Kyoto Design Lab
THE STORY OF CHIRIMEN
2018

Research programme on Chirimen Silk from the Tango Peninsula, Japan. Scholarship in Kyoto Institute of Technology at the Textiles Summer School run by Professor Julia Cassin.

I got selected to go on a two-week research programme in Kyoto and Kyotango Peninsula, to work in Kyoto Institute of Technology, with a 4 day trip to visit the factories in Kyotango Peninsula and final project development in the University. There was an international team, access to high tech machinery and research based archives.

Collaborating Partners:

Royal College of Art (RCA)
University of the Arts London (UAL)
Design Academy Eindhoven (DAE)
Kyoto Saga University of the Arts
Kyoto Prefectural Institute for Northern Industry

The Story of Chirimen project was focused on designing new outcomes for the chirimen fabric (a silk woven fabric shrinked in precision after being woven). The context of this industry is on decay due to the cheap overload of fabric alternatives to silk being produced not only in Japan but world wide.

Traditionally, Chirimen was specially fabricated for kimono and highly represented in Kyoto’s outskirts, Kyotango peninsula. After visiting the factories and learning every aspect of the production, I underwent a designing period where the consequent outcomes were presented to the kyotango peninsula city council directors, a large group of producers, researchers and artisans from the region.

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READ FULL INTERVIEW HERE.

Design Lab presentations to local artisans and industry

My final proposal was a product for a health care, where the wax from the silkworms gets released into the skin when heating up the prints. The silk warm residue called sericin is high in nutrients and very beneficial for the skin. It comprised the concern for high water waste in this industry, functional printing, and re-imagination of kimono traditional patterns and color codes.

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