Creativity is supported by the factory's ingenuity and technology.
Next, Mr. Kaneko headed to Nomi City in Ishikawa Prefecture. This is where “Komatsu Materiel,” a world-renowned manufacturer specializing in the dyeing and processing of synthetic fibers, is located.
QUILTED DOWN JACKET ¥ 66,000
"This piece was inspired by a vintage down jacket, but since it has a classic silhouette, I chose this fabric to give it a modern look through the fabric and color. The subtle sheen and the color that blends seamlessly into the urban landscape are qualities that can only be achieved at this factory."
During the dyeing process, it is necessary to uniformly dye a vast amount of fabric measured in tan (1 tan: approximately 50 meters). This process involves numerous steps—from preparing the fabric upon arrival to make it easier to dye, through the actual dyeing and processing, finishing, and finally to the final quality inspection—each of which draws on the skills and expertise of our artisans.
Once the fabric has undergone preliminary preparation and is ready for dyeing, it is dyed here. The fabric is tied together into ropes and dyed at a high temperature of 130–135°C. The techniques used to ensure even dyeing are all contained within this kiln.
Staff members with specialized skills operate the equipment at each stage of the process. Since machinery can exhibit variations from day to day, they carefully control it to ensure it meets specifications.
The quality of the dyed fabric is checked visually using sensors. Any areas that do not meet the standards are marked.
"It's not just about making the fabric—it's also important to ensure consistent quality throughout the dyeing process. This workplace really drives home just how challenging it is to guarantee a consistent level of quality, especially for products that are mass-produced."
This is the only facility capable of dyeing fabric while preserving the unique texture of nylon. Because production volumes are limited, the fabric is highly sought after.
This is the dyeing process for the nylon taffeta used in the QUILTED DOWN series. Nylon is a material that shrinks when heated and is prone to wrinkling during dyeing, but Komatsu Materiel possesses proprietary technology that allows it to achieve a smooth, beautiful finish without compromising its luster.
“Komatsu Materie has a wide range of processing technologies—not just for dyeing this nylon taffeta. I get the impression that they really enjoy the development process. Our creative work is supported by that kind of imagination and the technical expertise to bring those ideas to life.”
“Color” is determined by the balance of CMYK. Although we have color recipes from the past, it is difficult to reproduce them exactly, so we conduct dyeing tests repeatedly.
Getting the right color in dyeing isn’t always straightforward. In particular, with the brown used in “ARCHETYPE,” it’s very difficult to balance the brightness and tone of the color. Furthermore, to achieve the exact shade specified by the brand, they say it’s necessary to select a dyeing method suited to the material and make subtle adjustments to the formula based on the day’s temperature and humidity. It’s almost as if they’re working with a living organism.
"I always struggle with color correction. We tend to say things like, 'We want to tone down the red a little' or 'We want to deepen the brown a little,' but actually bringing that vision to life requires truly remarkable skill. It was only after seeing the process firsthand that I truly realized just how impressive it is."
