Yamaei Keori marks its centenary in 2015. At the traditional factory that allows a generous amount of sunlight from its north-facing windows, looms that have been used for decades continue to weave fabric slowly and powerfully.

The machines mainly in operation are rapier looms, which are innovative equipment developed after the conventional shuttle loom, which passes a shuttle back and forth through warp yarns to weave the weft.

They opt to operate the high-speed rapier looms at the slowest setting, which means it could take three days to complete a 50-meter roll of high-density fabric.

Weaving at high speed to prioritize productivity would end up flattening the wool’s natural loft, making it impossible to create a soft and air y texture.

DRESSEDUNDRESSED’s designers Kitazawa and Sato encountered and fell in love with the fabrics of Yamaei Keori through Adachi of the Tsushima Wool Industrial Union. “The fabrics of Yamaei Keori were exactly the type of wool mohair we had been looking for. Their careful low-speed weaving approach brings out wool’s intrinsic beauty.”

“Our strength is having skilled craftsmen in-house to facilitate material development through close communication. In coming years, we plan to take on other materials such as cot ton and hemp and reflect fashion trends to create products in partnership with brands,”says the fourth company president Yamada.

Yamada himself frequently visits the studios of various brands in Tokyo to find out what types of fabrics they are after, and provide the information to the production site.

The company worked with DRESSEDUNDRESSED from the thread development stage for the brand’s Spring / Summer 2015 collection, which marks the third season of its collaboration with Yamaei Keori. Let ’s wait and see how their interpretations will play out.