The products of ‘CREOLE’ are made by artisans in Laos.
PROFILE
Rie YONEZAWA
CREOLE Founder/Textile designer
Yonezawa graduated from Nottingham Trent University in the UK, with a degree in Textile Design. After moving back to Japan in 2001, she started her career as a Textile Designer in Tokyo, where she specialized in both Interior Design and Fashion. She worked very closely building and developing relationships with business partners and factories in China, India, Korea & Laos.
In 2012, she founded her brand ‘CREOLE’, inspired by her visit to Laos in 2008 and their traditional handicrafts. She created her original line of botanical dyed silk scarves by collaborating with the weavers from Laos. Following the success of her first collection in 2018, she expanded her product line to include bags, household goods, interior textiles using organic material of cotton and kudzu jungle vine.
‘CREOLE’ product design follows three principles:
The artisans in Laos lead a very traditional life and continue to hand make baskets for fishing creels, weave fabrics to make clothing for their families and themselves, amongst many other handicrafts, retaining their ancestral traditions.
The process of making a bag begins with harvesting materials like Kudzu Jungle vine, followed by spinning yarns,and botanical dyeing with indigo, mud,and turmeric before the material is ready to make a bag.
We have collaborated with many artisans from Laos to produce our fashion and interior handicraft collections and adopted their traditional method to produce the materials we use to make our contemporary design.
The process of making a bag begins with harvesting materials like Kudzu Jungle vine, followed by spinning yarns,and botanical dyeing with indigo, mud,and turmeric before the material is ready to make a bag.
We have collaborated with many artisans from Laos to produce our fashion and interior handicraft collections and adopted their traditional method to produce the materials we use to make our contemporary design.
PROFILE
Rie YONEZAWA
CREOLE Founder/Textile designer
Yonezawa graduated from Nottingham Trent University in the UK, with a degree in Textile Design. After moving back to Japan in 2001, she started her career as a Textile Designer in Tokyo, where she specialized in both Interior Design and Fashion. She worked very closely building and developing relationships with business partners and factories in China, India, Korea & Laos.
In 2012, she founded her brand ‘CREOLE’, inspired by her visit to Laos in 2008 and their traditional handicrafts. She created her original line of botanical dyed silk scarves by collaborating with the weavers from Laos. Following the success of her first collection in 2018, she expanded her product line to include bags, household goods, interior textiles using organic material of cotton and kudzu jungle vine.
‘CREOLE’ product design follows three principles:
- Locally sourced natural materials and dye.
- Retain traditional methods in production.
- To produce contemporary designs to reflect urban life.
To expand the collection portfolio of ‘CREOLE’, she plans to travel to more countries to look for inspiration and handicraft artisans.
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