Kicking off Spring strong with something special we pieced together with the Peach Boys fam, we once again seek inspiration from a cultural icon of Japan in the form of Japanese Sumi Ink (墨). Having gone back and forth multiple times with Momotaro in the hopes of coming up with a new Sashiko project since last Summer, we fell in love when we first set our eyes on the original garment dyed fabric sample infused with this beautiful hue, pairing perfectly with the heavyweight Sashiko weave. A limited run of these pants will be available in Momotaro's Narrow Tapered (0105) cut.
Traditionally, Sumi is produced from a combination of pinewood soot, animal glue and perfume. A common misconception is that the final product is a liquid, when in fact the ink is only the result of rubbing a solid ink 'stick' against an inkstone with water. Thus, the original production of ink sticks requires a painstaking process of thoroughly mixing the raw ingredients before kneading and shaping them into wooden molds. The aging process can then take anywhere from a few months to several years.
Entirely constructed and dyed in Okayama, this Sashiko fabric starts out as a natural hue, which is then garment dyed to achieve the rich black color it retains. Due to the tedious dyeing process, only a limited production run of these pants is able to be produced. Getting right into the details, we also opted to have the Momotaro Kamon (Crest) Jacquard pocket bags garment dyed in Sumi to complete the stealthy black hue of the fabric face. Not passing on the chance to infuse a little Indigo love into this project, the Tochigi Cowhide leather sourced custom OD+MJ leather waistband patch, has been vat-dyed to retain a deep Indigo color which should patina beautifully in tandem with the Sashiko fabric. Not forgetting about the iconic Momotaro "Going to Battle" stripes, these have also undergone the blackout treatment with a slight bit of luster added to the mix to give some color pop to the Sashiko weave.
