Japanese brand Maison 910 has launched a line of clothes made from 100% washi denim. Despite being made of Japanese paper, the clothes are washable, durable and practical, with a smooth, dry texture quite unlike any other material. Maison 910's denim jeans and jackets come in indigo, black, gray and off-white, and are available only from its Ginza and Kyoto stores.
The clothes are made from a paper fabric developed by the Osaka textile company Washi no Nuno. Second-generation weaver Masato Abe began experimenting with washi thread in 2003, determined to ensure the survival of a local industry that was disappearing at an alarming rate in the face of cheaper Asian textile production.
The unique thread is made of ultra-thin strips of washi (manila hemp paper) that are twisted into yarn and then woven into cloth on looms like any other yarn. Unlike cotton or silk, however, washi yarn has no elasticity - a problem that took Abe years to overcome through trial and error experiments.
After a decade of development, Abe finally succeeded in weaving paper denim that has a smoothness, dryness and lightness not found in any other cloth. While 97% of the area's textile looms have fallen silent, Abe's company is now exporting washi paper- and wood-based fabrics to Europe and the US, and providing unique textiles to high-fashion brands such as Maison 910.