Born from the island's climate, dressed in the island's climate

Paper garment

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit Okinawa hard, causing a sharp decline in the number of tourists and devastating damage to manufacturing industries like ours. Imports were also restricted, and we were on the brink of collapse, so we took action to "take manufacturing back into our own hands."

The "100% Okinawa-made clothing" initiative was recognized as an initiative that will lead to the creation of new jobs and industries, and was approved for a grant.

Aiming to create the ideal clothing made from fabric, the company introduced a WHOLEGARMENT (seamless knitting machine), which can be described as a "3D printer for clothing," in 2021. Using this WHOLEGARMENT machine, the company has achieved in-house production of Karabisa socks, which have already achieved sales success and won the Good Design Award in 2014. The company has also worked on paper garments using washi paper yarn, which it has successfully commercialized in a short period of time.

Washi thread is made from the same Manila hemp and abaca fibers as Okinawa's Bashofu, a highly functional natural material that is twice as absorbent and quick-drying as cotton.It is an attractive material made using Japan's advanced technology, but it is not yet widely known.

One of the reasons for this is that it is difficult to weave. It has little elasticity and is susceptible to drying, so the thread is prone to breaking during production. This increases the risk of damage to precision machinery and increases costs, making washi thread products rare.

With a strong desire to realize our ideals and a spirit of challenge, we went through a period of trial and error, and after a year of research, in 2011 we launched SHIMAKOROMO Lab., Okinawan paper garments.

Later, as my knowledge of twisted yarn and manufacturing deepened, I learned that the reason Shimagoromo Lab was able to use an abundance of washi yarn to create fluffy, rich knitwear was because of Okinawa's humid environment.

In this way, we have not only "taken manufacturing back into our own hands," but have also grown significantly by using chance to our advantage. Products born from the local climate are in harmony with that climate, are made effortlessly and without waste, and can be used for a long time. SHIMAKOROMO Lab. paper garments were born to embody this value of local production.