CH Japan: Indigo Dyeing Leather + Cotton

From the Tokushima farm of Yoshiharu Toyama to the vats of dye master Naoyuki Asai in Kyoto

Many people don’t know where natural indigo comes from or realize how few indigo farms are left in Japan—only five in Tokushima, the country’s traditional indigo farming region. Indigo is a green plant that has a higher percentage of blue than other green plants (though most have some). Traditional indigo dye in Japan is made from sukumo, which is what the harvested and fermented indigo …

CH Japan: Exploring Setouchi Crafts + Denim

From a vessel that represents a region's talents to a neighborhood of exemplary mills

Japan‘s Setouchi region—from the namesake town to the serene Seto Inland Sea—offers a concentration of high-quality crafts, denim and food. On our CH Japan guided excursion, we explored it from the pristine guntû floating ryokan to various day trips on foot. Nearly everything on guntû is from Setouchi, including furniture, ceramics, textiles, food and even the wood used on the ship. The rattan chairs in …

Design Indaba 2020: Speakers, Thinkers and Creators

A glimpse at what to expect from the next iteration of the dynamic conference

Now in its 25th year, Design Indaba explores how to make the world a better place through creative innovation and groundbreaking design. For three days, the annual Cape Town summit brings together international, visionary minds to share ideas and explore new ways of thinking. Founder Ravi Naidoo and his team bring some of the most thoughtful and provocative creatives in the world together. From well-known …