“GRADATION CHECK”

The KURA gallery of ISSEY MIYAKE KYOTO presents KURA Exhibition “GRADATION CHECK.”

The HaaT SPRING SUMMER 2024 COLLECTION was inspired by the horizon, featuring gradations of colours from the sea and the sky. In this exhibition, we present the “GRADATION CHECK” series from the season.

GRADATION CHECK is a series of tops, dresses, and trousers printed with gradations of three colours on 100% organic cotton plaid broadcloth. The vivid colours are printed through a special dyeing technique at a Kyoto workshop, a method which has been used for generations.

The dyeing process using coloured paste requires the manual labor of skilled craftsmen. First, mix three colours of coloured glue and mix them in the perfect way to create a gradation of coloured glue. The coloured paste is then dropped onto the printing table, and the craftsman then mixes it in over and over again using a wooden spoon. this work shigoki (squeezing). Shigoki mixes the coloured glue in just the right balance, to create a beautiful natural colour that cannot be created with inkjet printing.

The exhibition displays rolls of GRADATION CHECK fabric on which the coloured glue has been fixed, as well as documentary photos that take viewers through the sequence of the dyeing process. Please come and experience the signs of spring that HaaT delivers through this exhibition, and gain a real sense of being at the manufacturing site.