Craftsmanship news and archive

Albania's women silk makers weave big dreams for ancient trade

Albanian women have long been famed for their stylish and colourful traditional attire that some still wore until relatively recently. And few were more chic than the women of Zadrima who wore their own handmade silks and headdresses, their fine gauze blouses set off with belts and swathes of red silk. But that age-old know-how was almost lost...

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Fashion |Opinion

Kapital sale to LVMH raises stakes for artisanal fashion independence

LVMH-backed L Catterton's acquisition of Kapital, a Japanese clothing brand celebrated for its artisanal denim and Americana-inspired designs that was founded in the 1980s, has sparked concerns among enthusiasts and industry observers. The acquisition, finalised in the second half of 2024 according to High Snobiety, came just months after...

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Business

True blue tradition: how Japan's coveted jeans are made

Kojima-ajino, Japan - Call it an antidote to fast fashion: Japanese jeans hand-dyed with natural indigo and weaved on a clackety vintage loom, then sold at a premium to global denim connoisseurs. Unlike their mass-produced cousins, the tough garments crafted at the small Momotaro Jeans factory in southwest Japan are designed to be worn for...

Fashion

Floor-length and horns: Namibia's Herero dress endures

Windhoek, Dec 18, 2024 (AFP) - From his humble Windhoek workshop, Namibia's leading fashion designer is keeping alive the love for the Herero people's traditional dress with horned headgear, a full-length skirt and a link to German colonisers accused of genocide. McBright Kavari's sewing room is piled high with seemingly ordinary fabric that he...

Fashion |In Pictures

Burberry highlights British craftsmanship with Tricker’s collection

Heritage brand Burberry is spotlighting British craftsmanship in footwear with a collaboration with English shoemaker Tricker’s for autumn/winter 2023. The collaboration, which debut as part of Burberry’s autumn/winter 2023 collection, features a range of brogues, Chelsea boots and Derby shoes designed by Daniel Lee, chief creative officer of...

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Bottega Veneta to launch new academy to preserve craftsmanship

Bottega Veneta on Monday announced the establishment of a new academy. Called the Accademia Labor et Ingenium, the school reinforces the luxury brand's commitment to traditional craftsmanship. Named after the brand's founding values, 'Labor et Ingenium, Craft and Creativity,' the academy will offer training, workshops, and lessons at its...

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LVMH joins forces with French Government to promote craftsmanship

Luxury group giant LVMH has taken a leading role as the main partner in the inaugural edition of the Rencontres Économiques des Métiers d'art forum in Tonnerre, Burgundy. This event aims to unite key stakeholders from the economic, political, institutional, and social spheres to foster new collaborations among artisans, organizations, companies,...

Podcast

Podcast: Weaving, multiculturalism and how craft connects people

Fashion journalist Clare Press speaks with Samorn Sanixay, co-founder of an artisan weaving studio called Eastern Weft. Sanixay took a journey to map out various natural dyeing methods that are based on eucalyptus. During her trip, however, she found more than just natural dyeing methods, namely friendships, a connection to the land and the idea...

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Fashion |FEATURE

How the Netherlands revived its education of craft tailoring

Back in 2011, the Dutch National Opera & Ballet had a problem: it couldn’t find any local talent when looking for high-quality tailors. This realisation gave birth to Meesteropleiding Coupeur, a private school with a goal to revive the craft of tailoring. And so far it looks like it’s been successful, with past graduates having worked with Dutch...