Why was MEISENNE created?

Isesaki City, Gunma Prefecture. Once, this land saw the flourishing of a silk fabric called Meisen. From the Taisho to the early Showa period, women chose and wore bold colors and patterns for themselves. MEISENNE is a brand born from that memory.

The first question posed by brand producer Emi Uchiwara was about the inheritance of the culture of Isesaki Meisen. Weavers had already dwindled, and the lights of the factories had gone out. "It's not realistic to increase the number of weavers now. Nevertheless, there are things that must not be lost"—MEISENNE began by confronting that question.

Should we preserve the technique? The form? Or the will?

The answer Uchiwara arrived at was "the inheritance of will." Rather than restoring the techniques of Meisen, it was about transforming the sensibility that women of that era possessed—the strength to express their individuality without hesitation—into a modern form and delivering it. That is the starting point of MEISENNE's craftsmanship.

"I knew from the beginning that this brand wouldn't be something I created alone," says Uchiwara. Textile design, digitization of Meisen patterns, bag design, accessory production—MEISENNE took shape with professionals who excelled in each of these fields. Furthermore, together with Kahyo Takayama, owner of the Isesaki Meisen shop "Hanahana," she launched the "Isesaki Meisen Culture Preservation and Utilization Promotion Project," beginning activities to preserve Isesaki Meisen textiles for future generations. Through this, antique Meisen kimonos and fabrics are digitally archived and regenerated into new fabrics using modern materials and techniques.

MEISENNE will debut with a fashion show scheduled for July 2026 in Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture. The brand statement is "Wear Your Will."
Born in Isesaki, this brand will, both domestically and eventually overseas, step out into the world with women who embody "Japanese aesthetics that are neither Kyoto nor Tokyo."
The story of MEISENNE has just begun.