Harumi Sugiura

Pleating her way to harmony

• Harumi is fascinated by the movement of fabric and how light travels through it
• She masters pleating techniques to give fabric a third dimension
• Using natural dyes is central to her practice

Harumi Sugiura's journey originally began in Tokyo and Kobe before she moved to France in 2008. Today, she calls Le Couvent in Marseille her creative sanctuary, a vibrant hub for artists and artisans. Her fascination with craftsmanship has been an integral part of her life since childhood. Initially drawn to natural dye, her path took a profound turn upon meeting Michel Garcia, a revered master in natural dyes. Under his influence, Harumi exclusively embraced natural colours and fibres, marking a pivotal shift in her artistic pursuit. Driven by an insatiable curiosity, she ventured further, aiming to infuse her creations with a three-dimensional allure. Countless hours of exploration and experimentation ensued until she achieved the pleating technique that lends her fabrics the captivating and ethereal 3D structure she envisioned.

Interview

©Gilles Leimdorfer

©All rights reserved

What is the singular quality of your works?

I am not a traditional pleater in the sense that I combine two techniques: pleating and natural dyeing. It is a lifelong learning process. I pleat natural fabric using cardboard moulds, chemical reactions between the sections of fabric and heating temperatures. For the colour, I only use natural dyes which is crucial for me. I do not want to contribute to the devastating impact of chemical dyes on the environment that we see in the fashion industry.

What is the unexpected aspect of your work you love the most?

When nature produces the unexpected, sometimes it can be stressful because it might not be what my client wanted, but this is also part of what we need to accept as we create with nature. I am fascinated by the movement of fabric, the way the light shines through it, the shadows it creates. I love the calmness and harmony of colours and fabric.

What is Couleur Garance, your second practice, all about?

It is a natural dyeing school and research centre set up by Michel Garcia in Lauris more than 20 years ago. I am a member of the centre and work there half the time. The idea is to explore and develop natural dyeing techniques with the aim of making the local textile industry more sustainable.

What is coming next for you?

I am an artisan so I create in response to a demand, adapting to each project. I work with designers and stylists who have orders. For example, I have been collaborating for three years with designer Tony Jouanneau, who is the founder of Atelier Sumbiosis. He commissions pleating with natural dye for large projects.

Harumi Sugiura is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2012

Works

©Harumi Sugiura

©Harumi Sugiura

©Anne-Lou Buzot

©Tony Jouanneau

©Harumi Sugiura

Where