About Us.
There are three of us in a twist. We have very different backgrounds, but all came from Japan and were fortunate to meet each other in Altrincham. Our vision is to help others enjoy their lives through our products. These have a hint of Japanese culture with a little twist.
We have always been passionate about clothing and fashion. Since leaving Japan, we have become more interested in the traditional Japanese crafts and textiles of specific various regions in Japan. We would like to share this beautiful aspect of Japanese culture with people who live in the UK. We did not realise that how lucky we were to be surrounded by all of this until leaving Japan. We carefully select our items and consider the stories behind them. We hope you like our items as much as we do.
Woven Japanese Sense of Beauty,
Ise Momen (伊勢木綿）
We are delighted to stock beautiful Ise Momen products. Usui Shokufu, the only manufacturer of Ise Momen, is located in Tsu, Mie prefecture.
When you open the sliding door of the traditional townhouse you will see an old fashioned shop space and earthen storehouse where finished rolls are stored. An earthen floor guides you to the back part of the house. After you walk along the narrow house to the back you will see the bobbins with colorful threads and see the warping process; setting the warp and weft from this back room you will hear the weaving sound, about a dozen or so Toyota weaving looms, which have been used since the Meiji period (19th century), are producing colorful Ise Momen textiles with stripes and check patterns. When you hear the loom sounds you might imagine a modern, automatic production, but our looms are over one hundred years old. Staff members stay beside the looms to watch the thread tension and the weaving process. Often adjustments are needed to be done by hand where the shuttle passes. This is very important in making high quality textiles. Located at the edge of this quiet town, Ise Momen is produced every day.
