Designer Sumiko Honda has drawn her inspiration from nature, arts and the other sources to create each of her hand-drawn drafts. She reproduces her works through weaving every delicate blur, overlapping accent and nuance in lifelike detail, fully integrating reversible-figure double weaving and other approaches that enable to express the elements such as light and wind.
Even the materials are chosen with extreme deliberation: Honda carefully selects only the most suitable threads, dyes and weaving techniques to fit with the final image, which devote her full attention to each intricate step of the overall process until the piece is complete.
In these ways, she alone handles everything from planning and concept design through the woven textiles design as part of one integrated process. So, this is a very unusual textiles brand that pursue the complex originality even planning and creating the fabrics though considering the new weaving techniques with new patents.
With an emphasis on concepts and techniques originating in Japan, Honda expresses her individualism through textiles exhibiting a fusion of traditional weaving techniques, represented most widely by obi sashes and the like, with contemporary design aesthetics.
Japan in today is characterized by a blend of Japanese and Western styles and cultural influences. As a designer, Honda does not limit herself to Western approaches only, but also breaks the mold of the tradition and gives birth to powerful new textiles design.
She infuses her works with the changes of Japanese four seasons, which have contrasts of light and shadow, depictions of water and air flow and other nature-related concepts rooted in Japanese sensibilities.
You can enjoy a rich tapestry of expression that changes by the light strikes the fabrics.
It is the artist's hope that the textiles brand, Sumiko Honda will invoke and communicate the aesthetic senses and sensibilities inherent in Japanese culture and thought.
She also aims to add a bit of extra color to the lives for everyone who reside in the city—as a counterbalance to daily uneasiness and stress—and enrich their day-to-day routines through the provision of new hope and greater peace of mind.
DIGITAL BOOK
ABOUT
A textiles brand, Sumiko Honda was founded in 1998 through textiles design work on pieces that would later be included in the archives of Smithsonian Institution in the United States. Ever since, the foundation, Honda has collaborated with designers, artists and creators from various fields including the show at MAISON&OBJET éditeurs along with other fairs and exhibitions, garnering widespread praise both in Japan and abroad. In order to solidify and expand her collection of works, she continues with her pursuits to today.
- Hand-drawn Designs
- Honda takes her inspiration from nature, the arts and various other places to create each of her hand-drawn drafts, primarily working with watercolor paints, calligraphy inks and like to achieve gentle lines, overlapping colors and other attractive design elements. She then reproduces each blur, overlap and mixture in lifelike detail within her woven works.
- Color and Material Selection
- Honda carefully selects thread material, dyes and weaving techniques based on the type of expression that she hopes to achieve, and devotes her full attention to each intricate step of the production process. She uses extreme care in the selection of threads, all of which feature subtle color differences realized at the hands of expert dyers.
- Unique Textile Design
- Honda reproduces the intricate variations and details of her hand-drawn designs in woven textiles, thus achieving pieces with singular originality. She combines various thread colors and materials in her woven designs, at times overlapping these in layers to achieve greater expressiveness.
- Confirmation of Final Product Appearance
- Honda's integrated approach, which entails handling all steps in the production process on her own, has helped her to patent unique weaving techniques, won Good Design Award recognition and accomplish other great things. Moving forward, she will continue to provide textiles that brighten up people's daily lives and please everywhere.
- 1986
- Graduated from the department of industrial, interior and craft design at the University of Musashino Art.
- 1986
- Joins Kawashima Textile Manufacturers Ltd. (now referred to as Kawashima Selkon Textiles Co., Ltd.)
- 1990
- Designs a new collection that includes "il mare" for HEIMTEXTIL of Frankfurt, Germany.
- 1994
- Cooper-Hewitt, the National Design Museum at the Smithsonian Institution of the U.S.A., obtains two "il mare" pieces for its collection.
- The technology used for "il mare" acquired patent.
- 1998
- Released "filo-Sumiko Honda" as an in-house brand collection.
- 2001
- "Genome for the Future" was held at Spiral Hall in Aoyama, Tokyo along with "filo-Sumiko Honda Silk Collection."
- 2002
- Released the Sumiko Honda Collection "Image of circle".
- 2004
- Released the Sumiko Honda Collection "Living plants".
- 2004
- Designed wedding dress fabric for the Paris Collection 2005 of Yumi Katsura.
- 2006
- Released the Sumiko Honda collection "Added flowers".
- 2007
- Released the Sumiko Honda Collection "Beyond the flow".
- 2008
- The techniques used for Bocciolo (part of the "Added Flowers" collection) took a patent.
- 2008
- Released the Sumiko Honda Collection "Joining with flowers".
- 2009
- Released the Sumiko Honda Collection "Circles affecting one another".
- 2009
- Released the Sumiko Honda Collection won 'GOOD DESIGN REWARD' in the category of Home Fashion and Furniture.
- 2006
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2009 - Exhibited at maison & objet "editeurs".
- 2010
- Released the Sumiko Honda Collection "Harmonious lights".
- 2010
- Custommade mounting fabrics displayed at arrival lobby of Haneda International Airport Terminal.
- (Collaborative work with Japanese painter Hiroshi Senju)
- 2011
- Released the Sumiko Honda Collection "Play the flowers".
- 2012
- Released the Sumiko Honda Collection "Spring swing".
- 2013
- Released the Sumiko Honda Collection "Rippling surface".
- 2013
- Designed one of the concept rooms in the hotel life style arcade at the 26th floor of ROYAL PARK HOTEL THE SHIODOME.
- 2014
- Released the Sumiko Honda Collection "Luxuriant flower, AMARYLLIS".
- 2015
- Released the Sumiko Honda Collection "Look up with hope".
- 2015
- The Sumiko Honda Collection won the gold prize at 'The Selected Items of Recommendations by Professionals for Interior' at The JAPANTEX. An event at which interior design professionals select products to recommend.
- 2016
- Released the Sumiko Honda Collection "Ume behaves tenderly".
- 2016
- Won gold prize for the second year running at JAPANTEX 2016.
- 2017
- Released the Sumiko Honda Collection "Cherry blossoms just bloomed".
- 2017
- Sumiko Honda's first exhibition, Sumiko Honda: When Textiles are Born (Sumiko Honda Ten Textile… Sono Umareru Toki), held at LIXIL:GINZA
- 2018
- Released the Sumiko Honda Collection "Breezing in the sun".
- 2018
- Sumiko Honda’s exhibition, Sumiko Honda : Textile…history of the cloth（Sumiko Honda Ten Textile…Sono Nuno No Ayumi）,held at LIXIL:GINZA.
- 2019
- Released the Sumiko Honda Collection “In brilliant sunshine”.
- 2019
- Sumiko Honda’s exhibition, Sumiko Honda : Textile…The Now of the cloth（Sumiko Honda Ten Textile…Sono Nuno No Ima）,held at LIXIL:GINZA.
- 2020
- Released the Sumiko Honda Collection “Always by your side”.
- 2021
- Released the Sumiko Honda Collection “Fragrant roses shining with butterflies”.
- 2023
- Released the Sumiko Honda Collection "Gather the light and cast shadows".
- ※ and many other projects
COLLECTION
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- Gather the light and cast shadows
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- Fragrant roses shining with butterflies
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- Always by your side
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- In brilliant sunshine
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- Breezing in the sun
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- Cherry blossoms
just bloomed
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- Ume behaves tenderly
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- Look up with hope
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- Luxuriant flower,
AMARYLLIS
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- Rippling surface
-
- Spring swing
-
- Play the flowers
-
- Harmonious lights
-
- Circles affecting
one another
-
- Joining with flowers
-
- Beyond the flow
-
- Added flowers
-
- Living plants
-
- Image of circle
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- Fabric Item
MOVIE COLLECTION
PHOTO COLLECTION
Click!
SHOWROOM
- Tokyo
- NBF Toyosu Garden Front 6th Floor, 5-6-15 Toyosu, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0061
Tel: 03-5144-3980 Fax: 03-5144-3981 Hours: 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
(closed Wednesdays, Golden Week, summer break, New Year holiday period) - Osaka
- Grand Front Osaka Tower A 12th Floor, 4-20 Ofuka-cho, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-0011
Tel: 06-6733-1310 Fax: 06-6733-1311 Hours: 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
(closed Wednesdays, Golden Week, summer break, New Year holiday period) - Sapporo
- Kita-8-jo Higashi-10-chome 1-1, Higashi-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido Prefecture 065-0008
Tel: 011-330-1777 Fax: 011-330-1778 Hours: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
(closed Wednesdays, summer break, New Year holiday period) - Saitama
- Zenkyoren Saitama Bldg. 1st Floor, 1-2 Dotecho, Omiya-ku, Saitama 330-0801
Tel: 048-658-2312 Fax: 048-658-2313 Hours: 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
(closed Wednesdays, Golden Week, summer break, New Year holiday period) - Nagoya
- LIXIL Showroom Nagoya 2nd Floor, 4-11-40 Meieki-minami, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture 450-0003
Tel: 052-300-8473 Fax: 052-300-8474 Hours: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
(closed Wednesdays, summer break, New Year holiday period) - Kyoto
- LIXIL Kyoto Showroom 4th Floor, 448-1 Tatsuike-cho (Oike-dori, Ryogaemachi-agaru ), Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8176
Tel: 075-330-0087 Fax: 075-330-0088 Hours: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
(closed Wednesdays, summer break, New Year holiday period) - Fukuoka
- Komaba Bldg. 1st Floor, 3-4-10 Hakataeki-higashi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka 812-0013
Tel: 092-452-8118 Fax: 092-452-8119 Hours: 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
(closed Wednesdays, Golden Week, summer break, New Year holiday period)