Wabi-Sabi: more than an art, a way of life
Like any Japanese concept that seeks to define the subtleties of the heart, feelings, and unnameable things, it is difficult to find a unanimous definition of wabi-sabi. The closest English word is probably rustic: "simple, natural, or unsophisticated...(with) a rough or irregular appearance." This corresponds to the first impression people have of a manifestation of wabi-sabi. It undoubtedly echoes "primitive art," an artistic movement that brings together objects whose color and consistency are reminiscent of the earth, simple, unpretentious, and made from natural materials.
A second approach would be to attempt to define it by what it is not and thus contrast it with the broadly understood movement of "modernism." While the latter implies a rational and logical conception of the world, wabi-sabi understands an intuitive understanding of what surrounds us. Similarly, while modernism looks to the future, wabi-sabi looks to the present. The former believes in the control of nature, while the latter believes in the fundamentally uncontrollable nature of nature.
Simplicity is at the heart of wabi-sabi objects. This state of grace, achieved through the action of an intelligence marked by sobriety, modesty, and sincerity, has guided each step in the creation of our shirts. The primary idea, and the one that will continue to accompany us season after season, is to reduce design to the very essence of a garment: to accompany and enhance the beauty of women while being sober enough not to encroach upon it. Keep things pure and uncluttered. It will never be a question of its quality, which encourages us to look at it again and again, but rather of using materials with pure natural fibers that will allow these pieces to accompany us over time.
It is by returning to simple things, to the present moment, that the material gives way to spiritual richness. In other words, wabi-sabi encourages us to stop worrying about everything related to success (wealth, social position, power, and luxury) and to enjoy an uncluttered life.
In this light, the philosophy behind wabi-sabi pushes us Westerners today to find the subtle balance between the pleasure we derive from things and the pleasure we derive from our freedom from them.