"~ UZU ~" manufacturing

From here, I would like to introduce the commitment to manufacturing of " ~ UZU ~".

Commitment ① Manufacturing using fabrics from the Mikawa area

The Mikawa area has long had a thriving cotton textile industry. Taking advantage of such local characteristics, "~UZU~" touches and selects fabrics by themselves, mainly from Mikawa cotton and Chita cotton.

Mr. Aoki: "I am from Isshiki Town here, and there used to be many yarn shops and such, and cars loaded with rolls of cloth used to pass by. At its peak, there were more than 300 machine shops in Nishio City alone. I looked for them and found that even today there are about 30 weaving factories weaving cotton fabrics.

I found a machine shop in the suburbs and visited it on the spot, and was allowed to touch the fabric. Gradually, I was attracted to the quality of local cotton fabrics. As I listened to the stories on site, I learned about the history of cotton fabrics and the background behind the decline in the number of fabric makers.

I decided, 'I can't go on like this. Let's send out the charm of Mikawa'. From there, we gradually changed the materials and designs, and now we make our products using fabrics from the Mikawa area as much as possible."

This hat is made from Mikawa cotton sashiko weave fabric.

Sashiko weave is a durable fabric used for judo uniforms, kendo uniforms, and firefighting happi coats. It seems that it is woven with a loom 70 years ago. Compared to modern weaving machines, the speed is slower, so it is easy to sew without being too tight. It also has a Japanese atmosphere, so it goes well with the design of "~UZU~".

These washi socks are dyed from socks knitted at Ishikawa Meriyasu in Kira-cho, Nishio City, a neighbor of "~UZU~". They have a unique, smooth feel and dry more quickly than cotton socks. Washi yarn used to have durability problems, but recent improvements in processing technology and a difficult knitting process have made it possible to produce Washi socks. Because there is a manufacturer nearby, the story is passed on in this way by hearing directly from the manufacturer.

Commitment 2: "Plant dyeing" that takes time and effort

At UZU, they mainly uses natural dyes. There are “indigo dyeing”, “vegetable dyeing”, “bengara dyeing” and so on. Any dyeing method will give you a gentle color.

Mr. Aoki: “Our items are dyed with plant dyes. Hand dyeing takes about 2-3 days for short items and about a month for long items. Repeat the process of dyeing and drying. , I will create a color by repeatedly dyeing.

Plant dyes fade or change color over time. We also re-dye it for free so that you can use it for a long time. ”

Indigo dyeing

There are two types of indigo dyeing: “precipitated indigo (Indian indigo)” and “sukumo lye fermented indigo (tade indigo)”.

・Precipitated indigo (Indian indigo)
A leguminous plant that grows naturally in India, it has a high content of indigo pigment and is used worldwide as a dye. Uzu uses pigments that have been precipitated, dried and granulated.

・Sukumo lye fermentation building (tade indigo)
A full-fledged fermented indigo dye using only natural materials, using precious sukumo as a raw material. It is characterized by its deep and gentle blue color. As the lye is added little by little every day to manage the dye, it takes a lot of time and effort.

Vegetable dyeing

"Natural dyeing" is dyeing by boiling plants such as "onion" and "redder". At Uzu, a large amount of brown onion skin, which is thrown away after harvesting, is collected from local farmers and used as a dye. Onion skins are dyed a soft yellow or orange color.

Bengara dyeing

Bengara is a natural pigment made from iron oxide found in the soil. Is it really dyed with soil? And surprisingly, it is dyed in beautiful colors.

At Uzu, you can also have a “dyeing experience” with these plant dyes!

<Dyeing experience to choose vortex>
https://read.uzu-japan.com/workshop-page/

Finally, we asked about future prospects.

Mr. Aoki: "The biggest challenge is the aging of the machine shop workers. There are even some weavers who are the youngest at almost 60 years old. What we can do is to produce products with as much local color as possible and convey the charm and history of Mikawa's cotton fabrics. We would be happy if the USU could be a catalyst for people to learn about the thoughts of the producers."

Through this interview, I learned that the Mikawa area is a major production area for the cotton textile industry. This kind of traditional manufacturing is something that we want to continue to protect. At Uzu, you can experience the charm of cotton materials from the Mikawa area and the joy of dyeing. Please visit us.