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This entry was posted on Monday, March 10th, 2008 at 9:57 am and is filed under Road 2 CA Blog, Road to California. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
I was on my computer looking for something about Kasuri Dyeworks, and found your note about Mr. Wada. I had the pleasure of spending some time in his shop a number of years ago and browsing among all the beautiful fabrics before selecting a beautiful piece of cotton shibori to purchase. He spent a lot of time with his customers. I was saddened when they closed the shop, but am saddened even more to learn of his death. The shibori world and art of Japanese fabrics and kimonos world will miss his presence.
Kay from Florida
I first met Koji Wada in January 2003 when he brought a trunk show to the Clark Center for Japanese Art and Culture in Hanford, California. His lively personality and wealth of knowledge about Japanese fabrics made for a memorable event. I collected his autograph in my copy of Kitty Pippen’s book and, of course, began a special collection of kimono silks with my purchases that day. It was always fun to find him and his wife at quilt shows and ogle the gorgeous fabrics he brought. The quilt world is a lesser place without him.
I was updating our studio website to xhtml and checking the links when I found your notice of Koji Wada’s death. Elaine and I met him at the Puyallop “SewExpo” in 2004. His presentation on the demise of traditional Japanese textiles was my introduction to the field. He held the audience spellbound. A very great loss.
Kasuri Dyeworks was an amazing shop and Koji and Debbie were the most incredible hosts. The quality of their wares was outstanding and the attention, interest, and scholarship they exhibited was tremendous. Our extended family shopped there regularly. The material for the magnificent shibori vest over my wedding dress came from them and would have been impossible to contemplate without their guidance; they even found the seamstress who specialized in designing and sewing shibori. Family would shop there when they visited from out of town. We still miss the store and will remember Koji with great affection.
The Berkeley store was a wonderful place, the fabric beautiful, and Koji and Debbie so welcoming. I still have fabric and a metal screen from the store, and it brings fond memories. So, sending condolences very belatedly as I just read the news. All the best from Deborah in Berkeley.