A NEW WAVE OF SUSTAINABLE FASHION BORN FROM MATCHA
Introducing SEUVAS’ latest iteration of collection, a testament to the allure of matcha-derived dyes. "We seek to harness the vitality of plants," says SEUVAS' representative, Tatsuhiro Akashi, speaking to the essence of these garments. The journey to perfect these matcha-dyed pants involved about half a year of trial and error, resulting in a product distinguished by its gentle hues derived from plant-based pigments.
This matcha dyeing process represents a fusion of ancient Japanese dyeing techniques with modern technology. By incorporating a small percentage of chemical dyes, the fabric's unique look is preserved while preventing excess fading from sunlight, thus enhancing its longevity and appeal. Furthermore, this dyeing method minimizes the environmental impact of dye wastewater, contributing to the future of sustainable fashion.
SEUVAS's matcha dyeing is an exploration of garment production using natural materials, mindful of the environment. The dye, primarily composed of matcha, is enriched with leaves to create a unique texture and depth, with the final touches applied in a Kojima dyeing factory.
One might wonder if matcha dyeing results only in green hues, but it actually produces colors like gray and beige by utilizing the complex tannins found in matcha. Each piece is dyed by hand, embracing the warmth of craftsmanship and carefully created amidst the aroma of matcha.
SEUVAS introduced this new matcha dyeing to counter the challenges faced by the fashion industry, aiming to create fashion that is considerate of both the environment and people.
The fashion industry today is confronted with numerous issues, including environmental impact and deteriorating labor conditions. However, SEUVAS confronts these challenges head-on, striving to offer sophisticated fashion for the future, embodying a commitment to overcoming obstacles while paving the way for refined, future-oriented fashion.
LESSONS FROM THE PAST TO CREATE A BETTER FUTURE
The modern textile industry and general manufacturing is most often not synonymous with sustainable practices or principles. The relatively recent rise of fast fashion has greatly contributed to worldwide pollution, and at its current rate will continue to affect our ecosystems globally for years to come, that is, if changes are not duly made. Many estimates suggest that the global fashion industry is responsible for over 10% of global carbon emissions, and on its current trajectory, has the potential to grow to over 24% of the global carbon budget in the next 40 years. Fast fashion brands give little thought to preserving existing materials by reusing, recycling, or upcycling, and therefore it is also estimated that the effects of fast fashion produce around 92 million tons of material waste every single year, as well as contributing to local water pollution due to the mass use of toxic dyes and bleaches.
However, recent movements within the textile industry in Japan have been pioneering new ways both businesses and consumers interact with textiles in ways that are both beautiful, appealing, as well as sustainability focused.
Within Okayama Prefecture in the southern part of Japan’s main Honshu island, textile manufacturers have been combining modern and traditional production concepts in order to create textiles and garments that will leave little to no impact on the environment. These projects are the culmination of the old and the new; both traditional and contemporary manufacturing techniques that are being strategically blended in order to maintain the integrity of Japan’s textile tradition while ensuring there is no damage to the local ecosystem.
Recently SEUVAS, a canvas brand local to Okayama and its well-known Kojima district, is paving the way in how this new concept in manufacturing is being employed today. The idea is simple but robust; create long lasting, durable, reusable and recyclable garments which are made sustainably from start to finish. SEUVAS has brought together local craftsmen from the surrounding areas to engage in this production ethos.
They source their canvas material directly from Takeyari Canvas, a well renowned and respected institution that has been operating in Okayama for over 100 years. Their extremely high quality canvas is produced using a waterless manufacturing method, and because they work directly with the artisans at SEUVAS, the reusability and repairability of garments made from these materials is greatly increased. Owing to the resilience and durability of this canvas fabric, the sustainable nature of these garments is also due in large part to the sheer longevity of the clothing itself. Long lasting, lifetime garments ensure, simply, that less products are needed to be made, less materials are used, and therefore there is a net reduction in environmental impact.
CRAFTING A COMMUNITY WITH TATSUHIRO AKASHI
BORN IN THE SPIRIT OF ADAPTATION
Okayama Prefecture’s long tradition of high quality manufacturing was not born out of pure coincidence.
The district of Kojima, translated literally as “child’s island,” has long been hailed as a mecca for crafted goods by enthusiasts worldwide. However when you look at Kojima on a map, you will not see an island, but instead a crescent shaped peninsula. This is due to the fact that modern Kojima is primarily made up of reclaimed tideland. The waters and wetlands that once surrounded this island, now reformed peninsula, were exceedingly high in salt content, and therefore the reclaimed land was wholly unsuitable for growing common food crops such as rice and barley. High salinity in the groundwater presented a huge challenge for traditional agriculture projects; so instead the people of Kojima pivoted to cultivating cotton, coinciding with the rapid industrial boom of the Meiji Period (1868-1912). Thus Kojima, and many of its surrounding areas within Okayama Prefecture, were completely transformed into the manufacturing hub that it is today.
These newly formed local industries began producing everything from simple raw cotton fabrics to fully completed textiles. Naturally, garment production began to grow in this area, starting with traditional kimono sashes and cords. Slowly the market demand changed along with the development of technology to create thicker cotton fabrics, eventually leading to the production of materials which the region is widely known for today: canvas and denim.
GENERATIONS IN MANUFACTURING
Today, tucked away down a narrow side street in the hills of Kurashiki, Tatsuhiro Akashi is fostering a new generation of craftsmen all from inside an unassuming three story sewing factory. Akashi himself comes from a long line of craftsmen working within the local industries for which Okayama is famous. His grandfather was involved in the production of school uniforms (an industry which Okayama is particularly well-known for domestically) and produced shirts for public schools all across Japan.
Akashi, being the latest generation in his own family of craftsmen, was now tasked with taking on an entirely new challenge within an industry so heavily steeped in tradition.
For decades, Okayama has been synonymous with world-class denim production, and this is not without good reason. Okayama’s denim is undoubtedly just that; world-class and well-known for its extremely high quality and traditional production methods. However, an unintended consequence of Okayama denim’s spotlight is that it unintentionally overshadows many of the other incredible textiles and crafts being produced within the same region. Akashi, starting at his sewing factory in Kurashiki, began looking for ways to bring other local textiles, specifically Okayama canvas or hanpu, back to the forefront of the Japanese textile space.
ESTABLISHING A NEW IDENTITY
For most of its history, the canvas being produced in Okayama was used almost entirely for industrial purposes. Ship sails, conveyor belts, rail cargo sheets and tents, straining cloths for the production of sake and soy sauce; Okayama’s canvas was known for its ruggedness and industrial utility but had little to no identity in the modern garment space. This left Akashi with a unique opportunity, a literal “blank canvas,” to use as a means to innovate within the local manufacturing community, while still utilizing one of the region’s most prominent textiles.
Naturally, he went straight to the source. A stone’s throw away from Tatsuhiro Akashi’s sewing factory is Takeyari Canvas, the premier canvas producer in the region, one that has been manufacturing canvas for well over a century. Looking to go beyond their usual commercially purposed goods and branch out into new garment projects themselves, a collaboration with Akashi fit perfectly into their own aspirations to innovate in the space. Through this relationship, the fundamental groundwork had been laid, but now Akashi had to find a way to radically transform the composition of this robust textile.
The project started small; a two-man team of Akashi-san and a local needleworker who began experimenting with new sewing and washing methods in order to make this sturdy canvas material into a wearable, form fitting, functional garment. Adapting this fabric, one wholly synonymous with the workspaces and waist belts used by craftsmen themselves, was a groundbreaking endeavour within a community that historically clung to its strict traditions in manufacturing and design. The needleworker did the sewing and made the major stitching patterns, while Akashi handled the cutting and finishing. Soon a viable prototype for Okayama canvas derived clothing was ready.
Akashi initially decided to work within the established circle of crafted clothing brands upon the development of his garment ready canvas. He began to sell via the OEM model, selling garment components to other fashion brands adjacent to his local community of craftsmen. However, he soon leaned towards establishing his own brand, one made entirely from his uniquely modified canvas. Creating his own brand would allow him to have complete control over design, volume, as well as potential collaborations. This has ultimately culminated in his current venture; blending garment ready canvas and timeless designs, all produced from within his own sewing factory.
SEUVAS, an aptly named portmanteau of “sewn canvas,” seeks to be the culmination of Tatsuhiro Akashi’s aesthetic vision of merging traditionally crafted textiles with innovations in design, while also being the avenue for which he can help build and preserve the local community of craftsmen in Okayama and the rest of Japan. Today, Akashi employs and collaborates exclusively with a network of local craftsmen to preserve the art of Japanese manufacturing while also bringing up a new generation of artisans.
Akashi believes in strength through collaboration. In developing the essence of his new brand, he went forward and immediately integrated artisan collaborations in his canvas garments. Each one of SEUVAS’ canvas derived jackets and shirts is accented with a handmade and hand painted ceramic top button, one supplied by their skilled friends at +botao in Kagoshima Prefecture. In addition to that, Akashi has now begun incorporating all-natural botanical dyes from the historic HOWA CO. dye factory, also located in Okayama. These dyes are made using local ingredients and utilized via the long standing traditional dyeing techniques Japan is known for. These collaborations establish further cross-discipline cooperation within the Japanese community of craftsmen while breathing new life into each garment that they make.
While growing along with and uplifting the local community of craftsmen adjacent to Tatsuhiro Akashi and his brand, within the walls of his own sewing factory, Akashi is making strides to foster an entirely new generation of craftsmen. He brings in local graduates of the nearby vocational schools and trains them in his unique sewing techniques. Over the course of six months, these aspiring needleworkers practice sewing fundamentals, until moving on to making over twenty garment samples before starting to sew official products.
Many of these sewing techniques, old and new, were preserved almost entirely within an oral tradition. And so as a means of further bolstering this new generation of craftsmen, Akashi began to develop instruction manuals from scratch with the help of his more experienced needleworkers. Soon they had developed a fully flushed out process for which aspiring craftsmen in this textile industry could learn and grow their skills within this field.
IN PURSUIT OF BEAUTY
Since the beginning, the spirit of adaptation has defined this unique network of Japanese craftsmen. It is this merging of adaptability with tradition that has made the works of these craftsmen so highly prized and recognized the world over. In many areas, innovation came at the cost of tradition, and yet, in the case of Tatsuhiro Akashi and his new generation of craftsmen, these innovations and collaborations are ultimately serving to preserve these historic industries in the long run. This network of artisans is pushing the envelope while staying true to the roots of the industries it was born in. Akashi is hoping to grow the scope of this network, and further push the boundaries of canvas garments and the community that creates them.
DYEING TO LIVE: MOVING TOWARDS THE FUTURE BY EMBRACING THE PAST
Japanese traditional textiles and fabric dyeing is an art that is heavily reliant on the visual perception of color. How these hues, tones, shades, and textures adhere to the textile and give it life, will wholly define the aesthetic impact of the base textile and its eventual finished garment. Generations of Japanese craftsmen dedicated their lives to developing these traditional dyeing techniques, and through this process they were able to establish unique color palettes using locally available materials.
Traditional Japanese textile dyeing is largely characterized by the use of botanical dyes, i.e. dyes which utilize natural, plant derived, and often local ingredients to create unique and dynamic colors. These dyes and dyeing techniques have existed in Japan since well before the modern era. However, as modernity and modern manufacturing techniques were introduced to Japan in the late 19th century, these traditional dyeing methods became somewhat threatened by the emerging efficacy of new chemical dyeing processes.
During the Meiji period, Japanese dyeing and weaving techniques were confronted by a wave of new manufacturing technologies from the Western World. Japanese traditional textile development methods at the time were incomparable to the productive capacity of a textile industry that had become totally industrialized, and thus found their existence seriously threatened. Craftsmen did not hesitate, however, to respond to these new developments. They actively adopted many advanced manufacturing techniques and started importing chemical dyes and power looms. The success of modernization, however, represented a major problem for the future of Japan’s natural and traditional techniques of dyeing and weaving. Although manual techniques did not lend themselves to the needs of modern industry, they had a long history of development that had begun well before the introduction of modern manufacturing.
The modern continuation of hand dyeing and weaving in modern Japan is not only a preservation of tradition, but a means of exploring uniquely Japanese artistic sensibilities.
Until now, even many traditional dyeing crafts in Japan had stopped using natural dye materials as chemical dye materials were easy to use and less costly. These changes impacted not only Japanese craft and culture but that of many cultures all over the world, with the loss of traditional skills of dyeing with natural dye materials. However, in lieu of these developments in large-scale chemical dyeing, the traditions that once began to fade have become reborn in the heart of Japan’s textile manufacturing center.
Tinted hands emerge from the vat, covered in trickling beads of fermenting natural dye. The sun is shining in Kojima, but a few stray clouds bounce spots of shade on the vat’s surface as a freshly dyed canvas shirt emerges from the dark liquid. While we watch, the color seems to change as the dye oxidizes and is hit intermittently by rays of sunlight.
This shirt has just been imbued with all the properties of Kakishibu; a dye made from fermented persimmon juice. The tannin that lives within this dye will not only give this garment a beautiful, rust-like color, but will also give it unique insect deterrent and anti-mold properties. This is the first dip in the vat, one of ten, where the shirt will be hung to dry in the sunlight each day. This completely natural dyeing process, one which has been in use since the 13th century, lives on today in a quiet, mountainous section of Okayama Prefecture's Kojima district.
If Kojima is the holy land of Japanese textiles, then the Howa dyeing factory is sacred ground.
Through a narrow side street, and up a steep mountain road, is the Howa factory’s main building. Since its founding in 1965, Howa has been a leader in the textile industry, specifically as a company that preserves and utilizes traditional textile dyeing and washing techniques. Howa, like many of the manufacturers in Kojima, got its start in denim production. They were the pioneers of the now prevalent stone washing technique; one where jeans are washed with pumice in a large rotating drum. They soon moved on to developing their own dyeing techniques. Owing to the prevalence of high-quality denim for which Kojima is known for, artisans at Howa began to do extensive indigo dyeing. While keeping with the long-standing manufacturing traditions of the region, they also began innovating and experimenting along the way. They developed their “Super Black” processing method, dyeing blue jeans in black dye, adding a long stone wash, and eventually creating a totally unique color that is a subtle but startling combination of deep blues and shades of black. This, along with their invention of a more environmentally friendly “Eco-Bleach,” solidified them as innovators in the space while also maintaining the traditions and ideals of the region.
Today, they are fully embracing the long held traditions of Japanese botanical dyeing. Craftsmen at Howa, via their recent partnership with canvas brand SEUVAS, are now integrating all natural dyes derived from materials such as madder root for reds, betel nut palm to produce browns and greys, as well as different kinds of mordants which combine with the dyes and fixes them to the desired material. We were able to witness the hand-dyeing of a SEUVAS jacket in persimmon dye firsthand. This persimmon dye, or kakishibu, was made nearby in Nara Prefecture, while many of the other botanical dyes are made on-site straight from their raw material. With Kakishibu specifically, the craftsmen at Howa painstakingly balance the depth of the color of these naturally dyed garments by controlling the amount of time the dye is exposed to sunlight and air. The more exposure, the darker and deeper the color becomes. This is fully in line with the methods of the past, but ensures the garment is beautifully crafted and the color is fundamentally unique to each garment. This reintegration of the old techniques is in many ways a breakthrough within the modern industry, while also rejuvenating the methods of the past to create a more sustainable future.
This shift to natural dyeing is a push towards more eco-friendly practices and a move away from the chemical dyes of mass production. Howa is a group of artisans which is teaming up with other local artisans to revive and preserve historical production techniques which also facilitate a cleaner world for the future. This presents a fundamental change in how textiles are being produced for the modern market. These current collaborations and innovations of old manufacturing processes are a future-facing shift in ideas that are front running many other domestic textile projects. Particularly with SEUVAS, local and sustainably produced canvas garments are now being integrated with these incredibly beautiful botanical dyes, pushing this new wave of textile development from within the local community, while also inspiring other craftsmen to innovate in the same way in both Japan and abroad.
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