Shibori Bandhani

A presentation for AFWJ, the Association of Foreign Wives of Japanese, Japan

Shibori is the Japanese name for various methods of applying pressure to cloth to create resist dye patterns and Bandhani as a tie-dye technique prominent in Northwest India, also noting its southern variant, Sungudi, and another form, Leheria.

The talk acknowledged the widespread presence of tie-dye globally, citing examples from Yunnan and Nigeria, and credited Yoshiko Iwamoto Wada for popularizing Shibori worldwide. Sato then delved into how consumer demand affected traditional crafts and discussed the contemporary dialogue surrounding sustainable practices and the challenges of reviving lost techniques, such as those faced by Kashmir loom weavers.

Finally, the presentation shifted to the economic realities of craft, posing the question of whether consumers would pay a living wage for artisan work, thereby initiating a discussion on exploitation versus responsible consumption. Sato concluded by noting Japanese examples of preserving traditions like Tsumugi, and reflected on how the modern accessibility of textiles and diverse fashion made individual expression easier than ever before.