Impact of Using Traditional Japanese Textiles on Contemporary Apparel Production Steps: What Designers Need to Know to Successfully Produce Garments Using Traditional Japanese Textiles

Societal changes have reduced demand for kimonos and the culturally significant textiles used in them, leading to a decline in textile production and a surplus of used kimonos. Some contemporary fashion designers use traditional Japanese textiles to either support continued production or reduce waste from unwanted kimonos. This multi-case study was designed to explore such practices and provide practical information to help more designers follow in their footsteps. To understand the impact of traditional textiles on production processes, we studied three designers who incorporated traditional Japanese textiles and two who utilized modern Japanese textiles. We compared these designers’ apparel production processes with standard processes. All the designers studied create high-quality women’s separates intended for long-term ownership, rather than catering to trends. Data was collected through interviews, site visits, garment examinations, and secondary sources. We found that the narrow width of traditional textiles requires designers to make markers earlier in the design process, rather than in the production process. Some designers utilize made-to-order production, which affects cutting, construction, quality assurance, costs, and timelines. Finally, the uniformity of kimonos enables a more efficient upcycling process than that of Western clothing. The findings can be useful to apparel designers and scholars who study efforts to produce clothing with narrow, limited-supply, or high-cost textiles, whether new or vintage.