“Atelier Indochine” offers clothes and scarves that can be worn regardless of changing fashion by marrying modern sewing techniques with plant-based dyeing of yarn and fabric. I both design the clothes in my collection myself and then dye them by hand. I use natural materials and dye with natural dyestuffs.
“Atelier Indochine” grew within the past two years from a smaller label: “tamami watanabe spring/summer/autumn/winter clothes” established in 2008. My principal aim is to make beautiful clothes that are carefully tailored with comfortable natural materials that make wearing my garments a pleasure.
From East Asia, to Indochina, and to India, craftsmen use hand-woven fabric to create beautiful garments. I use these same materials to create clothes inspired by national costumes and everyday clothes from around the world. In spring and summer, clothes made from Indian khadi cotton and linen clothing are added to my lineup; in autumn and winter, tussah silk, khadi silk, and Japanese cotton clothing find their place in my collection.
I am always thinking to design in a way that whenever a garment moves, it appears as if exposed to a gentle breeze and expresses the appearance of “richness.” Such clothes had always been designed and made for everyone to wear comfortably across many generations. Clothes dyed with plant-based dyes change color over time and give off an “antique look.” The fabric becomes softer, and the color more distinctive over time as the garment is worn.
Tamami Watanabe