VOL.10 | HAND DYE NYLON
2021.08.28
The seasonal material for ATON 2021/FW, Hand Dye Nylon, was hand-dyed plain in the tie-dyeing production area.
Tie-dye is the name of the oldest pattern dyeing technique in the world and is said to have been used since approximately BC. In Japan, shibori was used as the highest level of ceremonial dress for aristocratic women in the old days, and many shibori-dyed cloths from that time remain as treasures in the Shosoin.
Tie-dyeing used to be widely practised in many parts of Japan, but today there are only three major tie-dyeing production areas left: Kyoto (Kanoko tie-dyeing), Oita (Bungo tie-dyeing) and Aichi (Narumi tie-dyeing).
Narumi shibori is a dyeing technique that began more than 400 years ago in Narumi-machi, Midori-ku, Nagoya, where there was a cotton production area relatively close by, making it easy to obtain cotton, and tie-dyed yukata and tenugui hand towels were often produced.
During the Edo period (1603-1867), the town flourished as the 41st post town on the road connecting Edo (Tokyo) and Kyoto (the 53rd leg of the Tokaido Highway), with all sorts of people coming and going, from the shoguns and feudal lords to merchants and townspeople.
Originally, tie-dyeing developed in the neighbouring town of Arimatsu, which was established on the Tokaido Highway (Arimatsu), where the land was not suitable for farming, so the town focused on tie-dyeing and decided to make a living from it.
At first, they dyed cotton shibori with indigo and began selling hand towels and reins hanging from the eaves. Later, they started dyeing silk cloth with shibori red and purple. Later, they also sold their shibori in the neighbouring village of Narumi, which is why they are also known as Narumi shibori.
We brought the nylon materials to a tie-dye artisans in the Narumi area and decided to dye them one by one by hand.
At the beginning of the request, they were puzzled because the material was not silk or cotton, which they were used to dyeing, but after dyeing several times as a test, we found that they could dye the material in the same process as silk, and the craftsman established the dyeing process for nylon.
The process involves pouring hot water and dye at the right temperature into a metal skid, stirring it with a stick and mixing the dye several times while checking the colour with their own eyes. When the colour matches, the product or fabric is finally added and the dye is stirred with a stick in a circular motion.
Although the craftsmen do not share their detailed know-how with us, I felt while watching them several times from the side that it is very difficult for the colour to change according to the temperature, unlike when it is done by machine.
The dyeing process is completed in about 100 minutes by repeating the same process of dyeing, colour check and dyeing three or four times, and the dyeing process is completed after washing in water.
The final finishing process is also done by hand. It is a trade secret and cannot be explained in detail, but it is still a process carried out by craftsmen. The human hand is able to finish fabrics and products with natural wrinkles, which is not possible in mass production by machines.
In order to make chemical fibres such as nylon look more like natural fibres, these traditional Japanese techniques and craftsmanship are indispensable for ATON's production.
HAND DYE NYLON | CYCLING JACKET
COLOR | GRAY / BROWN / BLACK
SIZE | 02/S , 04/M , 06/L
PRICE | 42,000yen + tax
MATERIAL | NYLON 100%
MADE IN JAPAN
Oversized pullover jacket modelled on an old cycling jacket. Features a diagonal concealed fastening at the front, a voluminous neck and a dolman-sleeve silhouette.
HAND DYE NYLON | OVER PANTS
COLOR | GRAY / BROWN / BLACK
SIZE | 02/S , 04/M , 06/L
PRICE | 33,000yen + tax
MATERIAL | NYLON 100%
MADE IN JAPAN
Trousers modelled on the US military overpants worn in the snowy mountains, updated. The design of the waist and hem details is retained, and the added hem spindles can be squeezed to create a different silhouette.
HAND DYE NYLON | TCUK FLARED SKIRT
COLOR | GRAY / BROWN / BLACK
SIZE | 01/S , 02/M
PRICE | 39,000yen + tax
MATERIAL | NYLON 100%
MADE IN JAPAN
Full-length skirt with a large fold at the front. The design is characterised by the way the front and back flare out in very different ways. It creates a shimmering effect not found in other skirts.
