Fabric
Traditional No. 1 MAEKAKE
Anything has taken over 10 shuttle looms made by Toyota, Suzuki, and Enshu, which are around 70 to 100 years old, from Haga Orimono, the last remaining apron production area in Japan, and weaves the highest quality 'No. 1 MAEKAKE'.
~The story of the revival of the "Ichigo-No.1-" MAEKAKE~
After the period of rapid economic growth in the 1960s, Japanese manufacturing underwent a major turning point from the 1970s to the 1980s.
Japanese manufacturing plants continued to manufacture products based on the four principles of "fast," "cheap," "large quantities," and "uniformity." However, since then, various manufacturing industries, including the textile industry, have shifted their production overseas to China and other countries.
It has become increasingly difficult to continue protecting Japan's technology. It has been called the "lost 40 years," and the reality is that we are no longer able to pass on technology and people.
Due to this major historical trend, the fabric used for Japanese MAEKAKE has gradually changed over the past 30 to 40 years.
Looking at old order sheets, it appears that the fabric was commonly referred to as "No. 1" -> "No. 2" -> "No. 3," and there were several different thicknesses of fabric by varying the thickness of the thread.
In the midst of all this, we at Anything have always felt that by returning to the origins of aprons and creating the "No. 1 MAEKAKE," we might be able to see a new future.
So, together with our aprons master, Mr. Haga, from Toyohashi, Aichi, we carried out test weaving, saying, "Let's revive the thick No. 1 fabric that was made 40 years ago, the No. 1 MAEKAKE!" We finally completed a thick, soft fabric with the same texture as 40 years ago, and officially started selling it in October 2011.
What is No. 1 Apron?
The highest quality "No. 1 AMAEKAKE," which revives the thickness that was used in the 1950s and 60s, has three major 'features'.
Tip 1: Weave thick fabric with thick thread!
→Using the "Shuttle Loom" invented in the Meiji to Taisho eras, the "No. 1 MAEKAKE" has been woven to bring back the original thickness of old aprons. In terms of thread count, it is woven using threads of "number four" thickness. It is also directly taught by Mr. Haga that it is possible to simultaneously achieve what seem to be contradictory things: "thick" and "soft". Its greatest feature is its thick, long-lasting fabric.
2. Soft fabric that fits the body perfectly!
→The texture of a woven fabric changes greatly depending on how the warp and weft threads are woven. Unlike ordinary "canvas", the threads and weaving method are carefully selected to create a soft fabric that naturally fits the body.
Tip 3: Traditional colors, colorfast dyes
→Dyeing thick fabrics softly with almost no color fading. Anything's dyed fabrics maintain a high ranking in washing fastness tests. Dyeing is mainly done in Tokyo.
Let's take a look at some other features of the Anything Apron.
Feature 1: About the thread
We use thick thread that is not normally used in apparel.
Yarn spun domestically is transported to Toyohashi, Aichi, and spun onto a shuttle loom.
Feature 2: About the loom
At the Toyohashi Factory, the shuttle power looms are still in operation. Each piece is woven while changing the thread tension. This results in a unique fabric with a soft, handmade feel. Of the 20 or so looms, 10 are still in operation, and two of them are Toyoda Automatic Looms. The N-type looms, invented by Sakichi Toyoda in 1914, are still in operation every day. (The looms were manufactured after the war, in 1949). Toyota's founder, Sakichi Toyoda, was born in what is now Kosai City, Shizuoka Prefecture, and lived in Toyohashi for a time, so it is quite moving to see the relationship between Toyota and aprons continuing to this day.
Feature 3: Weaving
The distinctive feature of Anything's apron canvas is that it "bends sideways" and "becomes softer the more you use it" because it is wrapped around the body.
The secret is... when weaving the fabric, Mr. Haga from Toyohashi uses a unique method to weave the threads in a way that gives the fabric a softness in the horizontal direction.
Feature 4: About the tassels
The tassels at the bottom are also a feature of traditional aprons, and one theory is that they may have been a descendant of the decorative mawashi worn by sumo wrestlers, as well as that they may be related to or have originated from the New Year decorations at shrines.
Feature 5: Ears
The selvedge on both ends is a feature of the traditional shuttle loom, which softly weaves thick fabric. It's indescribably cute. These selvedge are only possible on apron looms that are capable of weaving apron with a soft texture. A single apron is made with so much hand and emotion. Please enjoy the truly soft, traditional apron fabric, which has a completely different texture to automated, mass-produced fabrics.
Feature 6: The red and white obi (belt)
The aprons from 100 years ago still have the same red and white obi as today. When we say "red," we mean vermilion (orange), and this color has long been used for the waist straps of aprons, just like the torii gates of shrines, Daruma dolls, and Akabeko dolls. Along with its sacred meaning, it also carries with it wishes for protection from evil, prosperity in business, and good fortune.
