Trying Sumi-Dyeing on Velvet – A New Experiment

After receiving more attention than expected for our indigo-dyed velvet, I felt encouraged to explore other dyeing techniques. During a meeting with our dyeing factory, sumi-zome (墨染め – ink dyeing using traditional black ink) caught my attention. It sounded intriguing, so we decided to run some beaker tests.

From top to bottom, the samples are:

・Linen velvet・Silk velvet・Organic cotton velvet

Personally, I’m really drawn to the linen velvet. It’s not something you often hear about, and it has such an interesting texture—always surprising, no matter how many times you touch it. While it's not sumi-dyed, I have a pair of green linen velvet pants that I wear often, and they feel incredibly comfortable.

Typically, dyeing plain weave fabrics in sumi results in muted, subdued tones. However, because velvet has a natural sheen and depth due to its pile, the outcome here feels both refined and unexpectedly fresh. The interplay between the traditional color and the texture of velvet creates a unique finish, don’t you think?

We’re expecting to produce about 15 meters in this initial batch.
I’m excited to see how this develops—stay tuned!