Vintage Sari Matching
Mieko has been traveling to India every year since 2009. She goes to select Vintage Indian saris that are collected for consideration. Now over 7000 pieces are gathered from all across India over the course of a year for each round of garments. Mieko then goes through an exhaustive process of sorting through all of these saris and selects about 1200 pairs. These are then matched for use as the insides and the outsides of jackets and dresses. She considers herself “match maker” to the Kantha throws. She feels a sense of responsibility to saris, that they never be separate again.
Vintage Sari Patchwork
Mieko enjoys the endless possibilities inherent in the arrangement Patchwork panels. Variation can be made in color, pattern, and even the type of material, such as woven or print. There are two types of patchwork material produced for Mieko in India. One is ‘surface patchwork’ where pieces of material are layered with whole other saris and Kantha. Another is made of independent pieces left over from other garments.
Mieko Original Prints
Mieko has also been involved with the creation of new original print designs. She is strongly attracted to the sense of color and pattern that developed in Japanese kimono culture. She is also fascinated by the simple hand-stitching (Kantha) that has evolved over hundreds of years in India. She has found that these two traditions perfectly complement each other. Her quest to merge these fashion cultures in her clothing design has culminated in a new collection called “Mother’s Kimono Kantha”.
