Photo= While listening to an explanation from Koishibara (second from the right), creators of a Paris-based, clothing brand examine silk cloth woven with silver thread and Fujifu = October 24, Yushisha, Amino-cho, Kyotango City, Kyoto Prefecture

Textile manufacturers of Kyotango City and Yosano-cho, both in Kyoto Prefecture, and other organizations have intensified global sales promotion of Tango textiles. They held an exchange event, to which creators of French luxury clothing brands were invited, from October 24 to October 27. As domestic demand has continued to decrease, they aim to make "Tango" a brand-name that they aim to make widely known abroad and find new opportunities to overcome the sluggish market for "Tango-Chirimen," or silk crepe fabric, as 2020, which marks the 300th anniversary of its foundation, approaches.

"Tango Fashion Week Executive Committee" consisting of Tango Textile Industrial Association, Kyoto Prefecture, four cities and towns in the Tango area and others, invited Livia S. Stoianova and Yassen Samouilov, the two creators of the influential clothing brand "On Aura Tout Vu," based in Paris.

Their brand has created costumes for the singers Madonna and Lady GaGa, as well as others. They have indicated that they will use Tango textiles exclusively to make their pieces for the Paris Haute Couture Collection (Paris Fashion Week) next January. The mother-of-pearl-inlay woven fabric has been previously used in some works for Paris Fashion Week, but this will be a first if Tango textiles are selected for their entire collection.

The two creators, who have also served as the jury presidents in the competition at one of the world's largest fashion materials' trade fairs, visited eight textile companies handling Tango-Chirimen, yarn-dyed fabric and other goods.

At the "Fujifu," or wisteria textile, manufacturer "Yushisha" in Amino-cho, Kyotango City, Kyoto Prefecture, representative Masao Koishibara explained the process of weaving fabric from wisteria fiber threads, the history of Fujifu which has been spun in Tango since ancient times and more. The pair, who took home silk fabric samples of woven Fujifu and silver thread, said, "We feel the spirituality. The technique is also wonderful."

According to Kyoji Tamiya, executive director of Tamiya Raden, a fabric atelier in Tango-cho, Kyotango City, Kyoto Prefecture, who was involved in inviting the pair, Japanese fabric is highly acclaimed mainly in Western countries due to its delicacy, abundant variety, the Japanese spirit towards meeting delivery deadlines and so on. However, the adoption of Tango Textile remains at a small amount.

The Tango Fashion Week Executive Committee has been developing the overseas market through activities such as inviting students from fashion vocational schools based in Paris this summer. Koishibara and Tamiya said hopefully, "We want people around the world to know that Tango is a production area with excellent techniques, which enhance and add value to Tango textiles."