Nippon West is my studio workshop dedicated to exploring the beauty and cultural history of Japanese textiles through contemporary garments and objects. 

My relationship with Japan began in 1993, when I first visited the country and encountered an extraordinarily sophisticated visual language that communicates culture, custom, and meaning through subtle pattern, form, and material. On that first trip I experienced the Japanese view of art as inseparable from everyday life that has continued to resonate with me ever since. I strongly identify with Japanese artistic tradition, that celebrates beauty and craftsmanship regardless of distinctions between high and low, or fine and applied, arts. 

In 2016, I decided to make a kimono-style coat out of a WW2 US Army blanket and some vintage kimono fabric, and so I taught myself how to sew. That first coat led to others, and gradually my studio practice solidified as my sewing, pattern-making, and construction skills expanded. My creative process remains iterative, and each piece represents an experiment in the possibilities of fabric, construction, and form.

Over time I have assembled a varied collection of Japanese textiles, including formal silk kimono and rugged hemp workwear dating primarily from the Taisho and Showa eras. When I disassemble these vintage garments, I often think of the women who sewed them by hand decades ago. They would often repurpose old textiles in their households, embodying the concept of mottainai – the idea that nothing of value should go to waste. That sensibility resonates strongly with the values I inherited from my parents, who grew up with the frugality of Depression era.

Nippon West dwells in this intersection of traditions. I slowly deconstruct, clean, repair, arrange, and reassemble vintage Japanese textiles into new forms that can be worn and lived with today. Each piece is shaped by the character of the original textile, signs of its use over time, and my own hopes for its life going forward.

All these pieces are formulated and fabricated in my studio in Hillsdale, New York. Each piece is assigned an alphanumeric id, reflecting its place within the larger, evolving body of my work. The letter corresponds to a particular pattern, and the number designates its sequence in that series.

Current pieces are available online and at Mikel Hunter Art & Apparel in Hudson NY