Top Japanese interior designer and businesswoman, Yasue Ishikawa, and her daughter, Risa Ishikawa, a product development specialist, are partnering to bring their new brand of luxury wall coverings to North American interior design professionals later this spring. Referencing the delectable bites or sweet morsels found in their homeland, they opted to name the new wall covering brand, Ocashi.
Best known for their RisaBraire brand, the mother-daughter team found design inspiration in the nearly lost ancient Japanese chinoiserie designs. Basing their company in Kobe, a center of creativity and expert artisan culture, the pair wanted their new designs to explore the connection between traditional Japanese homes, art, nature and artistry. Their research uncovered a trove of beautiful Japanese art that helped to inspire the worldwide movement ultimately known as chinoiserie, an element of their country’s rich design legacy that has often been overlooked or re-assigned to other cultures. From that basis, the two women infused modern artistry onto original styles; created stunning textural substrates; and, worked tirelessly to home in on color palettes sought after by the modern luxury markets in North America.
“The goal for our new Ocashi brand is to bring modern and ancient Japanese aesthetics together into completely fresh wall coverings that tell timeless stories,” stated Yasue. The patterns are artfully constructed so that a single panel can be used as a feature or up to six panels can be grouped to complete a full wall mural. Interior design professionals can select which section or sections of a scene they want to use for their projects. Further, color, size, substrate material and pattern can be customized to suit the needs of the designer and their luxury clientele.
Ocashi plans to launch with four distinct patterns in two collections via a new website and e-commerce portal later this spring. It is expected that orders will ship within 6-10 days of receipt.
