My Mother's Old Jeans Became a Dog Leash

After returning to Japan from Australia, I lived with my family for a while.

Living in Australia had changed the way I thought about possessions. I became more of a minimalist, and I started thinking carefully before buying something new.

Do I really need this?

Could I use something I already have instead?

Before moving to Myoko, I was going through things at my family home when I found a pair of jeans that my mother no longer wore.

Around the same time, the leash belonging to our Shiba Inu, Momo, was completely worn out.

So I had an idea.

Why not make him a new leash from my mother's old jeans?

Denim is a strong and durable fabric, which made it a perfect match for Momo. He is very energetic and a little mischievous, and at the time he even wore a leash inside the house as part of his training. As you can imagine, his leashes didn't stay new for very long.

Working with the denim wasn't easy.

The fabric was thick, and sewing through several layers was challenging. But eventually, my mother's old jeans became something completely different—something useful for Momo.

Since then, I have made two denim leashes for him.

And yes... he has already worn out the second one too.

So it looks like I need to make him a third!

To me, this little story represents something much bigger.

Throwing something away is easy.

But before I do, I like to stop for a moment and ask myself whether it could become something else.

Something that has reached the end of one life might still have the potential to begin another.

My mother's jeans were no longer needed as clothing. But the fabric itself was still strong and useful.

With a little thought, time, and creativity, they became something Momo needed.

This idea of creating a new cycle—rather than simply throwing something away—is at the heart of ENHANCE.

I work with vintage kimono, obi, furoshiki, and other textiles in much the same way. I try to look beyond what something used to be and imagine what it could become next.

For me, upcycling begins with one simple question:

Before I throw this away, could it have another life?