We are thrilled to host our friend Hiro Murase for a pop-up shop in the gallery, December 10 to 18. Murase is the founder and creative director of Suzusan — a luxury clothing and housewares brand that utilizes traditional techniques in contemporary design.
The 400 year-old art form of shibori involves an intricate process of tying, sewing, folding and dyeing in which each piece is worked on by 4 to 5 specialized artisans to create textiles of extraordinary color, pattern and three-dimensional design. For five generations, Murase's family has been part of this tradition in the Japanese village of Arimatsu, where the craft was most highly refined.
In 2008, Murase founded the Suzusan label to re-imagine the expertise of the artisans in his hometown in the context of contemporary couture. While shibori was traditionally used on silk and cotton fabrics, Murase added cashmere and alpaca as well as innovative contemporary motifs. Each object Suzusan crafts is handmade, each is unique. Their women's and men's sweaters, shirts, scarves, shawls, and housewares epitomize luxury.