Articles

Spinning Light, Weaving Stories: Bead Embroidery Artist Keiji Tagawa on “Three-Dimensional Brilliance”

2025.10.21

Weaving the light of each individual bead into a story upon fabric──.

World-renowned haute couture embroidery designer and bead embroidery artist Keiji Tagawa has forged a unique world by fusing a finely honed aesthetic with meticulous technique.

In this interview, he takes us on a deep dive, from the very origins of his craft to his techniques and dedication to materials.

PROFILE

Keiji Tagawa

Bead Embroidery Designer / Specially Appointed Professor at Bunka Gakuen University

Born in Tokyo. Graduated from Meiji University's Faculty of Law.
In 1989, he founded Tilia Co., Ltd. At the same time, he established a studio in India and began working on haute couture bead embroidery.
In 1996, he opened the 'Tilia Embroidery Studio' (embroidery classes).
In April 2016, he was appointed as a Specially Appointed Professor at Bunka Gakuen University.
His current activities are wide-ranging, including exhibitions and embroidery classes across Japan, lavish fashion shows featuring only evening dresses, collaborations with various companies, and numerous appearances on TV, radio, and in magazines.

Tagawa's Encounter with Bead Embroidery

Keiji Tagawa's haute couture bead embroidery captivates all who see it. So, how is this delicate brilliance, which shifts its expression with light and movement, brought to life?

"After graduating from university, I worked at an apparel company and then went back to a vocational school to study again. Around that time, I had the chance to help backstage at a fashion show, and that's where I first encountered haute couture embroidery.

It was a kind of brilliance I had never seen before. Every time a model walked the runway, the clothes sparkled as if they were emitting their own light, constantly changing their appearance. In an era without LEDs, I was genuinely amazed and wondered, 'How is this possible?'

That experience was my first encounter with bead embroidery, and it left a huge impression on me. Ever since, a question lingered in the back of my mind: 'Just how is this embroidery made?'"

Later, his big break arrived while working for a French apparel brand.

"The last company I joined was a French brand that, by sheer coincidence, handled haute couture bead embroidery. I had joined because I wanted to learn how luxury clothing was made and handled.

Through business trips to Paris, I was exposed to more bead embroidery. I would gaze at the dresses in shop windows as if I were solving a puzzle, always wondering, 'How is that made?'

One time, at a collection's dinner party, I happened to be seated next to the president of a bead embroidery company. She was an impressive woman who ran an embroidery atelier in India.

That meeting led to her asking me, 'I want to expand my sales channels in Japan. Could you introduce me to some designers?' I was still a company employee, but I thought I'd help out a little. I contacted some Japanese designers and went around with her showing samples. That's what directly set me on the path to starting this career."

Supporting the Tokyo Collection and Forging a Path to Originality

After the sample presentations, designers were eager to place orders. There was just one problem: there was no one in Japan who could handle the job.

Taking on the work required a combination of skills—knowledge of pattern making, an understanding of the production floor, and financial backing—and it was thought that finding such a person in Japan would be impossible.

However, Tagawa realized that even though he wasn't a professional in that specific field, he met all the criteria. So, he raised his hand and declared, "I'll do it." This decision prompted him to go independent. Tagawa reflects that it was the result of many coincidences coming together.

"Back then, I had the honor of helping with the embroidery for the grand finales of shows by top designers in the Tokyo Collection. My encounter with bead embroidery truly feels like a mysterious twist of fate.

My father lived in Mumbai, India, as a child because of my grandfather's work. Coincidentally, her atelier was also in Mumbai. There’s a saying that only those who are meant to be can go to India, and at that moment, I truly felt like I had been called."

After he went independent, business was steady, but the collapse of Japan's bubble economy shifted the landscape dramatically. He realized that if designers stopped using embroidery, his own work would vanish.

His saving grace was the 'wedding bubble' that began around 1995. The rental gown industry expanded, and with it, the demand for expensive, high-quality garments surged. This allowed him to keep his company afloat even as his work in high fashion declined.

However, this bubble wasn't going to last forever. Believing that original creations were essential for his company's survival, Tagawa began analyzing the needs of Japanese women and started crafting his own pieces.

"Haute couture embroidery is completely different from what people typically think of as embroidery. That's precisely why I wanted to see how it would be received and how it would evolve in Japan. This desire is what led me to hold exhibitions."

Keiji Tagawa Shares the Techniques of Haute Couture Bead Embroidery

Tagawa's breathtakingly beautiful creations range from dresses to paintings. But just how long does it take to produce such intricate work?

"For a dress, the process begins with my design. It takes our pattern maker about a month to draft the pattern. After that, I create the detailed design and instruction sheets to hand over to the artisans.

Just transferring the design onto the fabric takes about two weeks. From there, the embroidery itself can take anywhere from three to six months. Once it's back, the final sewing requires another month to a month and a half. All in all, a single dress typically takes eight months to a year to complete, with more complex pieces taking up to a year and a half."

For his paintings, the process starts with him recreating works by masters like Van Gogh or Monet using acrylics. Since printing can't replicate the exact colors, he first paints a copy to match the hues, then layers beads and sequins on top to create a three-dimensional effect.

Pushing a needle through canvas stiffened by acrylic paint takes nearly twice as long as normal. From the initial painting to the final stitch, a single piece can take about a year to complete.

"My first piece was a recreation of Van Gogh's 'Sunflowers.' I joined the artisans in the studio to work on the embroidery. When we finished, we stood the piece up and shone a light on it. In that instant, the perspective completely fell apart. The central flower seemed to sink into the wall, while the sunflowers that should have been in the foreground looked like they were receding into the background. My artisans thought it was complete, but I knew it couldn't be presented as a finished work.

I apologized to my team, had them remove all the embroidery, and began searching for a material that could create the right sense of depth. After much trial and error, I discovered raffia, a plant-based fiber that has a subtle light-reflecting quality. Using this material, I was finally able to make the sunflowers pop in three dimensions."

The term "haute couture bead embroidery" was actually coined by Tagawa himself. While the proper term is "haute couture embroidery," in Japan, the word "embroidery" often brings to mind work done with thread. To instantly convey the sparkle and three-dimensional nature of his art, he added the word "bead."

According to Tagawa, haute couture embroidery is built on three key elements.

"First is the combination of diverse materials. We use not only round and bugle beads but also sequins—an essential in European fashion—along with threads, crystals, and gold purl to bring a single piece to life.

Second is the fusion of different techniques. We incorporate not just Japanese and French embroidery but also a wide range of methods like cross-stitch, patchwork, and cutwork to realize the designer's vision. We call it 'borderless embroidery' because it brings together techniques from all over the world, not confined to any single country.

The third, and most crucial, element is creating three-dimensional embroidery. While Japanese bead embroidery tends to be flat, haute couture embroidery is finished in 3D. This creates complex light reflections, making the piece sparkle beautifully with every movement."

Techniques like "padding," which involves building a foundation with thread, are used to achieve this three-dimensional effect. The artist must calculate light reflection and texture, carefully considering which areas to raise and which materials to use. This combination of the three core elements is what produces such complex and expressive surfaces.

"Bead embroidery looks completely different during the day versus at night. At night, it catches only the light from above, making certain parts glitter with an intensified brilliance. A dress always looks more beautiful when it's illuminated in a dark space.

My focus on how light interacts with the work stems from my early experiences assisting many famous designers. Having the chance to see up close how a finished piece would look on the runway was invaluable, and that knowledge is a great asset to me today."

Creating New Works for the Future

In 2023, Tagawa opened his own museum in Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture. He has recently been expanding his horizons, even serving as a curator for exhibitions. We asked him about his plans for the future.

"Ultimately, the most important thing is to keep creating. It's challenging to focus solely on my art because I'm juggling various other jobs, but I never stop working.

Back when I was holding exhibitions in department stores, I had to present new work each time or they wouldn't host me the following year. There were intense periods when I was simultaneously preparing for multiple shows.

Now that I have my own museum, I can spend more time developing each piece. My goal is to continue creating art that will truly move everyone who sees it."

Keiji Tagawa's art, crafted with hundreds of thousands of beads and sequins, is far more than just beautiful ornamentation. Each piece is a testament to dedicated craftsmanship, with every single stitch capturing the artist's time, skill, and emotion. The play of light and the three-dimensional quality of the details evoke a warmth that can only come from human hands.

Looking ahead, Tagawa is sure to keep inspiring us, weaving stories of light and shadow that connect the past and the future.

Facility Information:
Keiji Tagawa Art Museum
1790-20 Takakuhei, Nasu-machi, Nasu-gun, Tochigi 325-0302, Japan
https://tagawakeiji-art.com/

Text by Tajimax