Philosophy
Considered Objects is an ongoing textile practice by Sara Sakanaka based in New York City. The work explores how heritage and personal history can be carried forward through textiles, handwork, and the preservation of materials over time.
Working with antique kimono silks, reclaimed textiles, and deadstock fabrics, the studio explores reconstruction, hand-stitching, and small-scale production through garments, flower works, textile objects, and one-of-a-kind pieces.
Sara’s practice is rooted in experimentation, hand-sewn techniques, and the ongoing process of combining antique textiles, reclaimed materials, and accumulated fragments. Guided by intuition and the history of the fabrics themselves, each work develops slowly through reconstruction and handwork. Hidden details and traces of process are often left visible for the wearer or viewer to discover over time, giving each piece its own character and sense of connection.
Select works are occasionally available through partner shops, with most pieces available directly through the studio and online.
Process
Sara devotes extensive hand labor to each phase of the process. Working with the care of a conservationist and a design-led approach, she carefully disassembles antique kimonos panel by panel, preserving original seams, details, and traces of construction along the way.
Through reconstruction, stitching, and textile manipulation, these remnants are assembled into newly developed fabric surfaces and one-of-a-kind works. The process often involves combining antique kimono silks with reclaimed textiles and deadstock materials, allowing older fabrics to take on new forms while retaining elements of their original history and character.
Hand-sewn techniques, visible mending, and small traces of process are intentionally left present throughout the work. Each piece develops slowly through experimentation, repetition, and close attention to the materials themselves.
The practice is rooted in preservation, reconstruction, and the ongoing relationship between memory, labor, and cloth.