The evolution of paper dressing us #Washi

A research journey that started in 2016 that would introduce a nature-driven healthy lifestyle textile envisioned to innovate the dressing of our environment

To utilize the gift of nature, researcher and textile designer Toru Itoi researched washi yarns and cloths, resulting in the creation of washi textiles made from raw materials like abaca and softwood.

Washi, a Japanese paper that is traditionally used as Shoji and Fusuma for house sliding doors and dividers, has been extended to the production of clothing textiles equipped with unique porous features allowing fabric breathability and many microbes that live in the pores to purify and cleanse the surroundings.

Washi products such as shoes, knitted wear, woven shirts, caps, sports gear, undergarments, bed sheets, pillows, towels, and watch belts manufactured originating from the unique Japanese paper manufacturing techniques are envisioned to propel existing products into a biocompatible environment.