We are Kuska Atelier, a textile atelier based in Tango, Kyoto.
Here, along the coast of the Sea of Japan, a centuries-old tradition of silk-weaving lives on.
Kuska Atelier
The Beauty of Things Made Slowly
Long before automation and mass production reshaped the textile industry, weaving was a conversation between material and maker. In Tango, Kyoto, that conversation has continued for generations.
The story of KUSKA began in 1936, when the Kusunoki family started producing silk textiles for kimono fabrics in Tango, one of Japan’s most historic weaving regions. For decades, the workshop worked quietly within Tango’s deep textile culture, developing an understanding of silk, texture, tension and hand-feel that could only come through years of making.
As industrial production accelerated across Japan, much of the textile industry moved toward speed, efficiency and uniformity. Kuska adapted, producing machine-made items alongside our handwoven textiles, keeping the craft alive while adapting to a fast-changing world.
From Workshop to Luxury Tie Brand
In 2008, under third-generation owner Yasuhiko Kusunoki, the company made a decisive shift: rather than competing with mass production, it would dedicate itself entirely to handwoven textiles. It was not the faster path, nor the easier one, but it was the only way to preserve the softness, irregularity and warmth that handweaving creates naturally.
Two years later, KUSKA was launched as a brand built around that philosophy.
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The focus was narrow but intentional: handwoven silk ties. More specifically, the pursuit of a tie that could express the beauty of slow craftsmanship. Each piece was woven slowly by hand, one pass at a time.
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Over time, KUSKA became known for the unmistakable character of its fabric; the subtle shadows in the weave, the gentle three-dimensional texture and a natural volumeimpossible to replicate by machine.
Eventually, that skill became the heart of our story. We evolved into Kuska Atelier, exploring the possibilities of handwoven textiles through ties, scarves and other pieces designed to bring people closer to the richness of natural materials and the humanity of slow making.
Still, nothing is rushed. Every thread is guided carefully by hand, creating fabrics that that carry the marks of patience, intention and time
The Luxury of Slowing Down
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In a world overflowing with disposable things, a Kuska piece carries a different kind of value: the feeling of choosing something made thoughtfully, with deliberate care, shaped slowly by hands that understand the material deeply.
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The richness of our handwoven silk cannot be rushed.
That is the beauty of it.
Timeline
1936 — KUSKA in Tango
The origins of KUSKA trace back to 1936, when the company began as a weaving workshop in Tango, Kyoto — one of Japan’s most historic silk-producing regions with over 300 years of textile knowledge and craftsmanship. The workshop specialized in textile production shaped by Tango’s historic weaving culture.
Postwar to Modernization
As efficiency and mass production increasingly replaced the slower rhythms of handcraft, many traditional techniques began disappearing. We began producing machine-made items alongside our handwoven textiles, keeping the craft alive while adapting to a fast-changing world.
2010 - 2020s — KUSKA is Founded
In 2010, under third-generation owner Yasuhiko Kusunoki, the company made the decision to commit fully to handmade production. The Kuska brand is launched with that philosophy. For over a decade, KUSKA focused exclusively on ties, treating them as expressions of personal aesthetics and craftsmanship.
2020s — From KUSKA to kuska fabric
The brand evolves into kuska fabric, expanding beyond ties to share the richness, softness, and depth of its handwoven textiles more widely.
Today — A Living Textile Studio, Kuska Atelier
We continue to explore the possibilities of handwoven silk through scarves, ties, and textiles that carry forward Tango’s weaving culture through modern expression.
Today, our legacy travels across the world as Kuska Atelier.
