Japanese textile brand Sione showcased a series of kimonos called I am your YUZEN at Milan Design Week last month. Created in collaboration with traditional Yuzen craftsmen, the kimonos are covered in an array of colourful dots - which represent the traditional technique used to mix colours before painting a kimono.
The ancient Yuzen technique has been used in Japan to dye high-end kimonos since 1700. Colours are first mixed on a silk cloth, with a rice paste applied to it so that each dot remains separate and distinct.
Once the silk cloth carries all the colours the Yuzen craftsperson needs, it is turned into a Fukusa, a cloth used for covering gifts. Covering a gift with a Fukusa holds a sentimental value, and indicates that the gift is sent with love and seasonal wishes.
