KAKISHIBU DYE made of persimmon fruit

SHOHEI. LOOKS GOOD. FEELS GOOD. DOES GOOD

So what is Kakishibu anyway, and why should I care about it?

First of all, if you care about the planet, you should care about dyes.
That is, you should care about whether or not your clothes are dyed naturally or synthetically.

Until well into the 19th century, most of our clothes were dyed using organic, rather than synthetic compounds – but this all changed with the mass-industrialisation of textile manufacturing and the development of synthetic dyes along with it. Now, as with so many other things that seemed like innovations at the time, the creation of cheap, seemingly abundant synthetic replacements for natural substances has taken a significant toll on the environment.

The production of synthetic dyes discharges harmful chemicals into waterways, resulting in the death of aquatic life, the toxification of soil and damage to the quality of drinking water for local populations.

By the way, did we mention that synthetic dyes are not only bad for the planet, but for you, the wearer, as well? Synthetic dyes have been shown to cause skin irritation, dermatitis and upper-respiratory tract complications.

But a new generation of socially-minded makers are returning to using only natural dyes and dyeing processes. SHOHEI is one of them – and its unique Kakishibu dye defines the palette of its collections.

Kakishibu is a traditional Japanese dyeing technique that uses the fermented tannin juice from unripe persimmon fruit – a wholly natural process. Produced in Kyoto, Kakishibu dyes have both powerful antibacterial and antioxidant effects, as well as being water repellent.

After applying the natural dye to fabric, the sun tans the textile, deepening hues over time. The result is an autumnal colour palette ranging from beige to muted and rich oranges, golden browns, deep ambers and rich red-browns, shown here on the SHOHEI Ren Dress, made with 100% GOTS certified cotton.

This colour continuum marries Kakishibu to the Japanese philosophy of Wabi-Sabi: the art of finding beauty in imperfection. 

TEXT by P. Marcus Browne

SHOHEI の特徴：
LOOKS GOOD, FEELS GOOD, DOES GOOD

柿渋は日本の伝統的な染色技術で、完熟していない柿の実のタンニンの汁を発酵したものを使用する、完全に自然なプロセスです。京都で生産された柿渋は、強力な抗菌・抗酸化作用と、撥水性を兼ね備えています。

生地を天然染料で染色した後、太陽の光で生地を日焼けさせ、時間の経過とともに色合いを濃くしていきます。その結果、100%GOTS認定のコットンで作られたSHOHEI Ren Dressに見られるような、ベージュ、やわらかくリッチなオレンジ、金色のブラウン、深みのあるアンバー、そして濃厚なレッドブラウンといった、秋らしいカラーパレットが生まれました。

この色の連続体は柿渋と、日本の哲学である「わびさび」（不完全さの中に美しさを見出す芸術）を融合させたものです。
 
Text by Maiko Visser 

To order any of the products in this blog post please contact:
Lisa Pek office@shohei-collection.com

photography by STEFAN REICHMANN