Nature Is the Only Palette
Blancpain announces a collaboration with Sarasa Yoshioka of Senshiyoshioka, a rare Kyoto botanical dyeing atelier where 200 years of ancestral craft, rooted in the traditions of the Edo period, meet the living world.
In a small atelier in Kyoto, Sarasa Yoshioka grinds flowers, steams bark, and coaxes color from the living world around her, just as her ancestors did two centuries ago. No synthetic dyes. Only plants, seasons, and an obsession with the kind of beauty that cannot be manufactured.
She is the sixth generation of Senshiyoshioka, one of Japan's last remaining ateliers practicing the ancient art of botanical dyeing. And she is Blancpain's newest creative partner.
Founded in 1735, Blancpain is the world's oldest watch maison in existence. Guided by its motto "Innovation is Our Tradition", the Brand has continuously created exceptional timepieces by combining the mechanical watchmaking expertise handed down through generations with the creativity of the watchmakers devoted to their craft within its Manufacture.
This partnership is a natural meeting of two houses shaped by the same conviction: that the most enduring things are made slowly, by hand, with deep respect for what came before. By bringing a contemporary interpretation to ancestral techniques, Sarasa Yoshioka not only enriches the creations themselves, but she also ensures that the beauty of craftsmanship is carried forward for future generations. This dialogue between heritage and modernity lies at the heart of the collaboration.
Sarasa Yoshioka / Senshiyoshioka
Sarasa Yoshioka is a textile craftswoman and the sixth-generation head of Senshiyoshioka, a Kyoto-based dyeing house with a history spanning more than 200 years. Born in Kyoto in 1977, she began her career in the apparel industry before studying dyeing and weaving techniques at the Nomura Silk Museum in Seiyo, Ehime Prefecture. In 2008, she returned to Senshiyoshioka to train under her father, Sachio Yoshioka, the fifth-generation head of the house. Following his sudden passing in 2019, she succeeded him as the sixth generation.
In addition to her work as a textile artist, Sarasa Yoshioka contributes a series titled "The Colors of Japan" to Koyomi Seikatsu, a lifestyle platform celebrating the beauty of Japan’s seasons.
About Senshiyoshioka
Senshiyoshioka is a Kyoto dyeing atelier that has preserved the art of botanical dyeing since the Edo period. Using traditional Japanese techniques, the atelier draws color from plants, flowers, and trees to dye natural materials such as linen, silk, cotton, and washi paper.
Since the Meiji era, chemical dyes have become widely used in Japan. Against this backdrop, Senshiyoshioka remains one of the few ateliers dedicated to preserving the subtle and deeply evocative colors of Japan through plant-based dyes.
The hues born from seasonal plants reflect both a profound reverence for nature and a refined artistic sensibility. Senshiyoshioka also maintains longstanding ties with historic temples and shrines, contributing to the restoration of cultural treasures at institutions such as Tōdai-ji and Yakushi-ji, and dyeing the washi paper used to create the artificial camellias for the Shunie ceremony at Tōdai-ji, thereby supporting some of Japan's most cherished cultural and spiritual traditions.