On sunday, we headed east on the Hanzomon line to see a blue and white exhibition arranged by an American woman who has been collecting blue and white Japanese fabrics for 40 years. Most of her collection consisted of boro items, which are clothes that were worn by workers such as farmers, who dyed their cloth with indigo dye, thought to ward off insects. Whenever the cloth wore out, they patched up the hole with another piece of indigo fabric and over time, the clothing item became this amazing, organic patchwork. There were some beautiful pieces there, all displayed in a rugged warehouse along the river.
I have loved these items ever since I moved to Japan, and a few of my clutch bags have been influenced by them. I only have one in the collection now, but have been inspired to make more. You can see it here.
A short boro jacket.
A long kimono-style boro item.
Sashiko stitching was often used to create a beautiful, intricate design.
A Cheeky Leopard bag inspired by the boro clothing.
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