In Japan, the veneration of indigo, called Ai – homophone of the word « love » – is strongly rooted in tradition. With its antimicrobial properties, it was used to offer protection from vermin as well as from bad luck! As a result, many objects were dyed in indigo, including linen, kimonos, mattress covers and headgear, etc. Japanese artisans such as Asai Naoyuki resist the methods and so-called progress of the chemical dye industry by continuing with the natural art of indigo dyeing.
Craftsmanship
The dyer's love for both his work and the plants is evident in the way in which the leaves are manually collected, dried, fermented, and matured. The whole process takes 300 days.
Before dyeing the leather, the non-coloured cowhide is soaked in Kyoto's pure natural water overnight. The bubbles created during the fermentation process are called "sukumo-no-hana" (Sukumo flowers). The dye is fermented for two weeks before it can be used.
Following a 600-year-old Japanese tradition, the dye is made by fermenting leaves from the mature indigo. The dye, sukumo, is produced in the Awa district of the Tokushima prefecture.
All SUKUMO products are dyed in the historical city of Kyoto. Sukumo’s blue colouring comes from the indigo plant’s leaves that are picked at various stages to produce different shades of blue. Each resulting shade of blue is therefore unique and natural.
The distressed finish becomes softer and richer with age giving its appearance even more character over time.
To dye the leather, it is first soaked slowly and evenly in a dye bath. The indigo colour hue is created by oxidation with the air. The process is repeated up to 40 times depending on the depth of shade that is required. The dyed leather is rinsed out under running water to remove the dye from the leather and to reveal the pure and natural indigo colour.
After dying, the leather is sent to the leather factory in Tatsuno-Shi, Hyogo, for finishing.
The first step of the finishing process is to soften the leather by soaking it in hot water in stainless stainless steel drums. It is important to adjust the water temperature and rolling speed carefully in order to get the best texture and to fix the natural indigo colour.
Photos credits • Kunihiro Fukumori
The leather is dried naturally. Once it is dried, it is then softened with the help of a machine that looks like a human hand. The machine works the leather strongly, but softly, until the leather fibre becomes incredibly soft.
The combination of traditional craftsmanship and modern technology ensures the unique texture of SUKUMO Leather.
Natural Aizome leather production is a step-by-step process which uses techniques handed down through the generations by multiple craftsmen.
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I’d like to tell the world about SUKUMO Awa-Ai in Tokushima. Usually, Sukumo dye uses for traditional common material such as kimono, but it is my pleasure to challenge for new materials that I had never used before, such as leather and pearls. I would like to explore the possibility of new indigo dye and express a new tradition.
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With my father Tadashi Masayuki, I am continuing to explore the possibilities of natural indigo dyeing while sticking to natural indigo fermentation denominated indigo dye.
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Our cowhide has unique characteristics, such as innovatively thin soft leather (0.6mm). It will bring out natural fit of leather dyed. The drying time takes about 3 times more than general method. This gives the soft texture and moist feeling and finishing the leather to pliant touch.
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