I remember that my grandmother always used to wear kimono. It was very casual, with a half-width obi in kai no kuchi. She’d put on a kimono apron and take a basket to go shopping. I thought she was very cool. I wanted to wear kimono like that. My mother could dress herself in kimono,…
Category: Influences
Chikage’s Influences
I was influenced a lot by a woman who was the most famous antique kimono collector in Japan and an antique kimono shop owner. I certainly visited her luxury kimono collection exhibitions, and I have all the catalogs of her exhibitions. I was fascinated by her coordination which tell stories. They seem like intellectual games,…
Kumiko’s Influences
I am influenced by my mother. Her kimono are important to me. I’m also influenced by my aunts, especially the one who ran the inn. I have always liked old things, too. 母からの影響が大きいです。母の着物を大切にしています。叔母達からも影響を受けましたが、特に旅館の女将さんだった叔母からの影響が大きいです。また昔から古い物が好きでした。
Tsumugi’s Influences
I have two influences. One is my mother. I have grown up watching her work with kimono and teach people kimono. The other influence is my love of rococo clothing. I was always crazy about this kind of clothing and being able to mix it with kimono was wonderful. I think I have become interested…
Risa’s Influences
I love to see Empress Michiko in kimono. I am amazed at her in kimono from when she was in her youth until now. I think she is showing her charm in the best way even under pressure and with a heavy responsibility as a representative of our country. I leant a lot from an…
Naoko’s Influences
I started to wear kimono when I belonged to the tea ceremony club in university. I started to learn tea ceremony again recently so I could make some chances to wear kimono. When I leaned to dress myself and others in kimono, I noticed that my teachers add little finishing touches to the wearing of…
Mika’s Influences
Until when I was three years old my family ran a sushi restaurant. In the restaurant, we played the music of the koto (Japanese table harp), and my grandmother was always working there with her kappougi,(kimono apron) on. I was always with my grandmother and we often watched the period drama TV programs together. I…
Tomomi’s Influences
My first influence was the theater. I really like the way the characters look on stage. They are so cool, and inspiring. I wanted to go to the theater in kimono, and that was a big motivation for me. My second influence was the mook that I learned from. It is very cute, I like…
Tamaki’s Influences
My biggest influence is [my daughter] Nodoka. I would never have thought of wearing kimono as casual wear, if it wasn’t for her. I wouldn’t have started sewing them, if she hadn’t asked me to either. It has become a shared hobby for us. 一番の影響はやはり娘ののどかです。彼女が着物を着るようになったおかげで私も街着として着るようになりました。彼女が着ていなければ私も着ていないと思います。着物を縫うのもそうです。のどかから頼まれたので縫い始めました。今では二人の共通の趣味になりました。
Nodoka’s Influences
My mother is a big influence on me. She taught me to dress and it is through kimono that we have lots to share together. I love antiques, art and British fashion. I am really into art nouveau and deco, and also checks and tartans. As my mother can sew well, she has recently made…
Yukiko’s Influences 影響
I have loved to watch the costume drama on TV since I was a child. I was always interested in the kimono costumes in them. I remember well the photograph of my aunt in a beautiful kimono costume of traditional Japanese dance at my grandfather’s place. Now I am influenced by the geisha who I…
Hitomi – Influences
A bigger influence on me than my own mother, who couldn’t afford to wear kimono on regular occasions, was my mother-in-law. My mother-in-law was a Koto teacher, (Japanese table harp). Because of her work she owned many kimono. She tried to train me in the art of koto, but I did not have an ear…
The Kimono Closet 