A small company selling Japanese-crafted socks in the United States has provided a welcome leg up to leading regional producers in western Japan, bringing new business to an industry that is struggling to secure its future.

Maari Wada, owner of Live Your Color, a hosiery textile business based in Portland, Oregon, explains her sock lineup in June. | KYODO
Maari Wada, owner of Live Your Color, a hosiery textile business based in Portland, Oregon, explains her sock lineup in June. | KYODO

Maari Wada, 47, president of Live Your Color, has found a niche for her signature item — fashionable, made-to-last socks with Japanese-themed motifs — that she sells in the United States, where mass-produced, mass-consumed fast fashion reigns.