Interview by Aki Miyashita / Photos by Wakako Horai
This is a collar embroidered with pretty flowers. You will instantly look gorgeous just by layering it over a dress or shirt. It was born from the inspiration of Wakako Horai, whose creations have extended from making clothes to embroidery.
"Embroidery is very delicate. At first, I embroidered the body of the clothes I made, but I was hesitant to wash them again and again. But a collar is easy to wear. Instead of the embroidery itself playing the leading role, I hope that I can create pieces that bring out people’s features and allow them to shine,” Wakako explained.
In 2009, she started her career making clothes as Rairai. In 2012, she began embroidery, and her work garnered much attention, leading to the publication of a book. She is now active as an embroidery artist.
The book Embroidery of Horai Wakako: Techniques for a Beautiful Finish. This is her fifth book, a compilation of her work that delves into the basics of embroidery and different techniques. Her work is featured on the cover.
"I started out making simple clothes with plain linen and cotton fabric, but my love of vintage clothing and antique buttons led me to start making clothes from vintage fabrics. I enjoyed imagining different clothes using the fabrics, and they fascinated me, but gradually I began to feel that I was relying too much on them.
“Rather than relying on the power of fabric, I wanted to create clothes from scratch. I wanted to take the world I have longed for and bring it to life with my own hands and cloth.”
Wakako wanted to pursue originality. When she was driven by this pursuit, she happened to find embroidery at a gallery in the Hoshigaoka Sewing School in Hirakata, Osaka.
This dress with a collar was also handmade by Wakako.
"I majored in dyeing and weaving when I was a student, but with embroidery, I can put the pattern I want to draw on cloth using a few tools. I was so drawn to it. I wanted to make something to wear and accessorize with. I myself was finding it a little difficult to wear cute clothes as I got older, but I thought that accessories would be easy for adults to wear. Brooches, bags, pouches, handkerchiefs... I wanted to make things that were calming.
“I don't want to faithfully replicate antiques, but rather re-create them with a new sense of style that matches the times.”
She has also focused on wearable colors and embroidery placement. Many of the motifs are flowers because they are timeless and loved regardless of trends. They are simple, nostalgic, but not showy. There is a nostalgia for the Showa period of Japan that is different from European embroidery.
"What will always be in my heart are the cute girls' clothes that I adored as a child. As the youngest of four siblings, my clothes were hand-me-downs. My parents preferred practical, simple clothes, so I had a lot of plain clothes, which probably made me even more attracted to girly clothes. My childhood fascination with frills, ribbons, and floral patterns still lives within me as a world that I love."
The charm of Wakako's embroidery is that it can be worn in this day and age but is yet somehow nostalgic and comforting.
"I love embroidery because each stitch gives me a new expression, and I love the time I spend embroidering. The evolution of machine embroidery is remarkable, but the embroidery that you put all your effort into, stitch by stitch, becomes something you can't easily throw away. Ideally, I would like to make something that, 100 years from now, people find it at a flea market and think, “I don't know who made it, but it's beautiful,” even if they don’t know my name. It’s like when I come across something at a flea market and realize, “People in the olden days used to make good things, and they had superb taste."
In the future, Wakako would like to focus on conveying the joy of embroidery. She would like to start an embroidery class at her atelier.
"I thought it would be nice if more people could enjoy embroidery, since there is a limit to the number of pieces I can make by myself. Giving the gift of embroidery to someone you care about is a wonderful thing. From mother to daughter, or to a friend, embroidering initials on a handkerchief, or making a ring pillow for a wedding... Even the same alphabet design can become something different depending on the person who embroidered it. I believe that the time you spend for your loved ones will be conveyed as a message to them," she mentioned.
Wakako uses No. 25 embroidery thread, which is readily available and easy to use. She also employs a limited number of basic stitching techniques. The good thing is that this makes it easier for those just starting out.
"Embroidery is a material that people used in the past and will probably still use 100 years from now. It has so many expressions and possibilities. I would like to come up with designs that can be used by daughters and grandchildren as hand-me-downs for generations to come. Even if you are clumsy, you can start with a single small flower."
Profile
Embroidery artist. Majored in dyeing and weaving at Kyoto City University of Arts. After working for a sundry goods manufacturer, she left after getting married and started making clothes as “Rairai” based in Kyoto.
She started hand embroidery in 2012 and mainly works on small embroidered items such as collars and brooches. She has published many books, including Embroidery of Wakako Horai: Techniques for a Beautiful Finish (Bunka Publishing Bureau). Her works are also published in handicraft magazines.
https://www.atelier-rairai.com
https://www.instagram.com/rairai_ws/