Since joining NUNO (“fabric” in Japanese) in 1984 and becoming the firm’s creative director in 1987, Reiko Sudō has pioneered innovative fabrics that merge tradition with technology, and handcraft with experimentation. Textile Alchemy accompanies the largest presentation of Sud?’s textiles in the United States and showcases approximately 100 fabrics alongside sketches and prototypes that immerse visitors in NUNO’s shifting textures and inventive surfaces—from rust-dyed rayons and feathers encased in silk organzas to chrome-plated fabrics and upcycled plant-fiber weaves. This richly illustrated publication explores Sud?’s career through essays examining her design philosophy, NUNO’s place in contemporary Japanese culture and the groundbreaking technical innovations behind the firm’s renowned textiles. Featuring striking photography of both finished textiles and fabrication processes, the catalogue offers an intimate encounter with works that have redefined the possibilities of fabric design—including Sudō’s bespoke sputtered-metal curtains for LACMA’s new David Geffen Galleries.

Reiko Sudō was born in 1953 in Ishioka and studied textile production at Musashino Art University. She has been central to NUNO since its founding by Jun’ichi Arai and continues to work as its creative director. She serves on the Design Advisory Board of Muji and is Professor Emeritus at Tokyo Zokei University.