Lilies, iris japonica, bamboo grass, nandina, chinese quince…looking at the fresh seasonal flowers, grasses and fruit covering the dress is like viewing a Japanese folding screen painting that features plants from all four seasons. The floral patterns are based on designer Mame Kurogouchi’s sketches of the plants growing around her home and office which she then showcased in her dress designs. To ensure the highest quality representation and design of the botanical images, Kuroguchi selected highly specialized craftsmen from the Hokuriku region for weaving, Kyoto for fabric dyeing, and Kiryu for embroidery, applying a range of techniques to reproduce the images on the fabric, after which the garment was sewn.
Kurogouchi, had been participating in Tokyo Fashion Week since the spring summer 2011 collection. Her first Paris collection was 2018, the year that this garment was shown. This collection was inspired by returning to the examples of nature in the designer’s surroundings, as well as by understated yet lovingly created hand-made objects. This garment incorporates both these elements and is arguably a contemporary manifestation of the traditional Japanese aesthetic in which even wildflowers and grasses are meticulously depicted.