Reviving Boro

<JATS1:p>From ‘shameful’ utilitarian garments to a contemporary, trans­cultural fashion trend: like wabi-sabi and kintsugi before it, boro has gained worldwide recognition as a quintessential Japanese aesthetic and sustainable design practice. How has thiscross-cultural reimagining shaped boro’s meaning in art and fashion? And what are we doing when we make, collect, display and wear boro today?</JATS1:p> <JATS1:p>As boro’s functional value has decreased in the contemporary context, it has acquired new layers of meaning: from antique object to vintage fashion style, sustainable design practice to contemporary art piece. Reviving Boro investigates this revival using primary materials, including a wealth of unpublished images, oral histories and archival research.</JATS1:p> <JATS1:p>Leren Li conducts a thorough examination of the process of value generation, reviewing personal and museum boro collections, emerging boro brands, and recent boro initiatives undertaken by independent fashion innovators. Investigating boro as a revived cultural phenomenon, this is a critical resource for readers wanting to understand the past, present and future of this traditional Japanese textile.</JATS1:p>