In reminiscing about the creation of my perfume collection, I would love to share the inspiring story about my beloved Washi papers.
Being a lover of vintage textiles, I fell head over heels the first time I discovered Washi paper at a Japanese museum in San Francisco. I was fascinated by their patterns, shimmer and texture. I had my papers imported from Echizen, a small village in Japan known for their Washi papers.
Legend has it, Kawakami Gozen, "the Goddess who lives above the stream", came to the people of Echizen and taught them how to make Washi paper from their crops since they did not have rice farms to make money.
I chose Washi paper because I wanted my packaging to have a textile like feel to it as well as a luster that would capture the luminescence of the gemstones. They are hand block printed on centuries-old printing boards, making them the perfect pairing with my perfumery. To me, no other paper compares.
“My life is my work, there is no line between the two for me.”