‘We wanted to create this feeling of water,’ says COS design director Karin Gustafsson of a new collection featuring the over-millennia-old Japanese tie-dye technique, shibori. Meaning to ‘to wring, squeeze or press’, the intricate process is achieved by manipulating the fabric into complex folds, which are then dyed before being unfurled to reveal the constellations of patterns left behind, which might conjure flowers and animals, or dripping stripes reminiscent of running water.
The journey would take her and her team to the ancient city of Kyoto, Japan’s historic capital which was first settled in the 7th century and flourished due to its plentiful supply of water, from lush mountain lakes and bountiful rivers – the Kamo-gawa in the east and the Katsura-gawa to the west – to its large natural water table, accessed through the thousands of wells across the city. Water also helped establish Kyoto’s synonymy with ritual and craft, allowing for the production of saké and tofu, fabric dyeing, ikebana and tea ceremonies, even the creation of kimonos.
