November 30, 2023

The Story Behind REI's Lace Creation

Crafting delicate and beautiful lace requires various processes, and human touch is indispensable in addition to machines.

As the number of lace factories in Japan decreases, so too do the number of skilled lace artisans with extensive experience.

Japanese lace, like antique pieces cherished for generations, conveys the warmth of handcrafted work.

We want to preserve the skills of the artisans who create it and continue manufacturing together.

Such sentiments are embedded in REI's commitment to "Made in Japan" apparel.

So how exactly is lace made?

What kind of place is a lace factory?

To answer these questions, I visited a lace factory in Saitama that we've had a long-standing relationship with.

Lace machines are very large, with a vast number of bobbins lined up.

If the threads shift even by 1 millimeter due to changes in humidity or temperature, the pattern will distort, so adjustments require expert skill.

Centuries have passed since the handcraft of weaving lace was entrusted to machines, but this difficulty might be one of the reasons why the number of artisans is decreasing.

Making punch cards that determine the stitch movement of the pattern.

A punch card is a card that determines the stitch movement of a lace pattern, with 24 horizontal stitches per pattern.

How the stitches are moved here significantly changes the finished look of the lace.

The aged operating parts of the lace machine.

Repair work by a skilled artisan.

Delicate embroidery lace is created by embroidering onto a water-soluble base fabric called "Solvy" and then dissolving the fabric.

Punch card storage.

This is a valuable asset of the lace factory.

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We've introduced the lace factory that produces REI's original lace for us.

This factory produces REI's logo lace, long-selling items like the "Fairy Stole" with its bees and grapes, and various other laces for each season.

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