Take note, Japanophiles. Jonathan, the blogger and Japan textile enthusiast behind the blog Bandanna Almanac will be at Independence hosting an event showcasing exclusive items only available in Japan.
Jonathan lives in Osaka, where he’s extensively covered the craft, integrity and provenance behind Japan’s traditional textile culture. He’s schooled us on the topic and shown us how to hand-darn; he’s interviewed the father-son-duo behind the cult denim label Kapital and even collaborated with custom jeans makers extraordinaire Ooe Yofukuften to release the Albuquerque Project. In short, Jonathan knows what he’s talking about.
Shibui, which like many Japanese words has no direct English translation, is the concept of simple, subtle and unobtrusive beauty. It’s a kind of aesthetic beauty that needs time to reveal. So expect some gnarly, beat-up, one-of-a-kind stuff.
Shibui in Chicago takes place Saturday, July 20th at Independence Chicago, 47 E. Oak St.