Mar. 2023

Kawashima Selkon Textiles

Milan Design Week

Exhibition “Evolutionary Specimen of fabrics” to showcase lightmanipulating textiles
Venue︓Superstudio Più

Date: April 18 (Tue) - April 23 (Sun), 2023

Kawashima Selkon Textiles (Headquarters: Sakyo-ku,Kyoto; President: Akira Mitsuoka) will showcase its
innovative textiles and designs at the upcoming Milan
Design Week in Milan, Italy from April 18 (Tue) - April 23(Sun), 2023.
The upcoming exhibition, which marks its third appearance
at Milan Design Week, centers around the theme of“Evolutionary Specimen.” Since its establishment,
Kawashima Selkon Textiles has consistently sought toexpand the possibilities of weaving through the inheritanceand evolution of traditional weaving techniques. Thisexhibition, with art direction by lighting designer Izumi
Okayasu, successfully replicates and extends expressions
that were once only achievable through traditionaltechniques, by using modern machinery. This can beconsidered an “evolution of fabrics,” and will be presented
through a specimen-like display, allowing visitors tocarefully examine every detail of the weaving techniques,materials, and threads involved.
The fabrics showcased in the exhibition are ones in which
Kawashima Selkon Textiles are uniquely skilled at creating,with the remarkable ability to “manipulate light.” Throughthe evolution of traditional techniques combined withmodern technology, these fabrics evoke different
expressions depending on the angle of view and the way lightinteracts with the fabric. The design was inspired by thefabrics produced as upholstery for Fritz Hansen’s iconic
Egg™ chair during the “Weaver’s Quest” exhibition held inTokyo in 2019 and 2020. The upcoming exhibition willshowcase the overseas debut of these fabrics produced withrenowned fashion designers such as Mihara Yasuhiro, RokHwang, and Masayuki Ino as the design inspiration source,along with the evolved light manipulating textiles using
modern technology, providing visitors with the opportunity
to appreciate the contrast between traditional andcontemporary techniques.
Kawashima Selkon Textiles is a Nishijin-ori manufacturer
with roots in the Kyoto Nishijin textile industry. By merging
traditional Nishjin techniques with modern technology, andcontinuously improving their techniques, materials, anddesigns, Kawashima Selkon Textiles has expanded its
production to include a wide range of products including
theater carpets and upholstery, kimono obi, curtains andwallpapers for luxury hotels, dress fabrics for fashion weeks,
as well as the reproduction of fabrics designated as nationaltreasures. Witness the evolution of Nishijin-ori and thedynamic interplay of fabric and light by visiting theexhibition.
Exhibition Overview
Title︓Evolutionary Specimen of fabrics
Date︓April 18 (Tues) - April 23 (Sun), 2023

Venue ︓Superstudio Più
Event Site
https://www.kawashimaselkon.co.jp/event/milan2023/en/

For Inquiries regarding this Release
Kawashima Selkon Textiles Marketing Department / Public Relations
MAIL︓kouho@ksc.kyoto

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Evolutionary Specimen

Specimen (ˈspɛsɪmɪn) :① An individual element taken from a population for statistical inference. Also referred to as“sample,” in contrast to the original “population”.
② A sample that has been collected, processed and preserved for research or educational
purposes in fields such as biology, medicine, and mineralogy.
③ A “sample” or “model” that represents an archetype, often used metaphorically.
The legacy of traditional weaving techniques is entrusted to the hands of its craftspeople. In order to truly preserve thesetechniques, Kawashima Selkon Textiles believes it is essential to pass them down from one generation to the next, while also
incorporating modern technologies and continuing to develop the traditional techniques themselves. This dedication has
resulted in a range of fabrics that enable expressions that have evolved from the past and can be considered entirely new forms
of weaving that transcend the realm of design.
The installation is centered around the theme of "Specimen," in the hope that the evolving forms of textiles and the techniques,designs, materials, and other details that constitute them, including the yarn twist and weave structures, will be passed down tofuture generations. By carefully and repeatedly observing the fabrics exhibited, detailed aspects of its weave structures andyarn properties that are not easily seen at first glance can be discovered. Visitors are invited to observe the “evolution of fabric”
that emerges brightly in the darkness, and uncover the greatest developments hidden within even the smallest details.
New Fabrics Moss and Rust as Motifs“Rust”, imbued with a depth that can only be found in aged items, and“moss,” which embodies a sense of vitality amidst decay, make up themotifs of the fabrics. Various threads and weaving techniques were used
to emphasize the rough textures and color variations that occur as “rust”
develops, as well as the subtle coloring and fluffiness that “moss”
presents. Together, they evoke a Japanese aesthetic sense and create athree-dimensional effect and quality unique to weaving.
Special emphasis was also made on the threads used for the fabrics,including the use of foil threads and twisted design threads. Foil threads
refer to threads made from thinly sliced paper with gold or platinum foil
and thinly sliced shells adhered to it, and are now produced throughvarious methods. Drawing inspiration from the traditional Nishijinweaving technique of “hikihaku,” the foil threads were woven as warp
threads, and modern techniques were applied to bring out a fresh allure. Twisted design threads refer to threads created bytwisting together threads of various shapes, colors, and thicknesses, and offer infinite possibilities in their expressions. For thisexhibition, twisted design threads that combine foil threads with yarns of different colors were used, and produced in-house by
Kawashima Selkon Textiles.
Art Director Izumi Okayasu
Message”The fabrics presented in this exhibition are a new generation of textiles that have evolved through merging
modern technology with traditional techniques. They reflect not new or minor changes, but an evolution. For
the display, the aim was to present the textiles in an orderly and detailed manner, as if they were specimens
in a collection. The inheritance of tradition is made possible by evolving with the times while also maintaining
the core of its tradition. We would like to introduce these fabrics as an “inheritance of tradition" that is only
possible for a company with a long history, instead of simply presenting a "new interpretation” of the past.
Lighting Designer / Born in 1972 in Kanagawa, Japan
Izumi Okayasu Lighting Design President
Izumi Okayasu is a versatile designer who specializes in lighting design, with a portfolio thatranges from architectural and commercial lighting design to lighting equipment and installation
design, both domestically and internationally. His past projects include lighting design for Jun
Aoki’s “White Chapel,” Toyo Ito’s “Toyo Ito: Generative Order,” Kengo Kuma’s “Asakusa
Cultural Tourism Center,” and Riken Yamamoto’s “Namics Techno Core.” Additionally, hehas designed numerous installations for exhibitions, including Milan Design Week.

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Event Details
Title

︓Evolutionary Specimen of fabrics

︓April 18 (Tue) - April 23 (Sun）11:00 - 21:00
Press Preview April 17 (Mon) 15:00 - 20:00
Venue︓Superstudio Più https://www.superstudioevents.com/(Address: Via Tortona, 2720144 Milano) MAP
Exhibition Area ︓Approx. 126 ㎡DateArt Direction

︓Izumi Okayasu (Izumi Okayasu Lighting Design)

Event Site

︓https://www.kawashimaselkon.co.jp/event/milan2023/en/

Kawashima Selkon Textiles
Established in Kyoto in 1843, Kawashima Selkon Textiles celebrates its 180th anniversary this year. The company’s fabrics
have been highly praised for their quality, having supplied textiles to the Meiji Palace in the past, and to the Kyoto State
Guest House as well as numerous luxury hotels in recent years. Kawashima Selkon Textiles combines traditional handweaving techniques with modern technology such as machine-weaving, and is committed to the inheritance of cultural
heritage and technological innovation that connects to the future. In 2019, the “Weaver’s Quest” was launched to challenge
the “impossible” and kickstart the pursuit for new expressions and possibilities, aiming for the evolution and developmentof textiles. The company’s headquarters in Kyoto also houses a textile manufacturing plant that offers integrated production
services, from planning and design to dyeing and weaving, the Kawashima Textile Museum, which preserves works ofsignificant historical importance, and the Kawashima Textile School, where traditional weaving techniques are taught to thenext generation. Kawashima Selkon Textiles strives to serve as a hub for the inheritance, development, and promotion oftextile culture.
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