
creating things fills us with a rich sense of satisfaction.
With such feelings, we carefully and diligently dye each piece of fabric by hand.
Plant Dyeing Indigo Dyeing
Plant Dyeing
We meticulously and slowly dye fabrics using an abundance of plants available in each season. We prioritize collecting common plants grown in Itoshiro by hand whenever possible.
Even with the same plant, the color of plant dyes subtly changes each year depending on the condition of the plant itself and the dyeing method. Furthermore, mordants allow for a variety of expressions.
While there's the challenge of not being able to reproduce the exact same color in clothing production, we embrace the unique colors of each moment and are excited about how we can present them to everyone.
We hope to share the rich, deep colors of plants and flowers with many people.
Seasonal Plant Colors
March-April: Cherry Blossoms
We dye using cherry branches broken by the weight of snow. It dyes into a gentle cherry blossom pink, like the color of the flowers.
May: Cedar
It's always a mystery how such a color can come from green leaves. Depending on the season, it can be an orangey yellow or a pale yellow.
June: Himejion (Philadelphia Fleabane)
From when flower buds appear until the flowers bloom. It dyes from a gentle beige to a deep yellow.
July: Akaso (Boehmeria sieboldiana)
From when flower buds appear to the flowering season. Enjoy a gradient from pinkish beige to a strong reddish pink.
August: Walnut
Collecting leaves yields beige/brown; applying iron produces a deep brown.
September: Marigold
Grown as an insecticide, we pick the flowers when they bloom and gather them to dye a golden yellow. Applying iron also creates khaki.
October: Chestnut
Chestnut burrs yield a light brown, and applying iron produces an elegant gray.
November: Loquat
Using the leaves, we get salmon pink, and depending on the season, even orange-pink.
Indigo Dyeing
From May to September, we perform indigo dyeing using only natural materials in four indigo vats, fermented with lye. During this period, we stir the indigo vats every single day, sometimes nourishing them to activate the color, caring for them as if they were our own children. Just like plant dyeing, indigo dyeing then reveals unique shades depending on the season, time, and the care given. Even after many years of cultivating indigo from seed and seeing the indigo blue emerge from green leaves grown in the field, I am still captivated by its mystery and deep colors.
Rooted in the land of Itoshiro
Learning wisdom, techniques, and "spirit" from our ancestors
Creative craftsmanship unique to us
Sharing the wisdom learned from our predecessors.
"Tatsuke to the World"