FAQ

Our bow ties, pocket squares, and scarves are made by our team in Sapporo, Japan. That’s where our collection of fabrics is warehoused. The finished items are shipped to our location in Georgia, USA when ready. We will be having future products sourced and produced in the US, Europe and other locations around the globe.

M is a descendant of many generations of Hirais ( 平居 ), famous in Kyoto for their production of the dyes and silks for making kimonos. They were also involved in designing kimonos and as artists, creating notable artworks over the centuries. M has resources in Kyoto, in Tokyo, southern Japan and throughout the country for obtaining some of the best vintage silk and cotton fabrics available.

We also have connections in Thailand, Europe, S. America and the US for other fine fabrics and materials which will come out in future products.

The vintage Japanese fabrics we use are from several periods. Many are from the Showa Period, 1926 – 1989). Many are from the Meiji & Taisho Periods (1868 – 1926). Some date as far back as the late part of the Edo Period (1603 – 1868) We even have a couple which date back to the late 18th century.

While some fabrics come to us with documentation, others are dated by the technique, colors used or other indicators that are specific to a period. We also depend at times on the source of the fabrics. There are some very clear differences between vintage fabrics, their quality, patterns, colors, etc. and contemporary and machine produced fabrics.

The quantities we purchase of vintage fabrics are very small, enough generally to make one kimono. The fabrics were made specifically for making kimonos, so are limited in length and width. That allows us to produce no more than 5-6 bow ties, 5-6 pocket squares and maybe one scarf from a single piece of fabric. Unless we are lucky enough to find a match, each piece of fabric is a one-of-a-kind, once it and the pieces made from it are gone, it will not be available again.

Some of the fabrics are very special in the techniques used to produce them and even more rare in the motif, color or pattern of design (IE certain Oshima Tsumugi). You will see a dramatic increase in the price in such case. These are fabrics that the contemporary versions easily sell for thousands of dollars per yard in today’s market. They are national treasures and are among the finest silks in the world.

The quality of the materials is impeccable. Samples have all been stored and cared for well. Each fabric sample is hand selected and occasional defects (they are very old) are cut off as the fabric is prepared for production of our items.

The pieces are then made with the finest craftsmanship by artisans who have decades of training and experience in making couture quality kimonos. The same quality of workmanship will be evident as in top brands such as Hermes, Louis Vuitton, and others in the same category.