Two years ago, Adam Sōmu, my Cha-no-yu teacher, asked me if I'd have a go at making a shifuku. And so I turned my considerable sewing experience to unravelling the secrets of the shifuku. And I was hooked! I'd found my calling in these intricate, omplex and beautiful pieces. Each one a tiny, individual work of art in its own right. I now focus my work on creating fabric goods for the tea ceremony in particular. I take a contemporary approach to this traditional sphere with the fabrics I use and am continuously experimenting with ideas in decoration and construction. 

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In 2019 I set up my studio and am now producing stock pieces for my Etsy shop and commissions for tea people around the world. I work closely with my clients to imbue each piece I create with a little something extra special that is unique to them. 

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I braid all the himo (cords) specifically for each shifuku, using colour, pattern and texture to express a theme or idea or simply to harmonise and tell a story with the fabric and/or the item it's made for. 

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I have amassed a unique collection of beautiful fabrics, drawn from the worlds of fashion and interior design as well as collected items from my travels and fabrics donated to the collection by clients.

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Shifuku sit at the core of my practice but of course I make all and any fabric goods associated with the Japanese Tea Ceremony and am always open to creating something new. Be it researching, learning and creating a specific item or experimenting to create something unique for a client. I am also branching out into Kimono & Obi.

 

Please email me on kyle@studioshifuku.com or contact me @studio_shifuku on instagram to discuss a commission or to view the fabric collection.