Kyoyuzen – FESCH.TV

FESCH.TV INFORMIERT:

Kyo Yuzen is a series of processes for dying silk that produce complexly-layered, vivid designs. The method was developed in the mid- to late-17th century, during the Edo period, in Kyoto. Miyazaki Yuzensai (1654-1736), who had a reputation for creating exquisitely-drawn folding fans, was encouraged by his patrons to apply his skills to kimono design.

Yuzensai’s name quickly became synonymous with top class kimono design in Japan. Combining his name and the style’s place of origin, Kyoto, Kyo Yuzen was born.

This centuries-old style was once the height of fashion, as women owned multiple kimono, and the market provided thousands of jobs to skilled artisans all over Japan. But in modern Japan, with the market diminished, these artisans working with Kyo Yuzen struggle to survive, working from one job to the next. Younger generations take jobs with more stable salaries, in modern industries, leaving this tradition behind and putting these specialized jobs in jeopardy.