The techniques
The Method
The techniques
Urushi-e- 漆絵
Urushi-e is a lacquer technique that covers a few styles and techniques to finish a variety in materials with a hard and potentially shiny finish. Raden is one of these styles in the lacquerware technique using inlays of shell and ivory to decorate pieces. Maki-e is a variation where they use sprinkled gold or silver powder in combination with the lacquer to decorate. Originally it has been used on natural materials such as wood and metal.
Raden-螺鈿 and Maki-e-蒔絵
Kintsugi Embroidery
Embroidery is being used in many ways to repair and cover or reinforce weak points in garments and we apply this technique in this way. We treat the breakage and repair as part of the history of the garment, rather than something to disguise.
Kintsugi
Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum, a method similar to the maki-e technique. As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise.
(金継ぎ- "golden repair")
Sashiko
Traditionally used to reinforce points of wear or to repair worn places or tears with patches, making the darned piece ultimately stronger and warmer,this running stitch technique is often used for purely decorative purposes in quilting and embroidery.
刺し子- functional embroidery
In these times of hyper consumption and fast production it seems more important now than ever as a designer, producer, consumer and human being to think about how we value our garments and items. The Fashion and Design industry is built on our demand for quantity and image, whilst our products seem over time to depreciate and become less sustainable.
Mottainai (もったいない))
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a Japanese term that roughly translates to ‘don’t let it go to waste’.
We all have our favourite garments and jewellery pieces, but once they break or are worn down we seem to put them aside and move on to the next item. But what if we can give that item a second life where we can show it the love and value that it deserves?
The techniques that we used in our ‘made to order’ collection can be applied to items that you already own to avoid waste and devaluation. The cost to repair each item will differ depending on the time and technique applied.
Please find an explanation of the techniques below.
At the ‘Mottainai- repair your own events’ our customers and other people who are interested can learn how to apply these techniques to their own items. By investing the time and technique towards your or your friends’ items, it will give it more value and create awareness towards how we produce and consume everyday items.
For our upcoming events: click here.