Ainery Blue has designed a compact Furoshiki denim bag using traditional dyeing and weaving methods to create a fashionable storage accessory whose very design pays homage to Japan’s history and tradition, many of which still apply today. Almost everything about the Furoshiki denim bag is a nod to Japan’s past culture, design, and fashion. The term “furoshiki” refers to traditional Japanese wrapping cloths for goods, bento boxes, and informal gifts.
When worn as a bag, the Furoshiki looks more like an “Azuma Fukuro” that predated today’s modern tote bags by about four centuries. The design might look basic and even old-fashioned, but its minimalism also has a certain charm. More importantly, its uncomplicated shape leaves enough room for many items inside.
The bag looks made from typical denim material, but there is nothing typical with how it is made, beginning with how it’s dyed.
It uses the Ryuku Indigo plant to create a rare natural dye using traditional and manual methods like microorganism fermentation. The warp yarns undergo a traditional soaking method to ensure that the Ryuku Indigo dye seeps into the yarn’s core. The result is a material that doesn’t fade quickly no matter how often you wash it.
The denim is woven using more traditional shuttle looms that yield more durable high-density fabrics compared to modern looms. That said, machines sew the fabrics, but there is still an element of quality production thanks to how a factory in Okayama handles it that famous but unnamed fashion brands also use.
Right from the start, the Furoshiki bag is made with traditional methods and materials to ensure the same long-lasting quality of traditional bags that last for decades, not just years.
The Furoshiki denim bag demonstrates how modern design thinking can apply past lessons to create something that will also endure the test of time. Stylish, durable, functional, and sustainable, the bag easily stands out among modern tote bags as something that harmoniously blends the past and present.
