MANAKAA PROJECT

PEOPLEText: Ari Matsuoka

Today, the word “sustainable” is spreading throughout the world via social media in the fashion industry where every customer is the key. “Sustainable” translates literally to “able to be maintained or continued”, and “sustainable fashion” refers to fashion production that uses environmental friendly materials. It minimises wastes and respects human rights of workers. It is the fashion that takes environment and people into account.

In Japan, the word “Danshari; being a minimalist” was prevalent. Many households have an annual event to dispose of wastes that has been accumulated in the house for the whole year, despite there are still many consumers who are long-term minded, they will think if the goods can be maintained or repaired when it is time to buy new things.
As the limit of resources in various fields such as climate change and biodiversity has been recognised, it will be inevitable to be aware of sustainability for fashion industry in the future.

Meanwhile, I was invited to the pop-up event of a sustainable brand “Manakaa Project” from Berlin, which held in a corner of a quiet city in Charlottenburg.


© Manakaa Project

The Manakaa Project is a brand started in 2019 established by designers Stefanie Blank and Valerie Thiesmeyer, who are fascinated by Hiroshima’s long-established glass bead manufacturer Miyuki, which has a history of 80 years, selling traditional techniques and sustainability. It uses 85% of global standard “GOTS” (The Global Organic Textile Standard) certified fabric which regulates the whole process from production, manufacture and sales of organic fibres.

One of the special features of Manakaa project is sweatshirts and jackets in a unisex design that made of beautiful glass beads by traditional Japanese techniques. Glass beads are from “Miyuki” and regarded as “world standard” with a high quality, high brightness and uniform shape. There are three designs: “Code” with minimal arrangement, “Wave” with undulations, and “Rain” that flows down. Indian craftsmen sew all the beads one by one, and that reminds an idea of the minimal elements of Berlin.


© Manakaa Project

The jacket made of the finest merino wool using only the raw wool of sheep grown on a farm that does not use any genetically modified fertiliser or pesticide to reduce the waste emissions, such as not using any harmful heavy metals at the time of dyeing and regeneration of water.

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