Aizome

Stylish and beautiful, the patterns of blue and white of this pic are an example of Aizome, traditional Japanese indigo dyeing. This has long been a favorite colour in Japan, and it used to bee called "Japan blue". Although these fabrics use only two colours, they come in a great range of haws.

The dye used in Aizome is produced from the indigo plant, known as AI. It is perfect for colouring either bolts of fabric or skeins of threads. Indigo became popular because of it could be used for dyeing any kind of material, whether cotton, hemp,or silk. Aizome dyers use two techniques to create patterns: the paste-resist method and tie-dyeing.

Since ancient times, Aizome has been one of the most popular kinds of dyed fabric for clothing in Japan. Form the 12th century, Aizome fabric caught on among the ruling samurai class. During the Edo period, from the 17th to the mid-19th centuries, indigo dyeing spread to the common people. During the period, the shogunate wished to prevent the town people from becoming powerful, so it repeatedly issued edicts and sumptuary laws that banned excessive displays of finery. Commoners were only allowed to wear clothes in subdued colours, such as blue, brown, or grey.

In the face of these restrictions, the towns people turned to indigo-dyed fabric to indulge their sense of enjoyment of wearing distinctive clothes.During the cures of its long history, the skills of Indigo dyeing have spawned a wide variety of designs. One factor that fuelled this was people's desire for fashionable clothing, even at a time when luxury was banned.