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Jhane Barnes Newsletter — March, 2011
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Helping JapanFrom now through the end of April, I will donate 10% of sales from my online store to Seiwajyuku, a business leadership group based on the principles of Kazuo Inamori, a Japanese philanthropist, entrepreneur, and founder of successful Japanese corporations Kyocera and KDDI. One of Seiwajyuku's basic principles is to care for others in your life and at work by first overcoming your own ego. My husband, Katsu, is supporting director of the New York chapter of Seiwajyuku, and uses Dr. Inamori's principles as a guide for running his textile agency, Katsu New York. Last weekend, members of the Tokyo Seiwajyuku chapter went to Tohoku and cooked 500 hot lunches for the survivors. They are planning many such events. I can't think of a better way to help people and know that all of the money is going to those who need it most. For more information about Seiwajyuku, visit www.seiwajyuku.org. Japan has played a special role in my career as a menswear designer, helping me explore complex woven structures and unusual finishing techniques. I first began producing textiles in Japan in 1979. When I discovered the magic of using lycra in the weft in a double woven on my hand loom, the only weaver I could find who would even try weaving lycra twisted with cotton was in Japan. Thus my stretch wovens, double woven "sweaters," were born in 1986. I later discovered and developed additional signature techniques in Japan, including push-pull and yoroke. I am saddened by the destruction wrought by the recent tsunami and earthquake in Japan, and want to help Japanese people and businesses recover. My husband, Katsu is from Japan, and most of his family still lives there. We've been lucky - our family and friends in Japan are safe. We both feel an urgency to help those who have been less fortunate. Thank you for helping Japan by shopping in my online store. |
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Spring ShirtsFinally, after one of the snowiest winters I can remember, Spring is here! My online store has lots of fancy wovens, embroideries and prints I think you'll love:  Click the image to see this in the online store Bingo The wavy look in "Bingo" is the result of yoroke, a special Japanese weaving technique that causes the threads to wiggle. "Bingo" comes in two colors, Ciel and Berry, each with contrasting fabric for some of the inside details, including the inside cuffs.
 Click the image to see this in the online store Blaze "Blaze," in turquoise and aubergine with ivory threads, is a jacquard fabric with a slight "distortion" caused by yoroke, one of my favorite Japanese weaving techniques. Yoroke adds waviness to the fairly geometric pattern of the jacquard.
 Click the image to see this in the online store Zodiac Embroidery with a space dye yarn sits on top of a blue and white striped jacquard in "Zodiac."
The embroidery uses the same motifs as the jacquard pattern. This shirt has a fun, fresh look.
 Click the image to see this in the online store Landslide "Landslide" uses another one of my favorite techniques, push-pull, and one of my favorite motifs, a fractal from the Julia set.
Woven in Japan, the threads in one layer of this double woven fabric are literally pushed away from the other layer in
finishing to create the wiggly "push-pull" effect.
 Click the image to see this in the online store Enigma "Enigma" has an otherworldly feeling. Swoops of blue and gold with interruptions of grey travel along a white ground.
 Click the image to see this in the online store Crush In cool blue, "Crush," a screen print, started with a scan of wrinkled fabric. It's printed on a pleated fabric made of cotton and lycra.
As you can see in the close-up photo, there is no print in the crevices of the pleats, so when the fabric stretches,
the white of the fabric shows. It's a really cool effect!
  Click the image to see this in the online store Versatile Astro Woven with a subtle space dye yarn, the fabric in "Versatile Astro" was originally developed as a shirt. In 100% cotton,
it fits like a casual jacket, but feels like a shirt. You can wear it casually or dress it up. It's truly "versatile."
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Wine Label ContestRecently, I had the pleasure of visiting Newport Beach, California to participate in judging a wine label contest to help raise funds and awareness for Common Thread for the Cure, a non-profit galvanizing members of the furnishings industry to support breast cancer survivors and their families. We had to pick from 20 designs. Pictured here are the two winners! For more information on Common Thread for the Cure, visit www.commonthread.info. |
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