CODED THREADS
In collaboration with the weaving workshop Shimogawa Orimono, the series Coded Threads explores the hidden potential of Kukuri Ito, a distinct cotton thread traditionally used in the making of Kurume Kasuri textiles. Before the dyeing process, Kukuri Ito, which means “binding thread,” is wound tightly around the yarn to resist dye and to encode the pattern that later appears in the woven cloth. Once its purpose is fulfilled, the thread is usually removed and discarded. Yet within this byproduct lies a remarkable record of craft, rhythm, and touch, a material trace of the making process itself.
Coded Threads brings Kukuri Ito into focus by revealing its aesthetic, material, and cultural value. It seeks inventive ways to reuse the growing surplus of this thread while addressing the challenges currently faced by the Kurume Kasuri craft. The historical looms used in the workshops limit yarn and fabric widths and consequently restrict both the range of possible weaves and the market for these textiles. By reconsidering Kukuri Ito not as waste but as a resource, the project offers new perspectives for both material use and craft continuity.
Through experimentation on industrial Jacquard and shaft looms, Kukuri Ito is reimagined for contemporary interior applications. In double weave constructions with planned alternating weft sequences, colored yarns interlace with Kukuri Ito to produce textiles of striking visual depth and luminosity. Patterns appear and dissolve, color becomes both intensified and softened. The resulting fabrics possess a layered quality where clarity and blur coexist. Through simple geometries and carefully chosen materials, the work brings the Kukuri thread to the forefront and reveals its inherent beauty, structure, and expressive strength.
Coded Threads connects traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design practice and demonstrates how a secondary material can gain new functional and aesthetic meaning. It highlights the dialogue between local knowledge and design, honoring the more than two-hundred-year history of Kurume Kasuri, a textile tradition sustained by family-run workshops that continue to pass on and refine their expertise. At the same time, it opens new pathways for sustainable and future-oriented textile production.
By transforming what is usually discarded into something of renewed value, Coded Threads reflects on continuity, material knowledge, and the role of design in sustaining craft traditions. It demonstrates how thoughtful design can connect past and present practices while opening space for new forms of making. The project positions a simple material within a contemporary design context that values sustainability, craftsmanship, and ongoing creative development.
