JEAN SEQUENCE: LVMH Métiers d’Art, the French luxury group’s specialist crafts division, wants to “explore and push the boundaries of denim craftsmanship.”
It has named Tokyo-born artist and animator Shu Yonezawa its latest artist in residence. She is to spend six months at denim manufacturer Kuroki in Okayama, Japan, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.
LVMH Métiers d’Art was set up in 2015 to help the group’s fashion and leather goods houses build and maintain strong sourcing of rare materials, with a Japan branch added in 2022 — and Kuroki its first partner.
The denim company has a vertically integrated production process, controlling nearly every step from dyeing and weaving to finishing.
According to LVMH Métiers d’Art, Kuroki’s use of vintage shuttle looms “and the natural soft water of the Iba region contribute to the unique texture and renowned quality” of its denim.
Yonezawa has carte blanche, and her resulting artwork is to be unveiled some time later this year.
She is the program’s ninth artist in residence, and it marks the first time it’s being held in Japan.
The residency program “underscores LVMH Métiers d’Art’s ongoing commitment to nurturing emerging artistic talent and championing innovative approaches to traditional craftsmanship, specifically highlighting the vibrant and evolving landscape of Japanese artistry.”
Kuroki also prides itself on protecting the planet.
“Although the initial cost may not be as attractive, high-quality jeans using the best finespun material lasts much longer than that of an inferior material,” president Tatsushi Kuroki writes on the company’s website. “Consequently, this, in the long run, will result in a much better cost performance as well as being very gentle to the environment.”
