The stain is caused by the action of microorganisms and changes color when it comes into contact with oxygen in the air.
The indigo dyeing done by LITMUS is more accurately described as a dialogue with nature rather than dyeing.
LITMUS uses the ancient indigo dyeing technique of natural lye fermentation.
SEVEN BY SEVEN creates products with a focus on unique materials and patterns.
The encounter between the two has resulted in a special, never-before-seen work.
"Indigo is alive"
Yuji Matsui of LITMUS, who we spoke to this time, first encountered indigo dyeing about 30 years ago, when he came across some old Japanese clothing dyed with indigo while digging through vintage clothing.
"I was captivated. I remember being deeply moved that Japan could have something so beautiful and profound."
Matsui was so moved by the beauty of the craft that he decided to take up the path of indigo dyeing in earnest, becoming even more fascinated by the profound world of indigo dyeing.
"Before chemical dyes were invented, blue was a difficult color to create in the first place. It could be made by scraping blue minerals, but in most cases it had to be extracted over a long period of time from specific plants. It's a very labor-intensive color."
What kind of time and effort does that involve?
"In Japan, there are people who work as indigo masters. They pile up leaves in a storehouse with an earthen floor, pour water on them once a week, and ferment them in a way similar to how you make leaf compost. The leaves gradually start to decompose, and only the blue condenses and remains. After about four months of this, the raw material for indigo liquid, known as sukumo, is produced."
"However, the indigo color contained in sukumo has the property that it only dissolves in alkaline water. Alkaline water can be easily made by adding chemicals to the water, but we don't do that. Instead, we use natural alkaline water made the old-fashioned way."
"We put wood ash into hot water, stir it, and wait for it to settle. The remaining clear water becomes naturally alkaline. The first lye extracted has such a high pH that it tastes spicy when you lick it. We don't use it, but add new hot water and remove the second, third, and third lye. Once we've removed about eight, we mix numbers two through five together to create the optimal natural lye."
After mixing the sukumo and lye, wheat husks, which are the source of sugar, and sake are added to promote fermentation. This is why it is called "natural lye fermented indigo dye".
"As fermentation progresses, bubbles begin to appear and the indigo liquid matures. During this time, the temperature and humidity must be carefully controlled. If the balance of the bacteria is lost, the desired indigo liquid will not be completed. In that sense, indigo is truly a living thing."
The process is extremely complex and delicate, and the indigo dye is the product of many layers of time and effort.
"The finished indigo liquid has a blue surface, but the liquid itself is brown. Immediately after dyeing, the clothes have a brownish tinge, but as they come into contact with air and oxidize, they become increasingly blue. If they are washed in hot water, they become an even clearer blue, and by repeating this process, the indigo dye becomes deeper and more refined. Depending on the shade of blue we are aiming for, we may dye the clothes dozens of times. We have been doing this work for 30 years, but the changes are different each time. We can never make two identical pieces."
Matsui says, "Rather than dyeing with indigo, I'm helping to create indigo." Indigo-dyed clothing born in this way will grow rich over a long period of time.
"I always have the opportunity to see the clothes from SEVEN BY SEVEN, and there's always an item that makes me think, 'It would be interesting if this was indigo dyed.' I think we've created something really interesting this time as well."
When expressing the richness of color, it is often expressed as "depth." However, the indigo dyeing produced by LITMUS is different. Rather than depth, it might be more appropriate to say "awesomeness."
Only a few pieces can be made per day, making this a rare, one-off collaboration. Don't miss out on this opportunity.