Playful patterns that make you look forward to dressing for autumn. The story of Kurume kasuri shawls, loved across generations.

Among the things you wear every day, is there anything special to you? For example, shoes you've cared for and loved for years, or a watch or piece of jewelry given as a gift, can give you a sense of calm in tense moments, lend you courage, or remind you of the desire to take on new challenges. The kasuri shawl we're introducing this time is a woven textile that feels wonderful and gentle the longer you use it. It is a special piece known as "Kurume kasuri," a traditional Japanese craft and an important cultural property.

From left: CHECK, DOTS, BORDER

What is Kurume Kasuri?

Kurume kasuri, handed down in the Chikugo region in what is now the southern part of Fukuoka Prefecture, is a cotton textile and traditional craft that was born more than 200 years ago in the Edo period. No matter how advanced machinery becomes, kasuri (ikat-style woven fabric) can only be made by hand, with all of the more than 30 steps—"binding," "dyeing," and "weaving"—carried out manually.

At the time, kasuri generally referred to plain, undyed cloth hand-woven at home for use as work clothes. But by dyeing the cotton thread before weaving it, slight misalignments occurred, creating a distinctive blurred pattern—this became what we now know as Kurume kasuri. Its gentle patterns, favored as fashion, and the technique of making these designs emerge in the weave came to be called "Kurume kasuri."

Kurume kasuri was born from rich soil and abundant, clean water sources. It is remarkably lightweight, breathable, and pleasant against the skin, keeping you cool in summer and warm in winter, making it something you'll want to wear all year round. Even after repeated washing, it retains that distinctive kasuri charm, so you can simply roll it up and head out the door. It's a product that lets you stay natural and at ease in everyday life.

Playful patterns that make you look forward to dressing for autumn

The size is approximately 37 cm wide by 184 cm long—not quite as large as a full shawl, but just the right length with a nice sense of volume. At ZUTTO, we chose fabrics that honor tradition while being easy to incorporate into daily life, and we've prepared three variations: "CHECK," a yellow-based handsome check; "DOTS," a gentle blue pattern that feels both traditionally Japanese and reminiscent of playful Scandinavian design; and "BORDER," a fun pattern in beige and brown that looks as though tape has been cut and pasted together.

CHECK

DOTS

BORDER

We've also given the fabric a washed finish so that you can feel the appeal of kasuri right from the start—meaning you can experience its wonderful qualities from the very day it arrives.

A piece made in collaboration with a wholesaler founded in Showa 46 (1971)

We asked Okamoto Shoten, a wholesaler founded in Showa 46 (1971) well known for its Kurume kasuri, to produce this piece. Founded by Nogyuchi Tasuke, Okamoto Shoten has continually asked, "How can kasuri be made to match the fashions of the moment?" as it has connected weavers with consumers even as fashion shifted from traditional Japanese clothing to Western styles. Two hundred years ago, kasuri was sturdy work clothing that grew softer and more comfortable against the skin the more it was worn, mended and used again and again, passed down from mother to daughter and then to her daughter in turn. Okamoto Shoten takes this Kurume kasuri and turns it into products suited to modern life—items made to be cherished and used for a long time. Woven with great care and effort from the making of the fabric through to the sewing, the kasuri shawl (scarf) is a product that grows more beloved the more you use it, day after day without pause.

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