Epson (TSE: 6724, "Epson") has renewed its partnership with renowned fashion designer Kansai Yamamoto to support the spectacular "HELLO ISTANBUL!" fashion show to be held on October 11 in Istanbul, Turkey. The show, which will attract approximately 500 guests to the Esma Sultan, celebrates 90 years of diplomatic relations between Japan and Turkey and follows on from the V&A's "Fashion in Motion: Kansai Yamamoto" event held in London last year.
Epson has contributed to the latest show by printing out 15 of Yamamoto's magnificent creations, which combine traditional Japanese designs and ultra-modern styles. Working to exacting standards, Epson spent four weeks reproducing the designs with specialist Genesta inks on the Monna Lisa textile printing system developed by Robustelli of Italy and using Epson's inkjet, and on Epson's SureColor F7100 series and SureColor FP-30160 textile printers. With these printers known for their faithful reproduction of colors and stunning replication of detail, the result was around 800 m2 of vibrant designs on fabrics that included polyester, cotton and silk.
Yamamoto rejoices in the opportunity to reproduce traditional Japanese beauty on the latest technology. Overlooking the Bosphorus waterway that divides Europe from Asia, "Hello Istanbul" expresses the excitement and energy created when the best of two great continents are combined.
Commenting on the show, Yamamoto said, "Recently, a number of new technologies have come to present valid alternatives to the traditional Japanese crafts of dyeing, weaving and sewing. I would include Epson's textile printing in the top class of these technologies, along with fabrics that help control body temperature and technologies that can create 3D knitted designs in one go.
"For this show, I decided to evoke the traditional indigo colors and red sashes once worn by women performing agricultural in Akita, northern Japan. To achieve this I needed Epson to recreate that traditional indigo color. It requires an incredibly high level of printing technology to create this color, but I think the whole process has proceeded very smoothly indeed.
"I am delighted for the opportunity to take on a new challenge with Epson. I sincerely appreciate the way they always take a true artisan's approach to answering my needs with such dedication."
"We are so proud to once again be invited to support a designer of Mr. Yamamoto's standing," said Tomoaki Kuwata, general manager of the Commercial Printer Sales & Marketing Dept. at Epson. "We have a full lineup of inkjet textile solutions, and are confident that our lineup is up to the task of meeting the high level requirements of a designer like him."
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