A textile manufacturer in Bishu and a creative director in Tokyo came together to rethink the waste of materials that occurs during production. By skillfully incorporating the colors of leftover yarn into the design, they have created a warm and modern product.

Hideki Tanahashi: After working in sales for a major textile company and for a textile planning company, he founded Takka in 2004. He says he wants to leverage the division of labor in Bishu's manufacturing process to "create high-quality products that transcend the boundaries of individual factories."

"It's like a classic car enthusiast driving a high-maintenance old car. It's all about the love for the loom."

Takayuki Minami (right) says, "I want to create things that can be used for a long time, not just things that are consumed." Minami's sense of style is evident in the design and color scheme.

"In today's world where efficiency is prioritized, we deliberately use old-fashioned Schonherr looms and low-speed rapier looms, which could be considered inefficient, to weave our fabrics," says President Tanahashi.

While the latest air-jet looms are said to rotate (back and forth) 1,000 times per minute, Schonherr looms rotate only 90 times, and even rapier looms only 180 times, so naturally the amount of fabric they can weave is much smaller. However, the fabrics woven with these looms are said to be very soft and fluffy because the fullness of the yarn is utilized.


According to Masanori Tanahashi, Mr. Tanahashi's father and technical advisor, "There is no loom more suited to manufacturing than the Schonherr loom." It is this slow-speed loom's distinctive craftsmanship, combined with Mr. Minami's sensibility, that creates Rumer's scarves and blankets. The modern color schemes and patterns are so well-made that it's hard to believe they were made from leftover yarn. "I want people to rediscover the value of high-quality products with Mr. Minami's help," says Mr. Tanahashi.



What underpins Rumer's craftsmanship is the carefully selected materials. Mr. Tanahashi, who doesn't hesitate to say "materials are everything," even flew to Outer Mongolia to purchase baby camel hair for this season's products.

A project using hemp and silk from South India is also underway for the next season. Rumor's sustainable endeavors have only just begun.