decorative japanese sashiko inspired product

When gathering inspiration for this fall special edition collection, our design team wanted to combine something functional with something beautiful—in their words, a “juxtaposition,” which they always include in their design concepting.

“There are always two inspirations that come together to create our theme, which drive the aesthetic, construction, fabric, and function of our product,” said Antonia Iamartino, our lead yoga designer. “When you’re outdoors, camping, and temperatures are changing, you want to stay outside for as long as you can—you just don’t want summer to end. What inspired the functional side of our design was a solve for the transition from warm to cold. We used layers and different types of fabrics, including some that are thicker and warmer.”

The second part of the inspiration was Sashiko, a traditional form of Japanese patchwork mending that uses small stitches to repair and add strength to worn areas of clothing or to provide insulation.

Sashiko literally means ‘little stabs.’ The geometric designs include straight or curved lines of hand-stitching, arranged in a repeating pattern. The white cotton thread on indigo blue cloth—the traditional Sashiko colours—gives the craft its distinctive appearance.

“There’s beauty in the patchwork of restoring the garment, which at the same time makes it beautiful. It’s so unique and drew us in,” said Antonia. “The Sashiko inspiration is a blend of the construction, the colours, and all of the aesthetic aspects that get layered onto the functional inspiration. It has a bit of a hand crafted feel to it, it feels unique.”

Alicia-Rae is a writer, adventurer and the assistant editor of our blog. You’ll never catch her without her pen, notepad and camera in tow. She’s a DIY aficionado, and believes the best, and most beautiful, things in life are homemade. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.