Textiles, Design and Style in Japanese Fashion - Research Paper Example

Textiles, Design and Style in Japanese Fashion Question: Yohji Yamamoto once said: ‘ Fabric is everything. Often I tell my pattern makers, “ Just listen to the material what is going to say? Just wait. Probably the material will teach you something. “ Considering this quotation, discuss the relationship between textile and garment in Japanese fashion design. Introduction The purpose of this paper is to discuss the relationship between textiles and garments in Japanese fashion design. It will be argued that technologically advanced and innovative Japanese textiles form the basis for the new fashion trends. An important element of Japanese fashion design is the type of fabric and its manufacturing process. Ground-breaking new textile technologies are used to manufacture novel types of fabrics. These are used to create garments that reflect the appearance of architecture. The Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto stated that fabric was an important component in designing clothes. He advised his pattern makers to be guided by the fabric when designing a garment. According to Anna Battista, 2011, he told them to “just listen to the material. What is it going to say? Just wait. The material will probably teach you something”1, emphasizing the role of textiles in clothing. The work of Japanese clothing designers is often considered as extraordinarily original, unwearable, difficult to understand, provoking reactions, and challenging the use of normal fashion vocabulary. Fashion critics frequently apply the terminology of art and architecture to the work of these designers. However, Bradley Quinn states that Japanese fashion cannot be understood on the basis of their construction or function “because these clothes are made to be worn by the mind as well as the body”2. Japanese designers use the deconstructive method of changing the codes of classical tailoring, breaking down traditional techniques of construction, disregarding the contours of the body, and transforming the notions related to the garments’ shape and design3. Further, Japanese designers also consider technology, experimentation, procedure, and technique as extremely important elements of fashion design. Hence, the finished apparel includes the processes of designing and manufacture of the fabric and garment. Innovative Japanese Textile Technology: Futuristic Techno-Fabrics in High Fashion Apparel The post-war regeneration and economic boom propelled Japan’s development into a modern state, and facilitated the country’s importing of Western ideas in creativity and innovation along with their manufacturing and industry. It also promoted Japan’s rise to the position of world leader in the technological development of textiles4. Several designers such as Junya Watanabe, Michiko Koshino, Yoshiki Hishinuma and Koji Hamai were considered as the fore-runners of Japanese fashion in London, Paris and New York. Others who experimented successfully included Rei Kawakubo, Issey Miyake, and Yohji Yamamoto. Besides the use of high-technology and architectural impacts, Quinn adds that their designs have “influences from the ancient Nara and Edo periods, including the kimono, the quilted silk kosode and Noh costumes”5. Designs considered unwearable earlier, are presented at catwalk events “so extraordinary that they are more akin to performance art or installations”6, reiterates Quinn. There is a merging of the spheres of fashion attire and textile design, with the production of new types of materials through evolution in textile manufacturing. To avoid creating a uniform look, Quinn notes that “several labels are turning to traditional processes, couture principles and craft techniques”7. This helps fashion houses to differentiate their clothing from mass-produced fashionbrands, using both novel and conventional techniques to create appealing looks in fashion wear. The off the rack, bulk-manufactured street fashion in contemporary Japan is both distinctive and varied8. New types of raw materials are used to create varieties of high-tech fabrics, with the help of innovative technological processes supporting the adaptation of industrial materials. Thus, Quinn observes that “lightweight metals, reinforced plastics, glass fibres, and industrial mesh are crafted into shapes more characteristic of architecture than clothing”9. Thus, technofashions are based on the materials and shapes usually found in building sites, instead of in garment design studios. The built environment serves as a major muse for the designers, who reflect the moulded shapes, geometrical outlines, and rigid forms of buildings and constructions in their fashion apparel10. Examples of architectural elements in clothing are found in Issey Miyake’s work. The designer’s fashion garment named as “Minaret” Dress created for Spring/ Summer 1994, echoes the tall slender spire atop a tower adjoining an Islamic mosque, or replicates the architectural rondels carved at the top and bottom of pillars in large buildings and constructions. The polyester fabric in plain weave used in the apparel has a design of broad stripes. The strong yarns of the synthetic material are best suited for the garment design. Stretched vertically, the fabric pleated and heat-pressure set over stiff plastic hoops in a gradation of sizes, does not take the body contours into consideration, and creates an aesthetic architectural form (Fig.1)11. Fig.1. Issey Miyake’s “Minaret Dress” Spring/ Summer 1994 Fig.1, Issey Miyake, “Minaret Dress”, 1994. Polyester plain weave, pleated and heat-and-pressure set over plastic hoops. Spring/ Summer 1994 Collection12. Innovative textile technology includes the use of high heat at melting point of finishes used in textiles, to create textured fabrics with pleats and creases13 (Figs.2 and 3). Fig.2. Polyester Fabric Creased by Heat Setting Fig.3. Origami Pleats in Woven Folds Issey Miyake’s has designed fashion apparel by reproducing the Japanese art of paper folding known as origami (Figs.4, 5, 6 and 7). The 132 5. Collection has five sides, and replicates the appearance of deconstructive architecture. According to Nikos Salingaros and Christopher Alexander the new concept of deconstruction has dismantled “traditional literature, art and architecture”14. Deconstruction breaks up coherent forms. In architecture it is characterized by broken lines and lopsided asymmetrical shapes, creating an idea of destruction of conventional principles. Issey Miyake’s collection title of 132 5. reveals the relationship between fabric and garment. From the beginning of his career in fashion clothing, Miyake’s work was based on his trademark concept of ‘one piece of cloth’. Miyake, 2012 explains that this method investigates the basic relationship “between the body, the cloth that covers it, and the space and room that is created between these elements, divesting itself of the labels of ‘East’ or ‘West’”15. Miyake’s approach to clothing design employed a single thread of fabric to visualize the actual garment to be created. Using cutting-edge synthetic technologies, he also brought traditional methods of weaving and dyeing back to life16. Japanese designers like Issey Miyake and Yohji Yamamoto conventionally looked to technology “to find new materials to work with, which surpassed the labour intensive production associated with organic fabrics”17 according to Quinn, and they created new fibre weaving techniques and dyeing procedures. For example, some of the manufacturing by-products such as glass are recycled and used in the sustainable production of lightweight, breathable, completely biodegradable fabrics, such as those used in Miyake’s 132 5. Collection. This initiative emphasizes the intelligent and vital use of technology for sustainability and alternate design innovation in garment industries18. Oijala, 2012 reiterates that recycled polyester is the main material used, and the design does not allow wastage or the requirement for cutting and sewing. Plastic bottles and fleece material form the source for pulverized and melted polyethylene terephthalate (PET), whose broken down molecules are recycled into high quality polyester. Oijala, 2012 observes that “the fiber does not degrade after processing unlike virgin polyester manufactured from raw petroleum”19 (Figs.4, 5, 6, 7). Fig.4. Miyake’s 132 5. Collection: Origami Folded Five-Dimensional Garments Figs.4, 5, 6 and 7, Issey Miyake, “132 5. Collection”, November 2010. Hi-tech new polyester fabric made from recycled plastic bottles. The Collection was first exhibited at Miyake’s design space 21_21 Design Sight in Tokyo’s midtown20. Fig.5. The Origami Folds: Artistic Beauty Fig.6. Origami Fold Dresses from Issey Miyake’s 132 5. Collection Fig.7. Issey Miyake’s 132 5. Collection: Evolution of the Origami Folded Dress Issey Miyake’s Origami-folded clothes collection 132 5. developed from the use of computer graphics in design, includes “ten large identical pieces of material that are pleated and subsequently formed into blouses, trousers, skirts and dresses”21 states Oijala, 2012. Folding a flat piece of fabric using the traditional origami technique, the unfolded 3D item of fashion clothing is rendered more flexible for use with hidden snaps and darts already worked into the fabric. The numerical title of the collection as: 132 5. denotes the design process used in constructing the garments. The number 1 indicates the single piece of cloth that becomes three-dimensional as represented by the number 3. It can be refolded into its two-dimensional condition, denoted by the number 2; further after the garment is worn, the number 5 after the space indicates the temporal dimension that is produced, portraying the future or the next aspect of progress22. According to Quinn, 2010, for Kagami’s Spring/ Summer 2002 Collection during London Fashion Week, the designer presented the glass skirt “worn with a simplistic top constructed in several abstract panels; a disjointed section folding over one arm in place of a sleeve”23 (Fig.8). Kei Kagami’s design details like exposed zips which disclose the garment’s construction process, and transparent fabrics that reveal yet protect the body, help to avoid the ruptured look of fashions inspired by deconstruction architecture such as Issey Miyake’s24. For making the glass skirt from the fragile and inflexible material, Kagami’s strategy was to first visualise the garment, then make a pattern, and then get the glass cut in the shape of the pattern. After getting the glass toughened by heating for four hours, he coated both sides in bond film, and then smashed it. This caused tiny fissures to form, which made the glass flexible. He then curved the glass into shape, and secured the seam using leather laces25. Kei Kagami designed transparent clothing in the form of elaborate dresses made from translucent threads, and “futuristic garments made from transparent zips”26 states Quinn, 2010. Some of Kagami’s designs reflected the architecture of modern Japan, particularly those of the Crystal Light Building of Masaharu Takasaki, and of Tadao Ando. In the Spring/ Summer 2002 Collection, he used bias-cutting for most of the garments “to achieve an organic image of life and suspension constructions to create a space for light”27, according to Kagami. The glass reveals the inner layers of the garment, which therefore has no inside, outside, front or back, to present an exposed by protected view of the body through a modern approach. Kagami explained that he was interested in exploring the space between the body and the material because “this space is like a house built for the body, and maybe the glass around the body is a window into the space”28. The designer added that he enjoyed the construction of clothing rather than making only the surface of garments (Fig.8). Fig.8.Kagami: Visible Zips and Transparent Glass Skirt: Spring/ Summer 2002 Fig.8, Kei Kagami, Glass Skirt, Spring/ Summer 2002. Skirt made from glass that was cut to shape, heated for strengthening, coated on both sides in bond film, and smashed to incorporate flexibility. Polyester abstract panelled top with outer zips revealing the construction lines, and an asymmetrical section falling over one arm29. Fig.9. Kagami’s Visible Fasteners and Transparent Textiles Revealing the Lower Layer of Garments: Milan Fashion Week, 2007 Figs. 9 and 10, Kei Kagami, Milan Fashion Week, Fall 2007. Flexible synthetic material clings to the body as well as flows gracefully in smooth lines. These illustrations are examples of the designer’s use of transparent outer garments exposing the inner clothing, along with visible fasteners (Fig.9) and zipper (Fig.10), revealing the garment’s construction lines. The design of the ensembles is clearly based on the fabrics. Fig.10. Kei Kagami: Milan Fashion Week, Fall 2007 With the help of new technology, textile designers are now able to focus solely on the creative aspects of producing fashion garments. Quinn, 2010 states that industrial processes like “weaving technologies and laser cutting create innovative textures and mesh-like structures”30, with chemical dyes and new printing methods (Fig. 11). The laser cuts in the material form a design replicating vertebrae, as the cape drapes around the body (Fig.11). Quinn, 2010 observes that “lasers can work at great speed, taking only minutes to transform a single length of fabric into a web-like sheath”31. In Herman’s “Branded Beauties” Collection for Spring-Summer 2002, there is “a range of simple, monochromatic shapes cut with lasers”32. The designer’s work redefines the relationships between light, fabric and the human body. Latex and polyester fabrics are cut with lasers to produce geometric detailing. The garments acquire patterns with a see-through quality, casting shadows over the female body. Laser-cutting permits sunlight to pass through, creating tattoos of sunburn on the individual33. Fig.11. Herman, Laser-Cut Cape: Branded Beauties, Spring-Summer 2002 Fig.11, Herman, Electric Textiles: Cape with laser design. Polyester and latex fabrics, Branded Beauties Collection. The production of metallic yarns by weaving metals with synthetic fibres is another recent innovation. Cara McCarty and Matilda McQuaid state that production of this yarn involves “a single-ply polyester film that is metallicized on one side by means of a vacuum deposit of aluminium”34. Either a clear or a tinted lacquer is applied to both sides of the film, and then slit into thin strips termed as polyester slit film. Japan is the largest producer of this yarn in the world. The transparent fabric is particularly suitable for heat-transfer printing. Polyester textiles also adapt to coatings of powdered metals to give a lustrous, stainless steel finish. These are used as geotextiles in engineering works, and are adapted in Japanese fashion apparel35 (Fig.12). The metallic lustre of the fabric provides the right support for the young, tough look created for the wearer. Fig.12. Rei Kawakubo: Commes des Garcon Collection, 2010 Fig.12, Rei Kawakubo. A single jacket collaged from two more, sleeves trailing to the ground. Fabrics woven from metallic yarns and synthetic fibres. Commes des Garcon Collection, 2010, Paris36. Rei Kawakubo developed an avant-garde, distinctive approach (Fig.12) in the use of metallic fabric. Sometimes Kawakubo’s designs had holes, ragged hems, and integrated deconstructive architectural elements with industrial fabrics and traditional textiles. According to Diana Crane, “machines for making her clothes were deliberately manipulated so that what they produced was flawed”37. Kawakubo’s designs were viewed as social statements, intended to draw attention to social problems such as poor, unemployed youth, and as indirect attacks on the extravagance of western fashion. Crane reiterates that “the simulation of poverty in luxury fashion design represents a commentary on the opulence of fashion at this level”38. Several of Kawakubo’s creations were considered radical and outlandish39. Yohji Yamamoto, is similar to Kawakubo in his reverence for the impractical and the imperfect. Like Kawakubo, he produced austere collections that used modern textiles, multifunctionality, as well as radical forms and shapes. However, Yamamoto’s approach of exploring designs which integrated culture, history, and tradition, along with architectural elements in most of his creations was different from that of Kawakubo who avoided the impacts of history or tradition (Figs. 13 and 14). Quinn states that “Yamamoto is considered as one of the greatest living fashion designers of the world”40. The designer’s Spring-Summer 2012 Men’s Wear Collection is based on loosely fitting pleated pants paired with shirts, jackets or coats which are long, sometimes full length, hanging loosely around the body, and creating a flowing look to the ensemble41. Fig.13. Yohji Yamamoto Spring-Summer 2012 Men’s Wear Collection Fig.14. Yohji Yamamoto Spring-Summer 2012 Men’s Wear Collection Figs. 13 and 14, Yohji Yamamoto, Spring-Summer 2012 Men’s Wear Collection. Yamamoto used fluid design lines for the trousers and coats, sculpted fabrics lending an inflexible air to the long coats, and synthetic textiles for the shirts and jackets. The Collection was first exhibited in Paris. In this collection, Yamamoto’s designs emphasized large volumes with dual layer trousers and the loose silhouttes that combined traditional tailoring with the fluid and timeless shapes of clothing42. In Junya Watanabe’s design, the ruff used in 16th and 17th century apparel is modified into an inflated, torso-encompassing version of the historical style. To successfully construct the extraordinary scale of the ruff, Watanabe required a polyester chiffon that could hold its shape because silk organza was not suitable for the purpose43. Despite the use of innovative high technology in producing the fabric to the required flexibility, according to the MetMuseum, 2011, “this design from Watanabe’s ‘Techno Couture’ collection, was stitched together by hand”44 (Figs.15a and 15b). Fig. 15a. Junya Watanabe: Ensemble Fall/ Winter 2000-2001 Fig.15b. Junya Watanabe: Ensemble Fall/ Winter 2000-2001 Figs.15a and 15b, Junya Watanabe, Junya Watanabe: Ensemble Fall/ Winter 2000-2001, 2011. Polyester chiffon that was adequately firm to hold the shape of the expansive ruff was used by Watanabe, instead of the more flimsy silk organza material. Ensemble Fall/ Winter 2000-2001. The MetMuseum, 2011 promotes Watanabe’s fashion apparel, revealing that “Junya Watanabe excelled by fusing Kawakubo’s confrontational approach to traditional form with his own love of hyperbole and ironic historicism”45. Watanabe currently provides the most avant-garde Japanese fashion designs. Conclusion This paper has highlighted Japanese textiles and fashion garments. It is evident that Japanese technology in textile production is one of the most advanced in the world. The innovations and new techniques in manufacturing fabrics have helped textile designers to produce woven slit films, sculpted fabrics, polyester pleated, origami pleated in woven folds and several other types. Japanese designers’ interest in process and technology are translated into fashion wear that reflect the experimentation behind their work or the change of one product into another. Most designers base their work on modern concepts of architectural design, while others such as Junya Watanabe integrate traditional motifs echoing ancient periods and costumes with techno-fabrics. The work of Issey Mayake who developed high fashion wear using the Japanese art of paper folding known as origami has been examined. Similarly, the creative work of Kei Kagami, Rei Kawakubo, Yohji Yamamoto and Junya Watanabe and others have been illustrated and discussed. The designers’ initiatives emphasize the increasing use of high technology in the production techniques used in craft and design industries. Further, it is evident that technology characterizes sustainable and alternative design innovation, using recycled and environmentally conducive materials. Thus, garment designers increasingly use technologically advanced textiles with creative applications of industry materials in fashion wear. Therefore, it is concluded that there exists a close relationship between textiles and garments in Japanese fashion design. ---------------------------------------- Works Cited Berkovitch, John E. Trends in Japanese textile technology. New York: Diane Publishing, 2000. Blanks, Tim. Rei Kawakubo: Comme des Garcons. Spring 2011 Ready-to-Wear, 2 October 2010, 13 April 2012 < http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/S2011RTW-CMMEGRNS> Crane, Diana. Fashion design and social change: Women designers and stylistic Innovation. Journal of American Culture, 22.1 1999, 61-68. Demetriou, Danielle. Iconic fashion designer Issey Miyake invents the new. The National, 28 November 2010, 13 April 2012 Oijala, Leena. Issey Miyake: Fashioning in 5-dimensions. Source4Style, The Academy, 7 February 2012, 4 April 2012 McCarty, Cara and Matilda McQuaid. Structure and surface: Contemporary Japanese textiles. The United States of America: The Museum of Modern Art, 1998. MetMuseum. 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