ultraviolet - 3D woven japanese textiles by hosoo

'ultraviolet' by hosoo

japanese textile brand hosoo, was established in 1688. they are the pioneering company of the textile industry in nishizin,
the centre of kimono manufacturing in kyoto, developing fabrics which trace back to their history and the region's silk industry
of the 6th century. known for their use of traditional japanese three-dimensional weaving techniques and rich textures incorporated into
contemporary materials, the company uses a special yarn dyeing and weaving technique developed over 1200 years ago
called nishijin-ori to produce their textiles.

at maison et objet 2012, the company presented their 'novelties collection' a new selection of fabrics. the designs of this series
push the boundaries of traditional weaving techniques to create sophisticated materials that are ideal for both interior
and fashion applications. they offer a rich color scheme which ranges from dual-tone to multi-tone, depicting subtle textural patterns,
to bolder graphics. among these is 'ultraviolet', a textile which incorporates the woven three-dimensional pattern of a sting ray on its surface.
produced in white on black, or black on white, the underwater creature appears as if it is glowing, the means in which the fabric is produced
giving it an 'ultraviolet' effect.


'ultraviolet' depicts a sting ray which has been woven into its surface






detail of the weaving



general view of the pattern



masataka hosoo
portrait © designboom

how the traditional three-dimensional weaving is done



view of the loom with the production of fabric in process



shuttles (left) and dyed yarn (right)