During the last decade, the innovative aesthetics and practices of Japanese textile designers have had an extraordinary impact on fabrics, fashion, and interior design throughout the world. These immensely talented artisans and designers have combined ancient Japanese craft traditions with industrial techniques and unlikely materials to produce magical and masterful effects.This elegant volume, its binding covered with a contemporary textile, illustrates more than 60 exotic and beautiful creations in full color. Texts describe materials used -- banana fiber, newspaper, copper, stainless steel, and feathers, combined with silk, cotton, wool, linen, and polyester -- and an array of ingenious techniques -- pounding, scrubbing, scraping, and treatment with chemicals and acids to create radically new textures and finishes. Both handcrafted and mass-produced designs are featured. Biographies of the 30 artists and manufacturers represented and a useful glossary are included.