Brand Stories
Japan Heritage
Beauty of Japanese tradition
Kimonos and obis which embody the beauty of Japanese tradition, are attracting a lot of interest around the world.
We purchase kimonos and obis through special channels and carefully select and use only those that meet our needs. BARRIQUE TOKYO staff include a diverse range of nationalities and ages, enabling us to incorporate a range of approaches and ideas into our products. I value re-makes that fit with modern and international lifestyles. For example, combining different materials such as denim with shibori haori fabric to create a stylish look.
Which part of a kimono or obi should we use to create what kind of item? At BARRIQUE TOKYO, our products are one-of-a-kind, handcrafted one-at-a -time with a focus on the differences in fabric expression, to create timeless designs that have a long life of usefulness. To convey the charms of kimonos and obis, is to convey Japanese culture and traditions. By remaking them into interior items, we hope to pass on the spirit of kimono in a different form.
Traditional patterns and colors
The many beautiful patterns on kimonos and obis are designed to be auspicious as good omens. For example, the peony, the king of flowers, is a good omen. The turtle shell is a symbol of longevity and good fortune, as in the saying, ‘A crane lives for a thousand years, a turtle for ten thousand years.’
The cloisonne pattern that forms the base of BARRIQUE TOKYO’s logo signifies happiness and prosperity.
In addition, various colors with elegant names are traditionally used in Japanese clothing. These include Ai-nezumi, Koki-kuchinashi, Akane-iro, Rindo-iro, and Kakishibu-iro. It is said there are more than a thousand traditional Japanese colors.
We give a name to and love each color in our daily lives. By wearing auspicious patterns with a prayer for good fortune, people drive away evil spirits and bring happiness.
BARRIQUE TOKYO actively incorporates auspicious patterns and traditional colors into our products, and strives to convey their origin and significance in English on our website.
Sustainability
It is estimated that 480,000 tons of clothing is discarded from Japanese households each year, with a significant 34% reused, and the rest disposed of as garbage. In addition, there are 30 million kimonos in Japan sleeping in drawers, with an estimated value of over 8 trillion yen.
At BARRIQUE TOKYO, we buy discarded and sleeping kimonos and obis, to extend their precious life. We also continue to work on spreading the concept of sustainable fashion.