Each designer alpaca scarf from reorient collection conveys peace
EXCLUSIVE REORIENT COLLECTION
The REORIENT COLLECTION will evoke a sense of peace and connection with nature and enable the wearer to experience tranquillity. Each scarf will be designed by an international designer/artist who believes that people must reorient to living in harmony with nature to create peace and wellbeing.
Each scarf will have its unique digital product passport providing full transparency of source and origin.
This exhibition is at Minagarten Hiroshima from 11- 13 April 2025.
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Designers Concepts
Flower and Dove
About the Concept :
The concept of the scarf features a dove carrying an oleander branch symbolizing both the rebirth of Hiroshima and the enduring hope for peace. Inspired by the biblical story of Noah’s Ark—where a dove with an olive branch signifies the certainty of peace—this design integrates the oleander's remarkable ability to bloom amid devastation. Kuga’s artwork embodies historical memory through an iconic peace symbol. She collaborates across various creative fields to produce meaningful impactful designs that connect people through art.
About the Artist :
Haruka Kuga is a Hiroshima-based freelance graphic designer and illustrator specializing in paper products logos illustrations and website design. Her work is deeply rooted in storytelling and symbolism often reflecting themes of resilience and peace
Infinity
About the concept:
The design uses green to symbolize Hiroshima’s A-bomb survivor trees and resilience. The infinity symbol represents endless acts of kindness and change while its openings double as sprouts symbolizing new growth and rebirth. The abstract scarf design embodies peaceful coexistence and harmony with nature underscoring Hiroshima’s history. Incorporating the infinity loop and sprouting seeds it reflects resilience and the power of kindness in fostering a nuclear-free world.
About the artist:
Charlotte Yeung is a UN Youth Champion for Disarmament an artist-activist and a former nuclear culture researcher for the Federation of American Scientists. Her work explores the intersections of art activism and history often focusing on Hiroshima and nuclear disarmament. She recently concluded a year in Tokyo Japan studying grassroots disarmament and community-based governance.
Juuri : Roots
About the concept:
The scarf design features a large tree rooted in the earth symbolizing peace as a slow-growing force that takes decades to flourish—10 20 or even 100 years—through the combined thoughts and actions of people worldwide. The two trees spreading from the center when woven together resemble hands joined in unity. This design was born from the hope that peace will gradually spread like a tree extending its roots.
About the artist:
Eri Shimazuka is a textile designer and illustrator based in Finland. After studying international relations at Tsuda University and working as an English teacher in Tokyo and Okinawa she pursued textile design at Aalto University. She later worked as a technical designer for Marimekko before becoming an independent designer collaborating with companies worldwide.
The Willow Tree : Resilience
About the concept:
The design features the A-bombed willow tree the nearest surviving tree from the hypocenter. Though its trunk and branches were blown from its roots it continues to stand as a symbol of hope and resilience. Wearing the scarf integrates its leaves branches and diagonal trunk into the body representing unity with nature. Over 150 A-bombed trees still grow in Hiroshima reminding us of the horrors of war but also of survival and renewal.
About the artist:
Born and raised in Hiroshima Yuki Tamaki is a curator at ReOrient Japan. She studied environment and peace at International Christian University and visited British Alpaca Fashion in 2022 while studying abroad in the UK. She is currently working on establishing ReOrient.
Stratum and Intersection
About the concept:
The design centers on two themes: geological strata and intersections. Strata symbolize Hiroshima’s layered history where past and present coexist—modern structures stand alongside memorials for peace. Though unseen the soil holds traces of history emotions and life representing both nature’s foundation and a path to reorientation. Inspired by the Korean term “Sagori” (meaning intersection) the design reflects Hiroshima’s role as a historical cultural and ideological crossroads acknowledging the complexity of narratives surrounding peace and identity.
About the artist:
Mei is a university student and designer from Saitama Japan. Her work explores the layered history of Hiroshima drawing from personal travels and historical research to create intricate thought-provoking designs.
Echoes of Peace
About the concept:
The design reflects the interplay of colour and sound. White and red shared by both the Japanese and Swiss flags symbolize unity. The Swiss Alps echo Japanese script producing an altered version that forms a white and red visual “echo.”
About the artist:
Viktor Anderau is a Swiss artist whose work spans photography making silver objects painting and silk textiles. A master of cryptic art his works are rarely shown in public. Viktor prior to retirement was a tropical agronomist and his work involved safety in agricultural production in several countries including Japan.
Sound of Waves
About the concept:
The scarf design draws inspiration from the movement of the ocean overlapping waves and the passage of time. The waves symbolize the enduring pursuit of peace while water represents both fragility and strength embodying transformation and harmony.
About the artist:
Sami Jones is from Exmoor United Kingdom and is a knitwear technician who has trained on Shima Seiki machines. She is also an experienced farmer and has expertise in caring for alpaca, guanaco, horses and dogs. She understands the need for sustainable farming and the inter relationship between the animals on the land, the importance of land management and the fibre produced from the land.
Flight to Freedom
About the concept:
Inspired by the story of Sadako Sasaki the child of Hiroshima who could not escape the far reaching effect of the devastation of Hiroshima in 1945 but believed in hope through the origami cranes sent to her with messages from all over the world. The design of two cranes from the land soaring over water extends a message of peace from Hiroshima to the world. The cranes take the message of freedom to the world – with peace there can be freedom. With freedom there can be good fortune and longevity for all life in nature.
About the artist:
Anila Preston is the Founder and CEO of ReOrient Japan and the British Alpaca Fashion Company. She is a lawyer in the City of London who has always had a passion for art and fashion from childhood. Her desire for a more meaningful and sustainable lifestyle is the birth of British Alpaca Fashion and the brand for the East – ReOrient which started its journey on a farm in England where the welfare and happiness of the alpaca and the people who work is of key importance
A River Flows
About the concept:
The original artwork is hand-marbled on silk then transposed into jacquard knit. The design echoes the fluid ripples of water a powerful symbol of peace and renewal in Japanese culture. Hand embroidery by Karen Spurgin adds depth and luminosity with each stitch embodying resilience and hope.
About the artist:
Emma D’Arcey is a textile designer with over 20 years of experience in luxury fashion and interiors. A Central Saint Martin’s alumna she co-founded ‘AO Textiles’ and teaches at Institute Marangoni London focusing on sustainable textiles.
A Thousand Knitted Cranes
About the concept:
The design features a thousand knitted cranes suspended on delicate web-like threads reflecting peace and remembrance. Cranes simbolize the peace culture of Hiroshima reflecting a vision where sustainable well-being and peaceful coexistence flow effortlessly together. The colours of the scarf have been created by the artist using natural indigo. Indigo has a special significance in Japan and symbolizes purity passivity and peace echoing the blue waters surrounding Japan.
About the artist:
Phoebe Stockman is an English wedding dress designer with over 20 years of experience in the wedding dress industry having worked in Australia and China with her own brand. As an owner of alpacas she is now using of alpaca fleece in accessories creating heirloom pieces rooted in slow fashion.
Threads of Remembrance
About the concept:
Handwoven shades of ash grey burnt orange and crimson symbolize destruction with a single golden thread of hope weaving through to represent healing and rebirth. The scarf transforms sorrow into resilience mirroring Hiroshima’s recovery and the global call for peace.
About the artist:
Natharlea Liyanage has her own brand Narthalea an artisanal knitwear brand in Sri Lanka and is the Creative Director of LOVI. She is also an accomplished celebrity stylist in Sri Lanka.
On the Wing
About the concept:
Inspired by Picasso’s Dove of Peace this design gives wings to alpacas symbolizing harmony and peace through sustainable textile craftsmanship.
About the artist:
Tomoko Yamanaka is a London-based knitwear designer and lecturer at Chelsea College of Art University of Arts London with over a decade of experience working with British alpaca farmers.
Resilient Roots
About the concept:
For 75 years not a plant or tree grew. But a month later 30 different kinds of plants sprouted leading to today’s Hiroshima. The greenery that emerged in the wilderness became a great hope for reconstruction. Near Hiroshima Castle close to the hypocentre all buildings collapsed and burned down yet a surprisingly large number of trees survived the bombing.
The trees without self-interest embody the power of straightforward living and honesty. Reflecting this year’s theme of peace and harmony with nature the design features a eucalyptus tree that endured the atomic blast symbolizing resilience renewal and the quiet strength of nature.
About the artist:
Sayuri Shikubo is a Japanese artist whose work explores themes of nature resilience and historical memory. She draws inspiration from Hiroshima’s post-war regrowth and the deep connection between humans and nature translating these narratives into meaningful textile designs.
Interlaces
About the concept:
In today’s world, sharing our visions of peace feels more essential than ever. At its core, peace is intertwined with our relationship with nature. Under the broad theme that is Peace, the relationship with our environment, with Nature can be placed at the core of our thoughts.
The Artist believes that the relationship with nature is not made of two distinct parts but should rather be taken as an interlacing whole.
Her shawl design, "Interlaces," symbolizes this delicate and complex bond, reminding us of our deep connection with nature and our environment.
About the artist:
Elisa Defossez Kikuchi is a designer, working mainly with textiles, colours, and concepts. Raised in Belgium with origins from Japan, she moved to Finland for her master studies at Aalto University, in the textile design department.
After graduating, she worked for Hermès in Paris for a few years, to come back to Finland in 2021, to establish her design studio in Helsinki in 2021.
All her projects follow a concept dear to her, which is the “nukumori”, a deep sense of warmth and coziness, both physically and emotionally. In 2024, alongside freelance work, she started her own brand “nuku”, of textiles items and art pieces made of sensitive colours. She currently works between Europe and Japan.