About the exhibitor
Since its establishment in 1915 as a dye house focused on black colours, Kyoto Montsuki has remained dedicated to the pursuit of 'an even darker, more beautiful, and non-fading shade of black' for over a century.
Leveraging its extensive experience dyeing silk kimonos, a notoriously challenging material to dye, the company has developed its unique 'Shinkuro' (deep black) processing technique that achieves a depth of black dye never before seen in western clothing. This technique applies not only to natural fibres like cotton, linen and wool but also extends to synthetic fibres.
Today, the company utilises this expertise to provide OEM contract black dyeing services for clothing brands and engages in upcycling clothing items that have already entered the market—both second-hand items and apparel stocks— by dyeing them black.
About the products
The colour black can be described in many ways: in English, terms like 'black' or 'dark' are common, while in Japan, examples include 'sumi-iro' [ink], 'shikkoku' [jet black lacquer], 'nurebairo' [wet, black feathers of a crow], 'nubatama' [blackberry lily seeds], 'gen' [yellow and red-tinted black], or 'nibi-iro' [dull, dark grey].
In the sunlight filtering through eaves and shoji screens and in the gentle glow of 'Andon' paper lamps illuminating the darkness as they are carried along, the Japanese have long embraced the culture of shadows and pursued the beauty of black in their own unique way. The appreciation for the richness and depth of the colour black has given rise to a culture that celebrates its mystique and subtleties.
"K" KUROZOME REWEAR FROM KYOTO's black-dyed fabrics exemplify this, featuring the ‘Shinkuro’ (deep black) processing that enhances darkness by absorbing light into the material, along with their high fastness, water repellency and safety assurance.
