À la recherche du temps perdu — Teaching a Curve to Straight-Cut Cloth

Teaching a curve, little by little, to a cloth that was born straight.

Kimono are cut in straight lines. The bolt is roughly 38cm wide, and that is what we use.

Making a combinaison from it, that constraint alone creates problems. To let the beauty of drape come through, an A-line is ideal, and it follows the line of the body.

There is a famous scene, in an old film, where a dress catches an updraft and billows. We won't go that far. But light, soft fabric clings to the body as it moves, tracing a curve with its own quiet allure.

Silk is the ultimate material, one that only grows more beautiful in motion, worn against the skin.

Because the width of the bolt cannot be changed, laying out a pattern on it is extraordinarily difficult. And if the pattern isn't aligned with the grain, the way light catches the fabric changes visibly once it becomes a garment. That is precisely why bolt fabric was never meant for Western tailoring.

And yet, a facing at the neckline is unavoidable, and to let the beauty of the fabric speak for itself, without resorting to lace, the wasai technique of fuki cannot be skipped.

Days of trial and error, so that a hand-sewn, 100% silk combinaison can be something anyone can wear.

You may never wear a kimono. But you can wear the art of Wasai.

On ne porte pas forcément un kimono. Mais on peut porter l'art du Wasai.

— PASSIONEER

The facing pattern pinned against the silk, held in place for a trial fitting

You may never wear a kimono. But you can wear the art of Wasai.

On ne porte pas forcément un kimono. Mais on peut porter l'art du Wasai.

— PASSIONEER

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