Top Japanese fabric manufacturer list and comparison (Part II)

Japanese fabrics are famous for their high quality and wide selection. However for beginner buyers it can be challenging as there are so many fabric manufacturers in the market.

Each company has different and distinctive fabrics. Although it may not be possible to complete everything with this one company, each company has its own sharp characteristics, so they can be a very reliable partner for specific items, etc.

Continuing from the previous article, this time let’s walk through some of the fabric manufacturers who specialized in women’s, men’s, and bag fabrics.

Women’s wear

It may already be outdated to divide the world of casual wear by gender, such as men’s and women’s wear.

However, we will introduce companies that produce many fabrics used for ladies’ casual wear and dress wear, such as fabric texture and structure.

Uni Textile

URL : http://www.komon-koubou.com/

Location : 13F Sun Marion Tower, 2-6-12 Minami-Honmachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka, Japan

Sales : 7.47 billion yen

Uni-Textile handles a wide variety of colors for each product number, including floral patterns, lace, de chine, and tulle. The company has been introducing new colors every year, incorporating trendy colors into its fabrics. During the pandemic period, Uni Textile also featured relaxing (stretch and drape) items to match stayhomes,  creating products with an awareness of trends. Both woven and knit fabrics are available, making Uni Textile a must-see for brands for women’s wear fabric.

Last but not least, Uni Textile also has pleated fabric!

Uni Textile Product Page

Sun Corona Oda

URL : http://www.sunoda.co.jp/

Location : 2-1-6 Honmachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka

Sales : 13.6 billion yen

Although Sun Corona Oda also handles fabrics for interior applications, it mainly produces organdy fabric. Sun Corona Oda is number one in Japan in terms of the volume and number of organdy fabrics handled. Sun Corona Oda handles not only organdy, but also tulle and other transparent fabric in large quantities. The dress worn by MISIA at the opening ceremony of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics was made of fabric from Sun Corona Oda.

Transparent fabrics are now used in various ways for dresses, formal and casual wear. You can check out the brands to find your the suitable fabric

To SUN CORONA ODA’s product page

Men’s wear

The fabrics are heavy in weight, so it can be said that they handle a wide variety of fabrics for men’s wear.

Cosmo Textile Co.

URL : https://www.cosmo-tex.co.jp/

Location :4-2-15 Hakuromachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka City

Sales :3.3 billion yen (fiscal 2019)

The name Cosmo Textile may remind some people of fancy floral patterned fabrics sold in retail handicraft stores. However, Cosmo Textile is divided into a section for handicraft fabrics and a section for apparel, handling completely different fabrics.

For apparel fabrics, Cosmo specializes in firm fabrics for outerwear and bottoms, mainly made of natural materials. Cosmo is the fabric manufacturer that we always recommend when we receive inquiries about bottom and outerwear elements in men’s casual wear. Also, in Cosmo showroom, there are larger fabrics on display, hanging from hangers to make them look like clothes, and you can check the fabric drapes. 

Let’s  check out Cosmo that rings a bell for men’s outerwear, bottoms, and so on.

Go to Cosmo Textile product page

Styletex

URL : https://www.styletex.co.jp/

Location : 1-10, Nihonbashiodenma-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Sales :undisclosed

Styletex is a fabric manufacturer that mainly handles fabrics for coats, with its own weaving mill and dyeing and processing plant. The company also sells coats made of its own fabrics, and despite being a relatively new company founded in 2012, it has a strong presence.

Although the number of fabric part numbers handled as standard items is small, the company produces fabrics with a high density that cannot be found anywhere else. Since the unit price is also high, it can be said that this fabric is used by brands whose unit price of coats they handle is 100,000 yen or more. It also has a texture and function (water repellency) that are worth its value. Of course, since Styletex has its own factory, it is possible to produce coats by special order, although it takes a lot of time.

We recommend Styletex for brands that want to make solid coats.

To Styletex Product Page

Bags

The line between bags and apparel is disappearing, but fabrics for bags are thicker and have stronger functions such as waterproofing and water repellency. The disadvantage is that the robustness of the fabric is often low, since bags are often not so concerned with robustness. However, it can be a strong partner when making bags as one of the items or as a novelty.

Senda

URL : http://www.textile-senda.com/

Location : 1-1-1 Kotobuki, Taito-ku, Tokyo

Sales : 2.3 billion yen (FY2013)

Senda handles a wide variety of fabrics related to bags. Senda offers a wide variety of fabrics, both for front fabrics and lining fabrics. Senda can also do several processes to laminate the backing, such as PVC processing, so Senda can arrange fabrics at the level of waterproofing for daily life as a one-stop shop. In addition, because the fabric is thick, it is difficult to remove wrinkles when folded, so even one-meter cuts are delivered rolled up in a paper tube. Sustainable materials are also unique, such as naturally dyed fabrics made from the outer skin of onions.

Although there is no genuine leather, this is a reassuring ally for brands that make other bags and sundries.

Go to Senda’s product page

Fuji Kinbai

URL : https://fujikinbai.com/

Location : 5-18 Koukawa-cho, Chuo-ku, Osaka

Sales : undisclosed

Fuji Kinbai, a canvas brand by Kawashima Shoji, mainly handles fabrics for bags, mainly canvas. Recently, due to the popularity of outdoor activities, tarpaulin fabrics and other fabrics are being used for tents. And although you may think of canvas as just a thick fabric, Fuji Kinbai deals in a variety of functional fabrics such as water repellent, antistatic, and anti-virus fabrics. Some fabrics are quite hard, so you can find the perfect fabric for tote bags and other items.

If you want to make bags with canvas, you should check out Fuji Kinbai first.

Go to Fuji Kinbai’s product page

Conclusion

Of course, there are many other fabric makers in addition to those mentioned here. It is difficult to deal with various fabric makers, so if you want to use fabrics from various places from time to time, it is one way to work with a material trading company that functions like a wholesaler. For more fabrics from other manufacturers, please check out ApparelX’s product list.