HYBRID | Pushing the Boundaries of Textile Design: 40 Years of NUNO

As part of our series of events in conjunction with Sudō Reiko’s visit to Japan House London, we are delighted to present a special livestreamed talk highlighting the creative innovations of her leading textile design firm NUNO, which celebrated its 40th anniversary this year.
Sudō Reiko, one of Japan’s most influential contemporary textile designers, is known for her innovative textiles, sustainable manufacturing practices, and dedication to preserving Japanese textile heritage. As the Design Director of NUNO, founded in 1984, she integrates Japanese dyeing and weaving traditions with cutting-edge technology, creating unique textiles from materials like cotton, silk, metal, and paper.
In this talk, chaired by Japan House London Programming Director Simon Wright, Sudō discusses her groundbreaking career in textile and design, including her collaboration with the late textile planner Arai Jun’ichi, renowned for his innovative textiles admired by designers like Issey Miyake and Kawakubo Rei (Comme des Garçons). With Arai, she founded NUNO with the shared aim of pursuing textile innovation by combining Japanese craft traditions and modern technology. After Arai stepped back in 1987, Sudō became the Design Director.
Her work spans functional lifestyle items to individual works of art, and often involves collaborations with regional craftspeople across Japan. Her practice regularly introduces more experimental methods to textile manufacturers, developing new techniques with them and building long-lasting relationships with small, family-run workshops.
About the speaker
Sudō Reiko
Born in Ibaraki Prefecture, Sudō is president of textile design firm Nuno Co Ltd. and Professor Emerita at Tokyo Zōkei University. Since 2008, she has worked as a textile design consultant for various organizations including Ryōhin Keikaku (Muji), As Corporation and the Tsuruoka Textile Industry Cooperative in Yamagata Prefecture, among others. In 2016, she joined the advisory board of Ryōhin Keikaku. Sudō’s awards include the Mainichi Design Award, the ROSCOE Design Prize, the Japan Interior Design Association (JID) Award, and the Enku Award. She uses a wide range of techniques from Japanese dyeing and weaving traditions to state-of-the-art technology to make her new textiles. Sudō’s works have been included in the permanent collections of The Museum of Modern Art and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Victoria and Albert Museum, London; National Crafts Museum, Tokyo and other institutions.