LEATHER FASHION DESIGN MAGAZINE
“Tie dye is one of the keywords that have shown the biggest increase in popularity, according to a study by Lyst, the fashion industry search engine . . . From the catwalks to the streets, tie dye symbolises hope and freedom.”
THE COMPANY
Thirteen years ago, Makoto Horii, the son of a Tokyo-based bag maker, met Naoyuki Asai, an indigo dyer of kimono in Kyoto.
Traditions were being lost, and as second generation artisans, both men saw their volumes of work declining. The two men decided to join forces to adapt the traditional method of textile dyeing with indigo to leather, with the ambition of developing a unique craft.
CRAFT
The cultivation of indigo plants and the production of indigo dye can be traced back to the 10th century in Tokushima. The ancient province where it began bore the name Awa, which became known as “Japan Blue”.
The leaves of the indigo plant are grown and harvested by Yoshiharu Toyama, according to a method that was awarded Intangible Cultural Heritage status in 1978.
SUKUMO LEATHER
The dyeing is done by Naoyuki Asai in Kyoto, using the traditional technique of Japanese batik, which has been practised for more than 600 years. While the climate is ideal for the indigo plant, Makoto Horii sources leather from Spanish or North American tanneries, selecting the best quality. The dye can be used on all types of leather, although he recognizes that chrome-tanned leather offers longer lasting colour and a wider palette of shades. For those who prefer vegetable-tanned leather, Sukumo Leather will consider this on request, depending on the quantities required.
The skins are dipped into dye baths more than forty times over one to two weeks, to obtain a lighter or deeper shade of blue. The sodden skins are allowed to dry for up to a night between each soaking, as the indigotin molecule turns blue when exposed to the air.
CREATIONS
The company supplies leading fashion houses with dyed leathers for the production of jackets, bags, or sneakers, and collaborates on interior design projects. All the techniques used to dye kimono, such as shibori and ita-shibori (better known as tie-dye and batik) are applied to leather. The resulting bespoke material has ten times the value of the raw hide.
where can SUKUMO LEATHER be found?
The company currently has five employees and is based in Tokyo, its largest market, but at the beginning of this year, it also opened a new office in London.
Sukumo Leather recently took part in a pop-up store at the historic PMQ in Hong Kong’s Central district, the ideal place to discover the creative gems of the East. They also regularly take part in Maison d’Exceptions, an exclusive annual event within Première Vision.
LEATHER FASHION MAGAZINE
Editorial Director - Juliette Sebille
Photographer - Corinne Jamet
Website - www.leatherfashiondesign.fr
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