WA-HYOGO BANSHU - Turning Japanese

Six of Western Australia’s brightest emerging designers were given the opportunity of a lifetime earlier this year thanks to the inaugural WA-Hyogo Banshu Textile Exchange Program. A collaborative project that celebrates the sister state relationship between WA and the Hyogo Prefecture, the Textile Exchange Program saw the designers travel to Japan to have their own textiles produced in a state of the art mill used by the likes of Hermes, Louis Vuitton and Giorgio Armani.
Alongside Kristy Lawrence from Flannel, Mia Cramer, Jonté Pike, Jennifer Nebel, Bea Cho, Yan Zion and Seonaidh Murphy headed to Japan in March to work closely with the creative minds at the Ozawa Textile Co. The designers have since returned home and are now busily working on capsule collections created with Banshu textiles, which will be on show at an invite-only Perth Fashion Festival event
“I was so excited to receive an opportunity to visit Japan and work directly with the textile manufactures,” Mia Cramer said of her experience. “Initially I was a little unsure of what to expect from the program however the whole experience went above and beyond anything I could imagine!
“I felt very privileged to be a part of the program because it gave us a unique opportunity to look inside the factories and see the whole manufacturing process which is not usually allowed. It was really interesting to collaborate with the textile companies and discuss my textile designs. They discussed different techniques of weaving to achieve my designs and choosing colours to dye the yarn individually. Although the collaboration meeting was a little daunting at first, the companies were very excited and keen to listen to our ideas and wanted to do the best to be able to achieve what we wanted.
“It was extremely interesting and insightful to be shown step by step the many processes it takes to produce one length of fabric. I now have a greater appreciation for the textile industry and hope to take this knowledge and strengthen my textile designs in the future.”
It seems the experience of travelling to Japan was eye opening for all of the designers, something which Seonaidh Murphy can attest to.
“It was so interesting to see fabric of such high quality produced on such a large scale and to be privy to all the ins and outs of the entire process. It was also fascinating to see the way the Banshu Ori work together. Rather than a cut throat industry, fighting for clients, they work together. They share factories and clients. If they can’t do what you’re after someone they know can. It was a very different way of conducting business and it was very refreshing. Even as a recent graduate I was made to feel important and my ideas listened to.
“The textiles I designed for the collection were inspired by the natural patterns that occur in the fibres that are used to create a fabric. The underlying structures that form a flat piece of material. What happens when they are bent out of shape and not woven together perfectly? What beauty lies in imperfection?”
Perhaps the most colourful out of all the designers’ collections, Jonté Pike’s Banshu textiles and garments were inspired by a recent trip to Istanbul.
“The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul caught my eye and I found myself inspired by the vibrant atmosphere. The spice colours and a beautiful strand of marveled precious stones was the birth of my capsule collection, Turkish Delight.”
The collections created for the WA-Hyogo Banshu Textile Exchange Program will be on show come Monday, September 26; more information can be found via perthfashionfestival.com.au.

_EMMA BERGMEIER