Inspired by the traditional drawings of bird artist Jakuchu Ito (died in 1800). The collection is titled ‘Bird-witched’, which comes from the words bird and bewitched put together. In order to make Ito’s madness come to life. Kyoto’s nishijin-ori (traditional woven textiles usually for kimono) artisans at Hosou helped me weaving the patterns over and over again, until it was just right.
The feathers of Ito’s birds are beautifully complicated, and here they’re given depth in color and added shine for a 3D-like effect. The claw heels are made by sculptor Atsushi Nakamura. He gave them a sense of movement as if they would begin to walk at any moment, and he crafted a completely different leg design according to each shoe’s personality. The dyed feathers give the colors more depth and change depending on the angle they’re looked at. This expression of a bird that transforms into shoes is how I’ve given back life to the birds that Ito drew so long ago.
