Late Showa Era - Nagoya - Hand-dyed Silk

THE MEANING

Rural village scenes in Japanese textile art depict everyday life - figures going about their day, traditional architecture, the rhythms of ordinary time. A celebration of the unremarkable made beautiful. The shibori exterior adds a second layer - geometric resist-dyeing practiced in Japan for centuries, each piece impossible to replicate exactly.

THE CRAFT

Shibori is a Japanese resist-dyeing technique where fabric is folded, bound or twisted by hand before dyeing. The dense geometric pattern on this piece is created through precise, repetitive binding - time-intensive work that produces a textural surface somewhere between woven and dyed. No two pieces are identical. The pocket is also shibori-dyed, in a complementary but slightly different pattern - a considered detail.

THE LINING

Open the jacket and a hand-painted village scene appears - figures in traditional Japanese dress, a tiled roof, trees, rendered in the ukiyo-e style on a cream silk ground. This is the kind of lining that stops people. It is entirely hidden from the outside and reveals itself only to the wearer and those close enough to see.

FABRIC & DETAILS

- 100% vintage silk

- Hand-dyed shibori exterior - dense geometric pattern in black and white

- Shibori-dyed pocket in complementary pattern

- Fully lined in cream silk - hand-painted ukiyo-e village scene

- Medium weight, soft drape

- Long cut - wears as a coat

- Sourced in Nagoya

FIT

One size. Fits Australian sizes 6-16. Long cut falls to the knee or below depending on height. Worn open and relaxed.

HOW TO WEAR IT

- Over a white shirt and dark trousers - the black and white exterior works with everything

- Over all black - let the lining be the private detail

- As an everyday coat in autumn and winter

ORIGIN & CONDITION

Sourced in Nagoya. Late Showa era. Very good vintage condition.

CARE

Dry clean only. Store away from direct sunlight.

SHIPPING & RETURNS

Free shipping within Australia. We also ship to the UK, Ireland, New Zealand and the United States. Returns accepted within 14 days of delivery - contact us at hello@himoandkimo.com to arrange. Return shipping costs are the responsibility of the customer.