Keep it long, treasure it long.

Using wool revived in Bishu

“Sustainable” is a word we hear a lot these days. In the midst of all the talk about environmental issues, such as using natural materials that return to the soil, remaking fabric scraps and old clothes into other things, and making yarns into new products, clothing and textile industries Various activities are being carried out to create more earth-friendly products.

In fact, did you know that fiber recycling technology had been developed in Japan long before this initiative became active? For more than half a century, there has been a "wool regeneration culture" in the wool production area of ​​Bishu, where "wool", which is a valuable resource for Japan, is revived over and over again. Among them, another textile brand "Keshichi" of Oshika Co., Ltd., which has brands such as "blanket" and "thread and color". Here, clothes and fabrics that are no longer needed are collected as resources from all over the country and revived as new fabrics, but each process uses difficult techniques that can only be performed by craftsmen. For that reason, the finished product is only very comfortable that can only be tasted with this fabric.

At ZUTTO, we wanted more people to enjoy this material, so we made it into a stole. The design is as simple as possible, but it's not just plain, it's an arrangement that you can enjoy and use for a long time. We will hold an order meeting for such a special stole for a limited time.

"Wool Regeneration" Technology

The fluffy surface has a soft and moist texture that feels great on the skin. This stole, which uses a textile called Moshichi, is made using techniques that can only be done by skilled craftsmen, from the selection of collected old clothes and fabrics.

・Collection to sorting
Items that would otherwise be discarded, such as used clothes, scraps from a cutting factory, and waste from a spinning factory, are collected as "resources" in Bishu, where they are sorted to match colors and blend ratios. This process is very important because most of Keshichi's fabrics are not dyed. Since it is necessary to make the fabric the same color every time without any discomfort, a difficult technique that can only be achieved by skilled craftsmen is required.

・Returned hair to weaving
The selected ones are loosened and returned to the cotton shape (anti-hair). At this time, the fibers are too short to be made into thread if they are simply rewound, so a small amount of chemical fibers are blended to balance strength and texture. It is the origin of After that, the yarn is spun and various fabrics are made using an old-fashioned loom called a rapier. Craftsmen weave slowly and carefully so as not to impair the texture.

The fabric used for this stole is called “flannel”. Flannel is a material that is perfect for stoles, as it has just the right amount of thickness and elasticity, but is also lighter and more flexible than it looks and has excellent heat retention. Different colored threads are used for the warp and weft, and the surface is brushed to express unevenness. It is a fabric where you can feel the craftsmanship and tradition of the Bishu production area, where the unique taste of recycled wool mixed with different materials and the soft texture of wool are mixed.

Enjoy the beauty of Moshichi

The Mochichi Flannel Piping Stole is designed to be as simple as possible so that you can fully enjoy the goodness of this fabric. The points are the cotton piping and the slits. By using rustic cotton piping, it blends into the fabric and creates a design that brings out the goodness of the fabric. By treating the piping with similar colors but slightly different colors, we add a slight accent to the simplicity.

The slits in the fabric are designed so that the stole can be fixed so that it does not unravel. By inserting this slit, you can change the way you wrap it, and you can make it more playful than a plain stole. It's a long stole, so you can wear it over your shoulder like a shawl. This is a piece that allows you to fully enjoy the real "goodness" of Moshichi fabric.

Wool fabrics grown in Bishu

Ichinomiya City in Aichi Prefecture has long been a flourishing woolen industry, taking advantage of the environment of the Nobi Plain, which spreads around the Kiso River that flows into Ise Bay. It now accounts for most of the domestic production of woolen fabrics. Oshika Co., Ltd., the parent company of Keshichi, was founded in Ichinomiya City in 1922. Originally started as a weaver, we are now a woolen fabric wholesaler, and also handle fabric production and domestic brand OEM.

Keshichi was established with the desire to have people wear and properly understand the culture of Keshichi, which does not waste wool. Based on the philosophy of "passing down a culture of valuing resources to future generations," we revive wool over and over again to create fabrics that enrich the environment and, by extension, our lives.