The KURA gallery of ISSEY MIYAKE KYOTO presents KURA Exhibition “HOGUSHI”

IM MEN realizes many different concepts into products, always engaging with fabric.
The aim is to imbue rational design with beauty by developing textiles perfectly suited to individual pieces of clothing, maintaining that products are simple to handle and comfortable to wear; practical but also functional.

With “HOGUSHI,” IM MEN embraces the allure of hand-crafted fabric.
The series takes its name from “Hogushigasuri,” a technique in which a temporary weave is made of the warp, printed with the pattern, and the weft threads pulled out to loosen the warp threads. As the fabric is woven, there are slight intentional misalignments that create a smearing effect on the pattern.

The technique is based on the premise of “variance,” the idea that no two finished products will be the same. The clothing is unassuming yet comfortable, beautiful without reason.
There are core values like “a handmade touch” and “craftsman-like technique and passion” that we gravitate towards without quite understanding why, and we want to promote these values throughout IM MEN. “HOGUSHI” sits somewhere on the border between an industrial product and beautiful craft. It represents a new frontier in our manufacturing.

This exhibit presents the “Hogushigasuri” process as practiced in the city of Ashikaga. We hope you enjoy the skill, comfort, and beauty that drew the design team to this craft.