Blending technology and ancient arts, the 77-year-old “dream weaver” continues to push textile design into unexplored realms.

Junichi Arai’s work and reputation have made him a designer’s designer. For more than 45 years Arai has been rethinking what fabric is: making three-dimensional scarves out of steel, reinterpreting ancient traditions, and developing flame-retardant fibers for theatrical and commercial drapery. His collaborations with Issey Miyake and Comme des Garcons in the 1970s and 80s-when he became known for combining the new technologies of the west with weaving – have had a huge influence on the interior, fashion, and textile designers. His primary legacy is this belief in experimentation, which is embodied in all of his work, whether it is destroying surface to create something that is much more beautiful than the original textile or with new materials. A collection is mounted a mini-retrospective of the designer’s work.