Fabulous Furoshiki

Recycle, reuse and repurpose...oui oui!

We love to learn a new trick, so when our fab client, Michele returned from a trip to Japan and showed us her new obsession - the art of Furoshiki - our ears and eyes shot open! Annnnd we thought, let's further share this obsession with a fabulous group of femmes at our fashion show! So we grabbed the offcuts and fabrics of our seasons past, hemmed them up and passed on Michele's teachings - it was Furoshiki fantasssssia!

But what is Furoshiki you ask?

Capturing the art of practical and fashionable recycling (Yay!), furoshiki bags have graced Japanese culture for more than 1,000 years. Originally used to secure personal belongings at the bath house… (wouldn’t we love more of those!) these bags were made using old cloth of all sizes and patterns. Like a chameleon they multitasked as bath mats, handbags and even as wrapping materials to carry food or gifts. How’s the practicality in that? Well as you can imagine, from such humble beginnings furoshiki quickly became popular amongst the greater public, and for generations, there was a furoshiki bag for every person and every occasion! Kimono-clad women took pride in displaying designs that mirrored the seasons while working people used them to carry belongings, tools and merchandise.
Alas, in the last half-century furoshiki slipped out of fashion only to be replaced by the (in)convenience of plastic bags…...but fear not, as the future of furoshiki isn’t over yet. The global growing shift towards environmental consciousness and sustainable living has seen furoshiki rise again. Dubbed by some as the “world’s first eco bag”, the recycled, multifunctional and hugely practical nature of furoshiki makes it a simple personal must have for anyone, anywhere. And as slow fashion lovers - this bag makes perfect sense!

How to create your own furoshiki bag First -  Knot each corner of your furoshiki at approximately 40 cm
Second -  Knot two of your new furoshiki corners together on one side, and repeat on the other edge
Third - Tightly knot your last two furoshiki corners together to fasten the bag

Now grab a scarf, sarong or some fabric and ava-go!

Thank you Michele!

xoxoxo