Monday, Part 2: Mariko-san and I continued on our day's adventure from having dessert first (not lunch but very filling) to going to an area called Nippori, the fabric capitol of Tokyo. At least two long streets have nothing but small fabric stores, one after another. Sometimes there's a store that's nothing but buttons, one just leather (piled so high and wide that the proprietor looks almost buried), one nothing but fur or fake fur. Some stores have only knits, some only silks ($20-$70/yard). I had to be certain that what I was buying was different and wonderful enough that it would be worth the cost to buy and the cost to mail it home in a box.
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Official map of Nippori
fabric shops |
After the filling dessert, I was glad to be able to walk a lot, and we did.
Most of the fabrics, I think are imported. Gorgeous wools, luscious silks, and a lot of synthetics with photo prints--- that seems to be the rage right now of photographed images (flowers, writing in English or French, leaves) and then Photoshopped with filters for a watercolor look and more. Fabric is sold in meters which is just over a yard in length. (I bought over a meter of white wool jersey for 900 yen--- about $9.) I ended up buying fabric at two different stores and then I was overwhelmed and couldn't face anymore. #36 on the map, Nagato, is the store at which I wanted almost everything I saw and that did it. So, I took pictures instead!
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| #36 Nagato: I wanted to buy everything. |
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Trying to find the weirdest, wildest most
wonderful fabric. |
And then we went to lunch! Part 3 on Ramen.
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| Double knit |
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| Double knit in B/W and gray behind, wool felt in front |
Ooooooooooh those fabrics!thanks for the great images.
ReplyDeleteWow, the fabrics! I am really enjoying reading about your trip and can't wait to see more. (I've looking through my shibori fabrics from your June workshop and thinking about winter projects....)
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