Above: Nuno Kasane—tsugihagi patchwork made with NUNO remnants, 100% silk
By Patricia Belyea
TOKYO JP What’s next in textiles? Nuno, an innovative Japanese textile company holds lots of answers.
This afternoon I visited Nuno’s shop in Roppongi—an upscale district in Tokyo. There I was greeted by Orie Takashige, a young woman who studied weaving in London.
I asked Orie what’s the most unusual thing that Nuno has used to make fabric. After a moment’s thought, Orie pulled out a bolt of brown silk interwoven with real bird feathers.
Hanging in the window were two remarkable felted-wool hangings. Titled Threadstray, the artsy open-weave textiles can be bought as yardage.
Orie showed me a bolt that looked just like a roll of handmade Japanese paper. And it was! Big Egg is a textile made with layers of washi paper adhered together.
Another textile was machine embroidered with a overall pattern of decorated eggs and eggcups in blue thread.
Don't be fooled by this simple-looking striped pattern. Nuno created this jacquard-woven fabric using the weft to create the vertical stripes.
Every textile in Nuno has a narrative—the story of its conception, its collaboration with weavers and dyers, its journey forward with new technologies, and its creative resolve.
The shop also sells impeccable clothing, home goods, and accessories.
What are these, I asked Orie? I learned that these lengths of chemical lace can be worn as a necklace.
Also available are Nuno umbrellas produced by German manufacturer Knirps.
The textiles at Nuno have all been developed in-house and manifested with traditional Japanese dyeing and weaving companies.
Design Director Reiko Sudō has led Nuno for over 30 years. An avant-garde inventor and an advocate for sustainable practices, Sudō is recognized globally for her important textile work.
An exhibit, Sudō Reiko: Mak!ng NUNO Textiles, is traveling around the world. Currently the show is installed at the Contemporary Art Gallery in Mito JP until May 6, 2024.
To see a video about the exhibit +click here [6:58 video | Japan House London]
Obviously Nuno is another must-visit spot in Tokyo for textile lovers!
NUNO TOKYO
B1F AXIS Building, 5-17-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan 106-0032
Open: 11:00 - 19:00（Holidays - 18:30）Closed Sunday
Tel: 03-3582-7997 E-mail: info@nuno.com
Okan Arts Quilting & Textile Tours to Japan are open for booking. To learn more +click here
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ABOUT US: Okan Arts, a petite family business, is co-owned by mother-daughter duo Patricia Belyea and Victoria Stone. Patricia and Victoria sell Japanese textiles online, host creative quilting experiences, and lead quilting & textile tours to Japan.
FOLLOW OKAN ARTS ON INSTAGRAM @okanarts
Photo of Reiko Sudō is by Japan House London
