Maharishi’s hand-machine embroidery is created by skilled artisans who guide fabric beneath a machine’s needle, controlling the placement and direction of the stitching by hand. The technique allows intricate detail, texture and subtle variations that give each embroidered artwork its own character.

The designs draw on the souvenir jackets commissioned by U.S. servicemen in post-war Japan, known as sukajan, and the tour jackets associated with the Vietnam War. Combining local craftsmanship with military references, these garments recorded personal stories through embroidered imagery, place names and dates.

Maharishi adapts their distinctive compositions across Original Snopants®, sweats, tees and jackets. An arched wordmark, or ‘top rocker’, often sits above a central artwork, with dates, lettering or a lower rocker completing the design. Dragons, tigers and other symbolic motifs express Maharishi’s East-West dialogue, connecting traditional imagery with contemporary artworks.

Through its philosophy of Pacifist Military Design, Maharishi reinterprets this visual language for peaceful purposes. Embroidery transforms military-derived clothing into a canvas for craftsmanship, symbolism and personal expression.