PERIOD FEATURES: Japanese Design, Indian Sari Craft

Florence, Italy–Japanese flair and Indian sari-inspired hand craft, Masakatsu Tsumura’s brand Period Features was inspired by a trip to West Bengal.

Tsumura is now planning to launch into the world of women’s wear with a line of ladies’ shirts, after his summery hand woven shirts with intricate block prints made waves first at Pitti Uomo’s “The Latest Fashion Buzz” section and then at the fair’s “OPEN” section in June.

It all started when on a trip to a small village, about five hours away from Calcutta, he asked an Indian tailor to make his shirts and fell in love with the Indian cotton fabric and tailoring.

“The reason why I decided to produce my line in India, is very simple. I found the shirts’ fabric that I wanted to wear,” Tsumura said.

One of the brand’s premium fabrics is Jamdani, which is a hand woven fabric, one of the world’s most time-intensive and finest muslin textiles.

Tsumura described that at first it was difficult communicating with local artisans. “From my learning of four years, I make full scale design sheets with my handwriting. Most of the village people are not able to read and write.”

But as the internet continues to reach developing countries and small villages, artisans are beginning to exchange files containing information on fabric, pictures, and patterns of the shirts.

“Billions and billions of techniques are passed down to the artisans in the village, and all of the work is done by hand. I realized I could find beauty in the imperfect fabric.”

“Imperfect beauty. That, I can’t find in the perfect products by machine weaving.”

WHERE TO BUY: Europe / Ibiza island ( True Style ), Milan / BIFFI

Japan / MARTINIQUE, UNITED, ARROWS, KINK ect.. 7 store

WEBSITE: http://www.periodfeatures.in

AVERAGE PRICE: EUR300 to EUR400

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 ALSO IN THE EMPOWERING ARTISANS ISSUE: Period Features: Japanese Design, Indian Sari Craft, BACO Getaway: Namibia, Kinsfolk: Sri Lankan Craft, Swiss Style , OWL: Paris’ Link to African Fashion, Hirofumi Kurino: Japan’s Oracle of Fashion, Rahul Mishra on Empowering Artisan Villages 

One of the most expensive shirts in Period Features’ collection is made with Jamdani fabric. Period Features Courtesy Photo

Period Features Courtesy Photo

Period Features Courtesy Photo

From the 2016 spring summer collection. Period Features Courtesy Photo

From the SS2016 collection. Period Features Courtesy Photo

Artisans hand sew onto the Jamdani fabric, one of the finest muslins in the world. Courtesy Photo.