MINAKO’S PROFILE プロフィール
Minako belongs to the under 34 year old group, is single and was born in Akita prefecture, now living in Tokyo. She is working as a freelance image identity designer. She likes Japanese traditional culture; for example, attending tea ceremonies or writing calligraphy. She started to have an interest in kimono from about two years ago. Before that, she was dressed in kimono on 7,5,3 ceremonies and in yukata on summer festivals during her childhood. Also, she was dressed in kimono that her mother prepared for her when she became an adult.
Since Minako’s mother has been learning to play the koto, a Japanese table harp, almost all her mother’s kimono collection are homongi or gorgeous kimono for the stage. But Minako did not have any interest in those types of kimono. She could not imagine herself in those types of kimono because she did not have the opportunity to wear them and it is difficult to replace her ordinary clothing with that kind of kimono for everyday dress.
However, after she attended a lecture about the new style of thought for kimono in an open college, she started to attend the sale events of a kimono shop to find her own style. As she started to tailor her taste in kimono, she realized that her taste is totally the opposite type of her mother’s kimono. Minako likes bluish and greenish colors, which are sober and chic.
Minako learnt how to wear kimono last year from her mother. She plans to wear kimono two days a month this year. She wears kimono when she attends events or when people gather together. Attending business parties in kimono is good for her because people will remember her well.
She enjoys changing the color combinations, fabric types and also kimono accessories, as she is a designer. Kimono is a good medium for her to express herself.
She owns 10 kimono in her Tokyo residence. She also has a chest that she keeps at her family home in Akita. 8 of her 10 kimono are tsumugi and komon. She has 1 homongi and 1 tsukesage. 3 kimono are tailored and the others were from her family.
美奈子さん、３４歳以下の年齢のグループ、独身。秋田で生まれ、現在は東京にお住まいです。フリーでデザインのお仕事（パーソナル アイデンティティ デザイン）をされています。お茶会に時々参加したり書道が好きだったりと、日本の伝統的なことに興味があります。着物にご自分から興味を持ったのは２年前からです。それまで、子供の頃は七五三や夏祭りに着物や浴衣を着せてもらい、大人になってからもお母さまが美奈子さんのために作った着物を着せてもらっていました。
美奈子さんのお母さまは琴を習っているため、発表会や舞台用の華やかな着物を多くお持ちですが、そういった着物を着る機会のない美奈子さんにとっては、ご自分の日常に置き換えられず、着ている自分を想像することができないため、あまり興味を持てませんでした。ところが２年前に着物についての講座を受けたことがきっかけで着物に興味を持ち始め、自分の好きな着物を着たいと着物の展示会に行くようになり、少しずつ好みのものを作り始めました。美奈子さんの好みは寒色系、渋めの色、シックな感じのものでお母さまの着物とは正反対でした。
１年前、お母さまから着物の着方を習いました。今年は月に２回は着物を着て出かけたいと思っています。イベントや人が集まる場所に着ていくことが多く、特に仕事での集まりに着ていくと、顔と名前を覚えてもらうことが増えました。着物は素材や色の組み合わせで表情が様々に変わることが面白く、デザイナーとしてのご自分を表現する手段の一つにもなっています。
美奈子さんが東京で手元に置いている着物は１０枚。秋田のご実家に箪笥
一竿があり、そこにはお祖母様、お母さま、美奈子さんの着物が保管されています。東京にある着物１０枚のうち８枚が小紋と紬で、他に訪問着と付下げを１枚ずつお持ちです。１０枚のうち３枚は呉服やさんで好みのものを仕立て、ほかは実家から好みのものを持ってきました。
The Kimono Closet 