What is Sashiko Boro?

Boro

In Japanese, Boro means rag, this is how in ancient times, the poor population of northern Japan recovered used textiles, patched them together, forming a patchwork. The different pieces of fabric were fixed with Sashiko stitches. This work thus made it possible to strengthen the textiles and fight against the cold. By revisiting this ancient technique, and by thinking back to the long history of sashiko, we thus create clothes that are up to date while participating in recycling and upcycling. These sublime patchworks in indigo shades are elevated to the rank of cultural heritage crafts , and find their place in museums and fashion shows. Ancestor of upcycling and zero-waste , Boro comes to us straight from the past and has a strong resonance in our quest for sustainability for a more ethical fashion.

Sashiko

Sashiko is used to assemble squares of material and mend a pair of torn jeans or a jacket with frayed elbows. The Sashiko stitch, also called a running stitch, should be the size of a grain of rice on both the right and wrong sides. It goes in and out alternately like a dotted line. Squares, circles, diamonds, stars, it is available in graphic patterns. The secret of Sashiko lies in tracing the pattern beforehand from the basic grid. The needle remains fixed and passes through the regular folds of the fabric, pushed by a die. Today, Sashiko brings value to fabrics and clothing.