Fashion
According to the Japanese fashion designer Satoshi Kondo, the creative director of Issey Miyake:
1. Washi Paper
“We introduced an original textile made with washi yarn in our spring 2024 collection that we created by cutting strips of washi and spinning them into thread,” says Kondo, 41. “I was inspired by my stay at LOG, a hotel in Hiroshima, where every surface of my room was covered with washi, which comes from the inner bark fibers of [one of three plants, including] the paper mulberry [a flowering tree that’s native to East and Southeast Asia]. Possibly it’s a Japanese factor, however I believe washi, due to its high quality and texture, affords one thing not simply tactile however psychologically soothing. Washi is about one-third the load of cotton — gentle, breathable and dry to the contact. It’s additionally biodegradable.”
2. Kasuri-Woven Wool
“Centuries ago, fabrics woven in the kasuri style were celebrated by common people. They were made by partially dyeing yarn so that when you weave it back together, you can create different patterns. There are only a few remaining craftspeople in Kyoto who still produce it by hand; the craft itself is dying. At the brand, we take the partially dyed yarn and weave it on a machine to make it more cost-effective.”
According to the Italian fashion and textile designer Marco Zanini, formerly the creative director of Rochas and Schiaparelli:
3. West Indian Sea Island Cotton
“There are white shirts, and then there’s the white shirt,” says Zanini, 54. “The difference depends on the kind of cotton fabric. Commercialized [through slavery] on the flip of the 18th century within the British West Indies, and in the present day usually woven in Italy or Switzerland, Sea Island Cotton has an unbelievable softness and a robust floor that resists put on over time. It’s solely grown in very small quantities in Barbados, Jamaica and Antigua. This makes Sea Island cotton the rarest of its type, and one of the vital sustainable on this planet.”
4. Harris Tweed
“The chicest handwoven woolen cloth, Harris tweed comes from the Outer Hebrides islands at the remote northwestern tip of Britain. For the past 200 years or so, every aspect of the production process has taken place only in that small archipelago. Each yard of the fabric is handwoven in hundreds of patterns in the homes of its weavers (around 150 of them), using foot-powered treadle looms. The wool is locally dyed before being spun, creating a vibrant, intricately detailed cloth. It’s also the only fabric in the world protected by its own act of Parliament.”
5. Linen
“Linen textiles are some of the oldest in recorded history. Woven from the fibers of the flax plant, they’re breathable, durable and resistant to many insects. Since flax generally doesn’t require irrigation during its cultivation, linen is truly eco-friendly. What makes it so special, though, is its humble appearance. Whether it’s a heavyweight canvas or an airy fabric woven with a fine yarn count, linen is good for clothes and interiors, especially in its off-white, sandy natural color. Is there anything more elegant than a three-piece suit cut in tobacco or unbleached Irish linen cloth, just like they wore back in the Edwardian days?”
6. Vicuña Wool
“The world’s most expensive fabric comes from the soft, tawny underfleece of vicuñas (closely related to guanacos, llamas and alpacas), which live in South America’s central Andes. But they approached extinction in the 1970s, and their prized fleece can now only be sheared in accordance with regulations determined by CITES [the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora]. To take a nap on the couch wrapped in a buttery vicuña blanket or scarf is the closest one can get to perfection.”
According to the French jewelry designer Lauren Rubinski, the founder of the Rubirosa clothing and accessories shop in Paris:
7. Poplin
“[Cotton] poplin holds a particular place in my life,” says Rubinski, 39. “I grew up in Ralph Lauren poplin shirts — my very own, and my father’s. I gravitate towards two-ply poplins, by no means too skinny: 120/2 or 140/2 is good. [The first number indicates the yarn count; the higher the number, the finer the yarn. The second number refers to the ply.] It retains the shirt crisp, structured and easy.”
8. Cashmere
“Few sensations compare to the feeling of wearing cashmere [a softer and more insulating alternative to sheep’s wool]. Whether or not it’s a sweater or a pair of socks, it’s the right steadiness between consolation and class. I’ve a specific love for child cashmere [a superfine, supersoft cashmere gathered from goats less than a year old] in a light-weight crew neck. I’m presently creating an ultralight model designed to really feel like a T-shirt.”
9. Guanaco Wool
“This is the king of wools, from the wild ancestor of the llama. I cherish a polo coat that belonged to my father. It’s exceptionally light, crisp and warm.”
These interviews have been edited and condensed.
