zen no ma｜nuno no tabi
zen no ma｜nuno no tabi
breathing fabric
The first time we touched this cloth,
it was hard to believe it was cotton.
It had something of the texture of linen,
yet felt remarkably soft against the skin.
We could imagine how its character
might deepen with use.
From the Senshu region of Osaka, Japan.
A cloth shaped by a century-old tradition of wazarashi
and a distinctive weaving technique
developed more than a decade ago
by a third-generation craftsman.
Woven slowly, with little tension on the yarn,
allowing the cloth to retain an airy softness.
It is a fabric that can no longer be made.
The craftspeople responsible for the wazarashi
and the weaving continue their work,
with no successors to take it on.
At zen no ma,
we use the remaining cloth
to create pieces for everyday life.
To be washed, dried and used again.
Growing softer with time,
and gradually becoming part of the life around it.